《书目》(Booklist)书评

Gr. 4^-6. This new entry in the Trailblazer Books series is based on the life of John Newton, the slave trader turned minister who is famous for penning the hymn "Amazing Grace." When 13-year-old Hamilton Jones obtains his freedom, he is determined to avenge himself on the person who enslaved his mother years before. He eventually finds Newton, but doesn't shoot the odd little preacher. Instead, he listens to Newton's story--his bondage to an African woman, his narrow escapes from death, his years at sea, his entry into slave trading, and his gradual awakening to slavery's evils. The Jacksons miss the chance to make Jones a fully realized character, and the contrived plot fails to create any genuine tension between Jones and Newton. Even so, there's enough narrative drive to keep readers involved and make this a worthy introduction to a memorable historical figure and his times. A bibliography is included. --Shelley Townsend-Hudson