LoveReading Says
At once a thrilling historical adventure, a harrowing account of life on a brutal Barbados plantation for our heroine Obah and an excoriating examination of the legacy of slavery on our society today.
Both how far we have come in a technological sense and yet how little progress has been made in terms of equality or reparation. This is achieved through the clever use of a timeslip device which links the plantation to its wealthy owner’s heirs living in the UK today. Descendants who wish to make amends and think they can do so by rescuing Obah from life in 1834 and bringing her to the twenty-first century. This may not have been the first intention of Jacob when he travels to the past in order to understand the family legacy, but he cannot stand by and leave her at the hands of the brutal overseer.
We then skilfully get to see our society through Obah’s eyes, and her confusion and dismay is both amusing and shocking. Obah gets to witness racism and injustice and we can all see why she chooses to return to lead a slave rebellion in her own time. Obah’s voice just leaps off the page and the reader is gripped from the first sentence.
Both worlds are vividly and convincingly evoked as is the logic of the timeslip device. A really thought-provoking novel that will inspire lots of valuable discussion around important themes of equality and justice and will be a really valuable addition to any school library.
Joy Court
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How Far We've Come Synopsis
A groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed debut novel of friendship and freedom that crosses continents and centuries, in a timeslip story exploring the legacy of slavery, selected as The Times Children's Book of the Week.
Sometime, me love to dream that me is a human, a proper one, like them white folks is.
Enslaved on a plantation in Barbados, Obah dreams of freedom. As talk of rebellion bubbles up around her in the Big House, she imagines escape. Meeting a strange boy who's not quite of this world, she decides to put her trust in him. But Jacob is from the twenty-first century. Desperate to give Obah a better life, he takes her back with him. At first it seems like dreams really do come true - until the cracks begin to show and Obah sees that freedom comes at an unimaginable cost . . .
Hopeful and devastating, this powerful novel about equality, how far we've come, and how far we still have to go, introduces an extraordinary new literary voice.
Praise for How Far We've Come:
'A powerful exploration of racism, solidarity, friendship, freedom and hope' Laura Bates
'One of the most impressive young adult debuts of the year. This gripping novel takes a nuanced look at the legacy of slavery, injustice and inequality in today's world' Observer
'Both hopeful and heartbreaking, this gripping book turns a searchlight on the changing faces of injustice through time' Guardian
'A brilliant idea and a powerful debut' The Times, Children's Book of the Week
'A seriously impressive debut. Read it now' Irish Times
'A powerful, ambitious, unforgettable read about freedom, rebellion, love and hope' Liz Hyder
'A gut punch of a debut, this book is both vital reading and a call to arms' Laura Wood
'Compassionate, brave, authentic, educational. Everyone should read it' Abiola Bello
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781398511026 |
| Publication date: |
28th March 2024 |
| Author: |
Joyce Efia Harmer |
| Publisher: |
Simon & Schuster Children's an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
317 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Young Adult Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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