Elijah is the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border. But when a former slave steals money from Elijah's friend, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity, Elijah embarks on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the thief, and he discovers first-hand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled. "Show[s] an emotional range and a subtlety unusual in children's fiction. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller." - Booklist