Author Description

<b>It is 1793 - a decade after General George Washington led America to victory in its fight for independence from Britain.</b><br> <br> With freedom secured, the general has been persuaded to accept a second term as president of the new nation. But in his heart he wants to go back to being a farmer. And being a farmer means he has slaves. Leading a nation is a demanding and often lonely business and Lady Washington is unable to persuade her husband to give up his public 'duty'.<br> <br> At least she has help. Oney Judge is her 'personal servant' - and soon-to-be confidante. Oney is a 'quadroon' - three parts white and one part black. So, unlike the white people who so recently gained their independence from the Mother Country, Oney is not free. She is Lady Washington's inherited property, though the word 'slave' is never spoken. Oney works in "the big house" at Mount Vernon, sewing dresses and serving tea. Lady Washington treats her as well as her own grandchildren. But though she is often mistaken as a Washington relative by visitors, Oney remains in bondage.<br> <br> In the spring of 1796, Lady Washington tells Oney that she will make her granddaughter Eliza a nice wedding gift. Oney soon discovers this does not mean sewing a negligee or a quilt for a gift. No, it means that she will be the gift.<br> <br> This is the day that Oney decides to escape - to put her forced bondage behind her and make her bid for freedom. On May 21, 1796, Oney walks straight past the Washingtons and out the front door. Although they make several attempts to capture her, she lives the rest of her life in freedom.<br> <br> Diana Rubino's Oney: My Escape From Slavery is a painstakingly re-imagined account of a true and painful story told generations on. At its heart is the paradox of liberty - for an individual, for a race, for a nation. In a modern world where cultures and histories collide, it is a timely reminder of perspectives on 'slavery' and 'freedom' that we may have become blind