Fifteen-year-old James Forten is proud to be fighting to free the American colonies from British rule. Hes also proud to be a free African American. In 1781, near the wars end, the British capture the American ship on which hes serving. White prisoners are often exchanged between the two navies. But not black prisoners. Will James find himself enslaved? Will he survive the ordeal of being a prisoner?

Marty Rhodes Figley is the author of sixteen books, mostly about her favorite subject--remarkable people from our country's past. She earned her B.A. in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College. Marty, whose two children are grown, lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Paul, and their Airedale terrier, Scarlett.