The Escape of Oney Judge

McCully, E. (2007). The escape of Oney Judge. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

I will be perfectly honest that this is a book I would have never picked up. History is certainly not my favorite subject, but that does not mean that it doesn’t interest my students. As teachers, we should always consider and incorporate the interests of our students—even when it means that we aren’t interested ourselves. This goes back to the importance of knowing our students--their interests, likes, dislikes, families, hobbies, and more. From this, we can choose books that touch on their experiences and interests. In turn, students will be more engaged in their reading. 

I honestly wish my teachers had read more historical fiction when I was growing up. I believe this would have made the study of history much more interesting for me. When reading a textbook, history seems so distant and irrelevant. When reading a piece of literature, you are learning history through the lives of characters that are relatable. This makes the learning much more meaningful and memorable.

This story fits within the historical fiction genre, because it is based on true events; it is set in the past—during the time of George Washington’s presidency (1789). Oney Judge was born into slavery, but Martha Washington took favor on her and allowed her to be her seamstress. When George Washington was elected as president, the family moved to Philadelphia. For the first time, Oney saw free blacks. Although Oney is treated fairly well by the Washington family, they did not allow her to learn to read; she desired this above all. Additionally, Oney got word that she would be given to a relative of Martha’s. After hearing this, she ran away and eventually married and learned to read. As mentioned, this story is set in Mount Vernon and Philadelphia during the 1700s. In the case of this story, the setting is integral, because it would not be the same in any other time or place. This is true for all of historical fiction.

In addition to the touching story, this book is also filled with rich, beautiful watercolor illustrations. Additionally, ink was used to add fine details to the pictures. The book is full of print that helps to tell the story, but the illustrations certainly help to achieve this as well. I am certain that anyone reading this will be captivated by the illustrations. I found myself examining every little detail.

This story would probably not be appropriate to read with my kindergarteners. However, if I were to read it to older students, I would ask them to put themselves in Oney's position—imagining what it would be like to answer to someone else, to be forbidden to read, and to be forced to leave your own family. I think these questions could lead to some powerful conversations.