Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away; Young Readers Edition

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A brilliant work of US history. School Library Journal (starred review)
Gripping. BCCB (starred review)
AccessibleNecessary. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, Never Caught is the eye-opening narrative of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washingtons runaway slave, who risked everything for a better lifenow available as a young readers edition!

In this incredible narrative, Erica Armstrong Dunbar reveals a fascinating and heartbreaking behind-the-scenes look at the Washingtons when they were the First Familyand an in-depth look at their slave, Ona Judge, who dared to escape from one of the nations Founding Fathers.

Born into a life of slavery, Ona Judge eventually grew up to be George and Martha Washingtons favored dower slave. When she was told that she was going to be given as a wedding gift to Martha Washingtons granddaughter, Ona made the bold and brave decision to flee to the north, where she would be a fugitive.

From her childhood, to her time with the Washingtons and living in the slave quarters, to her escape to New Hampshire, Erica Armstrong Dunbar, along with Kathleen Van Cleve, shares an intimate glimpse into the life of a little-known, but powerful figure in history, and her brave journey as she fled the most powerful couple in the country.

Author Bio

Erica Armstrong Dunbar is the Charles and Mary Beard Professor of History at Rutgers University. Her first book,A Fragile Freedom: African American Women and Emancipation in the Antebellum City, was published by Yale University Press in 2008. Her second book,Never Caught: The Washingtons Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judgewas a 2017 finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction and a winner of the 2018 Frederick Douglass Book Award. She is also the author ofShe Came to Slay, an illustrated tribute to Harriet Tubman, andSusie King Taylorand is theco-executive producer of the HBO seriesThe Gilded Age.

Kathleen Van Cleve teaches creative writing and film at the University of Pennsylvania.She has written three books, including the award-winning middle grade novelDrizzleand lives in Philadelphia with her husband and sons.