This Strange New Feeling

A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR BOOK • Two short stories and one novella deliver a powerful exploration of the depths of human emotions and the unwavering pursuit of freedom.

Three love stories from black history . . .

This remarkable book is about freedom and how it first felt to those who had been deprived of it all their lives. It is also about being a slave. But most of all, it is a love story—about three couples who rose above their situation to care deeply for each other despite the pain it could bring, and who managed to grow stronger in the face of danger because they were not alone.

Eloquent and riveting, these three stories are all inspired by true events and people, including the famous abolitionists William and Ellen Craft. And new for this edition, in honor of the book’s twenty-fifth anniversary, Julius Lester has written a thought-provoking preface about freedom and empathy. This Strange New Feeling is historical fiction at its finest—eye-opening, authentic, and deeply moving.