All Different Kinds of Free

The story of Margaret Morgan is not widely known, but her kidnapping led to a Supreme Court decision that made it easier for formerly enslaved people to be captured, even in free states, and led to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. After her capture, Margaret vanishes from the historical record, likely becoming one of many Black people swallowed up by one of America’s greatest sins. In this 15th anniversary edition of Jessica McCann’s novel, McCann pulls Margaret out of the shadowy recesses of history and gives her the voice America’s legal system denied her.

McCann’s focus is less on the Supreme Court case than on Margaret herself, and the many lives that surrounded her, from her husband to the woman who paid for her return. At its best, the book is deeply humanizing and breathes life into a part of history that often is treated as a waiting room for the coming Civil War. The pacing is the one weak point; thoughts and feelings are rightly dwelled on and richly detailed, but physical actions are often glossed over or underwritten.

I recommend this book to readers interested in Black women’s history.