With Her Baby on Her Back A totally gripping and heart-wrenching historical novel by Suzette D. Harrison author with Jeanette Robinson (Narrator); Megan Gage (Narrator)

With Her Baby on Her Back

A totally gripping and heart-wrenching historical novel

by Suzette D. Harrison author

with Jeanette Robinson (Narrator); Megan Gage (Narrator)

Rating: 5 star rating

I just finished listening to the audiobook for With Her Baby on Her Back by Suzette D. Harrison. It is a great historical fiction book inspired by the true story of Biddy Mason, an enslaved woman who walked thousands of miles to freedom. The story jumps back and forth between two different moms, one from the past and one from today, and it is just such a beautifully emotional story from start to finish.

The historical part starts in 1848 with an enslaved midwife named Zinnie. Her owners force her to walk two thousand miles all the way to California from Mississippi, behind their wagons. She has to do this grueling trail with her two little girls walking next to her and her newborn baby strapped to her back. She goes through so much physical pain and is terrified of losing her kids, but her strength is amazing. She is determined to survive and find a way to get her family their legal freedom.

The modern part of the story is about Lynette, a single mom and teacher in Texas. She is totally stressed out trying to raise her son, who has autism, while also taking care of her grandmother who has dementia. She finds an old sapphire brooch in the attic, which starts a big family mystery. As she digs into her roots, she realizes she is directly connected to Zinnie's journey, and learning about her ancestors helps her find the strength to handle her own tough life.

The audiobook has two different narrators, Jeanette Robinson and Megan Gage, which was a great choice. One reads the past and the other reads the present, and they both sound so real and emotional. It is about 12 and a half hours long, but it goes by fast because you get so hooked on the mystery.

Even though it talks about heavy stuff like slavery, it doesn't leave you feeling down. The ending is actually really happy and inspiring. It is a great reminder of how strong moms can be and how important it is to know where you come from. I highly recommend getting this one if you want a great book for listening in your car or at home while doing chores. I just loved it.

Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, author Suzette D. Harrison, Jeanette Robinson narrator and Megan Gage narrator, for this audiobook review consideration. All review opinions are my own.

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