Freedom Crossing

Laura Eastman, the protagonist of Freedom Crossing, is a 15-year-old girl originally from northern New York. At the book’s beginning, she has just returned from four years in Virginia. In the time she was away, Laura became somewhat of a Southern belle. When she speaks, “her accent [is] as pronounced as Aunt Ruth’s” (58). She has grown less proficient with household tasks since she became accustomed to enslaved people doing chores for her and focused more on the era’s traditional feminine skills such as sewing and playing music.

As she finds herself wrapped up in the Underground Railroad, parts of her old self come back. She allows herself to be more tomboyish again. Likewise, her heart for others returns, replacing the side of her that wants to strictly follow the laws and excuse Southern slaveholding.

Laura finds herself conflicted throughout the book. She begins the book as someone who is adamantly pro-slavery, especially in defense of the aunt and uncle who have raised her in the years since her mother’s death. However, she is open-minded enough to slowly change her perspective. At the end of the book, she not only helps Martin escape to freedom but also vows to help others like him.