Unbound is a novel in verse that is about slavery. It was written by Ann. E. Burg. In the beginning, Grace, a nine-year-old girl, was called to the Big House to do slave work. After a few weeks, she couldn’t stand the pressure anymore, and escaped, taking a big risk. Later, Grace and her family had to escape from the Big House for good, so they escaped to an area close to a lake. Finally, they had to cross the dangerous lake to arrive in the Great Dismal Swamp, to prevent getting caught and to have freedom. For these reasons, the theme of Unbound is to take risks.
The adventure begins when Grace starts preparing to work in the Big House. She was to work under the orders of Master Allen and The Missus, from dawn to dusk every day. Grace was helped and taken care of by Aunt Tempie. She was constantly being nudged by Grace to help her to visit her family because Grace missed them so much. Soon, Aunt Tempie agreed, and on Saturday nightfall, where everything was pitch black, she helped Grace to escape temporarily from the Big House to her cabin where she lived before in less than a month. Grace saw her mama and Uncle Jim, and she was overjoyed to see them. Grace made sure that she was back to the Big House really early, so Aunt Tempie wouldn’t change her mind about letting her visit her family again. She got her to trust her. Every late Saturday night, Aunt Tempie will allow Grace to visit her family. But little did Grace know she was starting to go reckless.
When Grace escaped from the Big House the first time, she thought the Big House wasn’t so cruel anymore. Grace had her mind wandering around when she was supposed to do slave work, and one day, Grace finally didn’t manage to keep her mouth closed. She accidentally talked to The Missus about whether or not a whipping will make a person stronger. Afterward, The Missus wanted to find a way to punish Grace, and to her delight, she found a way. Jordon, an important slave, had escaped. This left The Missus and Master Allen in a big mess, and they were low with money. The Missus suggested for Grace’s mom and her two little brothers to be sold at the auction block, and Master Allen agreed. Grace had overheard the entire conversation, and realized that she and her family had to escape at once. She sneaked out, and woke her family up, and explained the situation. When they set off, Grace and a feeling of shame stuck to her throat.
Grace’s family started to get away from the Big House. They were accompanied by OleGeorgeCooper, who was an escaped slave and very experienced. However, even with him it did not stop a paddyroller from finding them. Although he was only knocked out, the paddyroller got a glimpse of them before he blacked out. OleGeorgeCooper knew that if he was part of a group, when the paddyroller regained consciousness, they would be in big trouble because the paddyroller could tell other people where Grace and her family was. So, OleGeorgeCooper set the slave-hunter down in an unknown area. Uncle Jim took its pistol as well, so it could no longer attack them harshly even if he found them. OleGeorgeCooper led Grace’s family to an underground area, and they settled there for a while. Still, they were not safe. They nearly got demolished by a snake, and The Missus had set the hounds off, meaning they had to stay put. Grace realized that she couldn’t just wait for the hounds to find them. She said that they must take a risk, and cross the lake to the swamp, where freedom lies waiting for them. Others agreed, but OleGeorgeCooper noted that Aunt Tempie left a rock with the moon and an eye. This meant that it was still not safe. A few days later, they received another rock, and it showed two wavy lines. OleGeorgeCooper stated that it meant it was safe to escape. So, that night, Grace’s family abandoned their hideout and went off to the lake. After they slogged for hours, they found a canoe near the edge of the lake. OleGeorgeCooper beckoned them into it, and sailed across the body of water. Grace’s family made it, and after what seemed like forever, they finally got a chance to relax.
The main theme of this book is to take risks for a better outcome. In the beginning, Grace chose to take the chances to see her family. Then, she pushed her luck, and had to escape from the Big House forever. Finally, Grace and her family had to take one big big leap in order to secure freedom. As Grace realizes how lucky she is, she also knows what she gained from it, as stated in Unbound: “I’m free, n I’m never goin to be not free again”.
