FREEDOM'S BANNER

The story of a mother and son centers around love and racial prejudice in the Civil War South and later in Africa. British-born Mattie Henderson marries a Southern slaveholder, not understanding the depth of his commitment to the Antebellum way of life. After his death, she bears a son by her husband's slave-born half-brother. Later, her multiracial son must confront his own racial demons on the battlefields of Egypt, where the slave trade began. Shelley Thompson brings a light touch to this historical drama. While her characters occasionally blur, her overall tone captures their confusion and conviction. She moves easily between cultured British tones and African American dialects, although her plantation owners seem to require more effort. Once beyond the book's slow start, Thompson carries the story along smoothly. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]