Journey Back to Freedom

From the horrors of the slave trade to a book that changed the world, Catherine Johnson celebrates the incredible life of Olaudah Equiano in this gripping true story.

Aged only eleven, Olaudah Equiano was cruelly snatched from his home in Africa and sold into slavery. He spent much of the next ten years serving various masters at sea, travelling to the far corners of the globe. He witnessed horrendous cruelty and occasional kindness, while experiencing daring adventures and extreme peril. Throughout it all, he never gave up hope that one day he would be free again.

This is his incredible true story.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

"Olaudah Equiano's story is one that everyone should read & know, and I can't think of anyone better than [Catherine Johnson] to tell it" – S.F. Said

"Expertly researched and written, accessible and absolutely vital" – Sophie Anderson

"Johnson’s lively, lightly fictionalised account of Equiano’s life makes gripping reading for 9+" – The Guardian

"Meticulously researched, richly imagined and beautifully written … [Johnson's] nuanced approach will lead to thought-provoking discussions, and her engaging style means the book will fly off the shelves" – Reading for Pleasure and Progress

"An incredible story of survival and freedom … recounted here as a powerful historical novel … The narrative is fast-paced and immediate – replicating the constant unpredictability of Equiano’s experience. [Johnson] doesn’t shy away from the brutality he experienced, but her words are carefully chosen for young readers." – Film Stories, 'Children's Book of the Week'

About the author

Catherine Johnson is a screenwriter and bestselling author of several books for children and young adults. Shortlisted for the 2020 UKLA Book Awards, Race to the Frozen North is a perennial bestseller with sales of over 40,000 to date. Her acclaimed novel Sawbones won the Young Quills Award for Historical Fiction, and The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize. Catherine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
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Katie is a freelance illustrator recently graduated from Falmouth University. Having grown up in Cornwall, and also in the middle-east, Katie takes inspiration from her travels and surroundings to create her illustrations. Her work deals with both narrative and information and often combines the two.