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Blog Tour: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Interview!)

Posted February 3, 2022 by Kaity in Book Tours, Interviews / 1 Comment

Blog Tour: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Interview!)

Happy Thursday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Freewater! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Amina Luqman-Dawson to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!

Blog Tour: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson (Interview!)Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Published on February 1, 2022 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Pages: 416
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.
In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.
Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.

What would you do if you spent the day with Homer and Ada? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?

I’d pick an amusement park. It would be a day of fun rides and maybe even a few roller coasters for Ada, and Homer. We’d definitely do the race cars and swings. We’d eat pizza, ice cream, and cotton candy. Ada would love the cotton candy. Stuffed animals and toys souvenirs for everyone! There would be no cause for worry about real dangers in the world, only fun and complete freedom. 

If Homer and Ada were to hang out with characters from other books, who would they be and why?

These kids would definitely hang out with the kids from Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.  I’m just a huge fan of Taylor’s cast of characters. This would mean having black kids from the antebellum era meet with black kids of the Depression Era. Both were hard times, and both found ways to grow and succeed. Plus, I know Homer, Stacey and Cassie would totally be fast friends. And course, Ada would be completely amused and undeterred by the fastidious ways of Little Man. 

If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?

I’m totally biased, but I’d go to Freewater. To tell you the truth, even though I’ve finished writing the book, I tend to visit there in my imagination. For a day there, I’d probably spend my time trying to see what shenanigans Sanzi is trying to convince Billy to get into.  That would be a fun and exciting day. 

If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?

I’d have a picture of my family, because they’re most important to me and the future me or anyone else would be reminded of who we were. I’d have the recipe for my mom’s wonderful homemade bread. It’s been in my family for generations. By the time the capsule was open it would probably be considered a rare skill and something only done by artisans. The recipe could be revived and bring just a bit of added happiness and nourishment to the world. A copy of the first chapters I wrote for FREEWATER. If I got to open the capsule years later, it would remind me of how far I’ve come. 

What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?

Great question! I’d read about a maroon community in South America, I think it was Surinam, that was thriving and was led by a powerful woman. The community had to defend itself from incursions. Legend has it that this woman could fire bullets out of her backside. I thought that was pretty cool, but not really appropriate for my story. 

What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from Freewater?

It’s the moment in the tool shed where Sanzi is confronted by a militiaman who has been hired to catch runaways. It’s her moment to see if she can realize her dream of being brave and victorious. I won’t spoil it by telling you guys what happens. 

About Amina Luqman-Dawson

Amina Luqman-Dawson loves using writing to tell stories and to build an understanding of race, culture and community. Her published writing includes op-eds in newspapers, magazine articles, travel writing and book reviews. She’s authored the pictorial history book Images of America: African Americans of Petersburg (Arcadia Publishing). She’s worked as a policy professional, researcher and consultant on issues of education and criminal justice. She has a BA in Political Science from Vassar College and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley. She’s a proud mother of a 13-year-old son. She, her husband and son reside in Arlington, VA.

What do you think about Freewater? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!

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