Review: Two Sisters: A Story of Freedom by Kereen Getten
It takes a lot to drive a wedge between inseparable siblings, but half-sisters Anna and Ruth, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation, are tested to near breaking-point in Kereen Getten's heart-wrenching new novel.
When cruel overseer Walter threatens to sell both girls at the slave market, their Ashanti mother Liza and Anna's white plantation-owner father John Ambrose send them to a 'safer' life in England.
On arrival, they are left in the care of John's high-society sister Edith and her brat-of-a-daughter Elisabeth, and it's soon apparent they've escaped one hellhole for another.
On Edith's orders, fully Black Ruth is subjected to abhorrent treatment while Anna, who is semi-protected by her half-white status, fails to stand up for her sister, just as she did back home.
It is also important to explore the nuances in Georgian attitudes towards slavery, to encourage children to approach British colonial history critically and in a balanced way. In the story, minor character Bill refers to Lord Mansfield's landmark ruling of 1772 to show that in 1781 many Black and white Britons were still confused as to whether slavery was actually illegal in Britain. Not all white people agreed with treating enslaved people badly, so some Black folk (like Francis Barber) or those with brown-skin/mixed-heritage (like Anna) often fared better as a result.
Part of Scholastic's acclaimed Voices series, this middle-grade historical adventure, inspired by real events, is set in the late Georgian era during the same year as the Zong massacre of 1781 and amidst the rumblings of a growing abolitionist movement.
Although very different in subject matter to Getten's debut When Life Gives You Mangoes (published 2020), both books at their core explore the emotions and tensions within childhood female relationships. Ruth is determined, brave, and often forthright whereas Anna is obedient, meek, and guilt-ridden due to her mixed-heritage and the privileges this affords her. It's largely due to these personality differences that their sisterhood is challenged throughout the text although, beneath the clashes, it's clear they love each other inextricably.
We follow the girls' fictional journey from the hills of Falmouth, Jamaica to Georgian England and most of the action takes place in the Ambroses' grand London townhouse, acquired presumably using money amassed from trading in sugarcane and slaves.
The captivating first-person narrative, structured in alternating chapters from Ruth's then Anna's perspective, points up the girls' unequal status while driving the story forward to a satisfying conclusion. Both girls, but mainly Ruth, exist in a near-constant state of flight-or-flight, always vulnerable and on their guard for fear of being whipped, smacked, or abducted.
Getten does a stunning job of creating a claustrophobic, anxiety-ridden atmosphere in which readers gain an authentic sense of the girls' lives within an oppressive colonial system—in both countries—right through to the nail-biting climax. For the most part, they are confined to the townhouse, mirroring their past imprisonment within the boundaries of the Ambrose's Jamaican estate, and when they finally breathe London air, escaping for a meeting with historical figure Francis Barber, their relief is wonderfully palpable.
Getten does not shy away from the harsh realities of the time, and there is little respite from the suffering. The humiliating party scenes where stoic Ruth is the 'star attraction' make difficult but necessary reading. That said, light relief does come from the sweeter, quieter moments when the girls are alone just being children, playing clapping games or enjoying reading together.
Due to the sensitive subject matter, this text is best suited to mature readers in Year 6 or above. And when using it as a shared text, it should be explored within the broader context of Black history spanning the transatlantic slave trade. Children need to contextualise slavery within a long legacy of wealthy, powerful, and sophisticated African empires and contemporary Black-British success stories. I have already written about this in my review of Catherine Johnson's Freedom, and I've listed some fiction/non-fiction books and websites below that may help.
It is also important to explore the nuances in Georgian attitudes towards slavery, to encourage children to approach British colonial history critically and in a balanced way. In the story, minor character Bill refers to Lord Mansfield's landmark ruling of 1772 to show that in 1781 many Black and white Britons were still confused as to whether slavery was actually illegal in Britain. Not all white people agreed with treating enslaved people badly, so some Black folk (like Francis Barber) or those with brown-skin/mixed-heritage (like Anna) often fared better as a result.
At the same time, white Britons in England (like Edith) were physically so far removed from the horror of life on the plantations or slave-trading that their inhuman showcasing of Black servants as fashion objects was arguably down to sheer ignorance. Getten tackles this complex web of varied viewpoints masterfully, using each supporting character to encapsulate the contradictory attitudes of the time.
Two sisters, two skin tones, two different life experiences—this powerful, emotive story brings to light the rarely-told stories of the Black Georgian children who strove for freedom and confronts the unsavoury aspects of Britain's colonial past.
Two Sisters: A Story of Freedom by Kereen Getten is available at Bookshop.
References for teachers and parents:
Black and British: A Short, Essential History by David Olusoga
Timelines From Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies, foreword by Mireille Harper
The Story of the Windrush by K.N. Chimbri
Children of Benin Kingdom by Dinah Orji
Young, Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Andrea Pippins
Notes:
Ashanti – The Ashanti Empire was a West African kingdom from 1701 to 1957, in what is now modern-day Ghana.
Falmouth – is a busy port near Montego Bay, on the north coast of Jamaica. Historically, the town is notoriously known for being a central hub in the transatlantic slave-trading.
Guide for teachers and parents
Genre | Narrative: stories with historical settings |
Child-led interests (EYFS) | N/A |
Age group (EYFS, KS1, KS2) | KS2 (Y6 only) |
Curriculum links/topics (EYFS/NC) | English (Y5/6) Reading: continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction… increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books including…modern fiction. Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of word in context. Asking questions to improve their understanding. Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts, and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence. Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader. History: a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066. PSHCE: freedom and justice, rights |
Suitability | whole-class text, school library, home-reader |
General features | historical facts; first-person narration; dilemma/conflict; specific historical period; dialogue reflects opinions of the time period; plot is fictional with some historical facts included vivid descriptions of setting and characters that authentic for the time period |
All the Black children's books that I review are checked against my Jericho Benchmark.
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