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Synopsis
The boats slip into the water at dawn and the journey begins. Some people think we may find monsters out West. But our leaders, Captain Lewis and Captain Clark, say that is an idea for dreamers. There is no room for dreaming on this journey into the unknown. Still, I dream and I carry my dream within me as we begin our quest to find a waterway to the western sea. I dream of finding freedom. My name is York and I am a slave. When the Lewis and Clark expedition launched its search for a water passage to the Pacific Ocean in 1803, a black slave accompanied them. His name was York and in this beautifully illustrated children's book, he tells the tale of this remarkable journey and his own search for freedom. It is an inspiring story of faith, courage, and resolve set against the backdrop of the most famous exploration in American history.
Children's Literature
York was the only African American to accompany Lewis and Clark on their journey of discovery in 1803. A series of beautifully executed paintings tell the story of the adventure from York's perspective. His personal quest was for freedom. York's first-person account of the journey makes it more compelling than the more common rote histories and one children can more easily respond to. The paintings contribute to this exceptional effort a sense of place and a feel for the conditions that were endured. An afterword informs people that even though Captain Clark let York live in Kentucky and earn a living, he was never legally freed.