FROM MIDNIGHT TO DAWN The Last Tracks of the Underground Railroad

Much has been written about the Underground Railroad, including the author's previous book, the insightful Hidden in Plain View, about the role of quilts in helping slaves to escape. Less attention has been paid to the Canadian end of the escape routes, the focus of Tobin's new book. The title comes from escapees' reference to slavery as "midnight" and to a town of escaped slaves in Ontario called Dawn. Richard Allen is an able narrator. He is particularly adept at moving from the carefully modulated voice of the reader in the bulk of the text to the voices of escapees in quotations from letters and pamphlets. He never relies on stereotypes in the latter voices, giving each person character and grace. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]