The Freedom Race

March 29, 2021
Roy (The Hotel Alleluia) turns to speculative fiction for the first time with this lyrical, Afrofuturist hero’s quest set in the not-too-distant future. The “Civil War Sequel” led to the reinstitution of slavery in the Homestead Territories; now plantation owners import Black folks from the Cradle to work and breed multiracial laborers. The spunky Jellybean “Ji-Ji” Lottermule has found a way out: as the fastest runner in Planting 437, she’ll compete in the Freedom Race. If she wins, she and her family would be emancipated. But to enter, she must first win her mother’s support and get ratified for the race—and these tasks prove to be just the first of many hurdles for Ji-Ji. Things get off to a slow start; Roy front-loads the story with extensive background for the “disunited states” and an elaborate lexicon of new racial classifications, creating a steep learning curve for readers. But once the world is established and Ji-Ji’s story takes off, her harrowing but profoundly spiritual quest for sovereignty against all odds impresses. Readers who stick with this will appreciate both the tenacious heroine and Roy’s intricate prose stylings. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary.

Starred review from October 1, 2021

The first work of speculative fiction by British Jamaican novelist and poet Roy (Hotel Alleluia) portrays resilience and outrage in the face of perceived powerlessness, set in the former United States, generations after the Sequel (a second Civil War). The country has been divided into three regions; the southern portion, the Homestead Territories, relies on the labor of enslaved Black people. The population having been decimated by natural disaster, religious zealotry, and genetic mutation, the Homestead Territories has instituted a repopulation scheme intended to create a subjugated class of strong but docile workers, where white "fathermen" take multiple enslaved wives in order to "reseed" the world. Psychological and physical abuse and the seeming lack of help from outside make resistance by enslaved people almost impossible. Bred to work and made to run, teenaged Ji-ji lives through the folklore of the past and a compelling lineage of tribes who could fly free. The Freedom Race and the accompanying flyer fights are Ji-ji's only hope to escape and to petition for the release of her family members. This series launch is speculative fiction at its best. Like all great fantasy works, Roy's tale offers a view of truth in the real world through a veil of unreality. Listeners face terrifying effects of alienation and otherness, with glimpses of hope and humanity. Multilayered characterizations provide fascinating insights into shades of goodness and evil. Narrator Adjoa Andoh delivers an exquisite performance, bringing the large cast of characters to life with voices, intonations, and nuances both subtle and obvious. VERDICT An essential purchase for library collections that will have both teen and adult listeners waiting anxiously for the next installment.--Lisa Youngblood, Harker Heights P.L., TX

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