Chains

June 20, 2019

Chains

Written by Laurie Halse Anderson
Young Adult Novel
Historical Fiction

Awards

• ALA Best Books For Young Adults
• ALA Notable Children’s Books
• ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults – Top Ten
• Beehive Award Master List (UT)
• Booklist Editors’ Choice
• CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
• Capitol Choices List (DC)
• Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List (NY)
• Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ)
• Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee
• Golden Sower Masterlist (NE)
• Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee (AZ)
• IRA Teachers’ Choices
• Maine Student Book Award Master List
• NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
• National Book Award Finalist
• Nutmeg Children’s Book Award Nominee (CT)
• Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award
• Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award Master List
• Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner
• Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award Nominee
• Publishers Weekly Best Books
• Rebecca Caudill Award Master List (IL)
• Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee
• Rodda Book Award Nominee
• Scott O’Dell Award
• Texas Tayshas Reading List
• Thumbs Up! Award Master List (MI)
• Truman Reader Award Nominee (MO)
• Volunteer State Book Award Master List (TN)
• Washington Post Best Books
• West Virginia Children’s Book Award Master List

About the Author

Laurie Halse Anderson is an award winning and New York Times bestselling American author. She has written picture books, non-fiction, YA fiction, adult fiction, as well as her memoir, SHOUT. She was honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English for fighting against censorship. Her books have won many awards, including Chains and Speak (which is also one of my favorite YA novels that I read in high school).

Book Summary

Chains is a historical fiction book set during the Revolutionary War. The story is told from the perspective of Isabel, an enslaved young girl. Isabel and her sister Ruth were promised their freedom by their enslaver, Mary Finch, upon her death. Suddenly, Isabel and her sister are sold by their previous owner’s nephew to the Locktons. The Locktons are a malicious, rich, and fence-straddling, loyalist couple, notorious for their maltreatment of the people they enslave. When Isabel meets Curzon, a young boy enslaved by Mr. Bellingham, a Patriot, she is encouraged to spy on her Loyalist enslavers. She is hesitant at first, but finds her self needing to wager for her freedom after something terrible happens to Ruth.

Historical Fiction

Laurie Halse Anderson wrote a very powerful piece of historical fiction that takes place in a time before her own, during the Revolutionary War from 1776-1777. Most of the characters are fictional, but she does include some that are based on real, notable people of that time, such as General George Washington, New York mayor David Matthews, Thomas Hickey, and Dr. Abraham van Biskirk. In addition, many of the events that take place are actual historical events, such as various battles, that happened during the Revolutionary War.

The reader gets to see a unique perspective that isn’t normally presented in history books or historical fiction, that of an enslaved girl named Isabel. While Isabel isn’t a real girl that was enslaved during that time period, her story, her emotions, and her struggles were very real. It is through Isabel’s eyes that the reader experiences the pain of losing Ruth, the fear of sneaking around behind her enslavers’ backs, and her strength as she endures and perseveres through many hardships.

Laurie Halse Anderson has clearly done her research to make this historical fiction novel a reality. She demonstrates this in a few ways. One way is through the use of short excerpts of historical letters or other texts from that time period at the beginning of each chapter. Anderson would also add the date (i.e. Monday, May 27, 1776) to connect the reader to a specific time in the past. In chapter 1, it read, “‘Youth is the seed time of good habits, as well in nation as in individuals.’ – Thomas Paine, Common Sense.” I felt these excerpts always connected to the situation Isabel was going through in that chapter. They helped connect the fantasy to the reality. In addition, she provides an Appendix at the end of the book, that responds in detail to some common questions and concerns regarding the historical accuracy of the novel.

Anderson utilizes figurative language and musical writing to “show” rather than “tell” the events in Chains. But she also uses a few visual elements. The biggest and most obvious is the cover art, created by Christopher Silas Neal. The imagery on the cover is very powerful and depicts a small black child with their arms in the air and the title, Chains, on a ribbon are across their arms. There is also two birds placed on either side of the child, one with the British Flag and one with the American flag. Another small visual technique used within the book creates a sense of the past was the fancy font used for the date at the beginning of each chapter and the first letter of the first word of each chapter.

There is some really powerful figurative language and rich, vivid descriptive language in Chains that really paints a picture in the mind of the reader. For example, the use of “bees” to describe how Isabel felt in her mind. Describing her racing thoughts as bees is very clever and relatable. This language is used throughout the novel. The bees visit her mind often after scary or terrible things happen to her or her sister. Madam Lockton threatens to sell Ruth after she has her first seizure, what are described as her “peculiar ways”, in front of the Madam.

Strangest of all was the hive of bees that had taken up residence inside of me. They swarmed under my skin and gave off peculiar vibrations. The buzzing echoed in my brainpan and crowed out my thoughts.
The fire in me burned on and on.”

chains, pg. 148

Another powerful scene that demonstrates Isabel’s character growth takes place in sick Lady Seymour’s room. Lady Seymour is dying and is feeling remorse for her failed attempt or lack of attempt to purchase Isabel and Ruth. Lady Seymour does not approve of the malicious way that Madam Lockton treats her slaves. Isabel relates how Lady Seymour is acting to the way her previous enslaver, Mary Finch, acted when she was close to death. But now, much has happened to Isabel and she is stronger now, she does not see the use in easing the mind of the dying lady. She understands that Lady Seymour had good intentions, but she realizes that good intentions do little to help her out of enslavement. Isabel wants to know why she thought of buying her, but didn’t think of freeing her.

It would have eased her mind if I thanked her for wanting to buy me away from Madam. I tried to be grateful but could not. A body does not like being bought and sold like a basket of eggs, even if the person who cracks the shells is kind.”

Chains, page 245

It was Christmas Day, the one “free” day that Isabel got a year with no work, but Madam had a different idea. Madam made sure that Isabel had work to do and when she was done she threatened her for having gone to the prison to feed the prisoners, or rather Curzon. She threatened to sell her like she did to Ruth. Isabel thought, “She can do anything. I can do nothing.” (pg. 232). The reader can feel and share in her helplessness and sadness, “The ashes of sadness and the buzzing bees of my melancholy all spin a storm inside of me” (pg. 232). Isabel’s character grows quickly on this page, during her “free” time, as she looks across to New Jersey, foreshadowing the events ahead. “A thought surfaced through my ashes.” (pg. 232).

She cannot chain my soul.”

Chains, pg. 232

This is a turning point for Isabel, a fire is burning inside her and she is more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to survive, find her sister, and live free. The revelation that no one can chain her soul. No matter how evil or cruel, she can persevere. Isabel is consistently portrayed as “unique and believable” (Tunnell et al., 2016, p. 17). The reader can emotionally connect to her character as she fights through her fears and holds on to hope.

References

Anderson, L.A. (2008). Chains. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Laurie Halse Anderson. (2019). Retrieved from http://madwomanintheforest.com/about-the-author/

Tunnell, M. O., Jacobs, J. S., Young, T. A., & Bryan, G. (2016). Children’s Literature, Briefly (6th ed.). Upple Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.