A Place Called Freedom
by Ken Follett
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ken FollettEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-06-30
ISBN: 0449225151
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Fawcett
Book Reviews of A Place Called Freedom
Book Review: Satisfyingly fast read.
Summary: 3 Stars
Ken Follett channels John Jakes. That was my thought while reading the book. It's Follett's take on the historical fictional epic that Jakes has done so well with the last 30 years or so. Follett is a superior writer, but many of the elements, including a broad sweep of locations, the appearance of the main characters at various pivotal events and the overwrought passions of the lovers.
The book follows a poor Scottish miner in the 1770's (Mack) and a gentrified lady (Lizzie) who lives near the mine. He's young, headstrong and determined to chisel out a better life of freedom for himself and those close to him. Lizzie is young, headstrong and determined to live a life with more choices than usually offered to a lady in her position. Lizzie and Mack's paths cross continously throughout the book. It starts in the mines of Scotland, and Follett paints a vivid portrait of the horrific lives these virtual slaves led in that time. We can feel the danger and the huge exhaustion they must all have felt.
Mack escapes to London, where he tries to make a place for himself, but becomes a leader in the stevedores labor movement, almost by default. Naturally, this lands him in trouble, and eventually he ends up in Virginia, under not very nice circumstances.
I don't want to say a lot more, because this is a story driven by plot. Although the characters are vivid, and there are lots of heroes for us to root for and villians to hiss at, its what happens that makes the book enjoyable. We learn a bit about the culture and society of the times...particularly the just emerging yearning of workers (be they in Scotland, London or America) to have a bit more say in how they're treated.
Follett once wrote the three best spy novels ever: EYE OF THE NEEDLE, KEY TO REBECCA and TRIPLE. They were unbelievably exciting, rich in detail, featured sympathetic villians and some very hot sex scenes. His LIE DOWN WITH LIONS and MAN FROM ST. PETERSBURG were nearly as good, but with NIGHT OVER WATER, his work began to suffer a bit. I suspect he was just beginning to go through the motions some. He also wrote the fantastic historical novel PILLARS OF THE EARTH and showed he had the chops for such work as well. But his recent efforts have simply felt a bit pedestrian. I miss the Follet of old.
But A PLACE CALLED FREEDOM is good clean fun. It's a fast read, builds some suspence when its called for, and manages to inform your view of the world. It won't stay in my memory the way EYE OF THE NEEDLE has, but I do give it a modest recommendation.
Summary of A Place Called Freedom
Sentenced to a life of misery in the Scottish coal mines, twenty-one-year-old Mack McAsh hungers for escape. His only ally: beautiful high-born Lizzie Hallim, who is trapped in her own kind of hell.In 1766, from the teeming streets of London to the infernal hold of a slave ship headed for the American colonies to a sprawling Virginia plantation, two restless young people, separated by politics and position, are bound by their search for a place called freedom....
With action that spans two countries on opposite sides of the Atlantic, making a credible audio version of this epic tale is no small feat. Victor Garber, the talented actor of stage and screen (Sleepless in Seattle, I'll Fly Away, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd), does an admirable job. Garber presents the narrative passages in a clear, confident tone and uses his extensive acting experience to create believable voices for the many diverse characters. Follett has thrown in a confusing array of regional accents and disguised characters, but the range of Garber's voice helps keep things straight while heightening the considerable action and communicating the powerful emotions expressed by the very large cast that gives this drama its grand sweep.
This intriguing novel hinges on the courageous struggles of the hero, an indentured coal miner who declares, "I'll go anywhere that is not Scotland--anywhere a man can be free." Getting anywhere else is easier said than done, especially when he's caught up in an entanglement of familial responsibility, forbidden love, official deceit, trickery, and violence. Even though there are plenty of breathless moments when proper ladies are tempted by bare-chested hunks, this is much more than just another adventure-filled love story. It's also an intriguing journey into the social and political realities of the late 18th century, when the rising influence of the American colonies was first taking hold and the shining glory of the British Empire had begun its long, slow fade. (Running time: four hours, four cassettes) --George Laney
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