Leonard Pitts, Jr\\\'s story \\\"Freeman\\\" is BRILLIANT and one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read! The characters are rich within the tapestry woven for them, blended to transfix you, and stitched together during a most tumultuous time in our history. I truly believe that this novel should be listed as an \"American Classic\".

The lives of the slaves after the Civil War, in someways was just as cruel as slavery. Being \\\"free\\\" came with a high cost to many, with no where to go, no money and continued cruelty from the white community. Many slave owners refused to admit defeat to the North and continued treating their slaves as property instead of as human beings. There were many families that had been broken apart and having very few clues as to their location began searching for their loved ones, with often terrifying results.

Emotional and riveting \"Freeman\" is a true masterpiece.