{"product_id":"2940012440549","title":"The Night I Freed John Brown","description":"From School Library Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrade 7–10—Josh lives in Harpers Ferry, WV, in an aging limestone house with his two bullying older brothers, timid mother, and tyrannical father. Known for its connections to legendary historical figures such as John Brown and Frederick Douglass, the town attracts many visitors. Living in its fishbowl atmosphere brings shame and anger to Josh's father but evokes joy and creativity in their new neighbors, the Richmonds. Josh envies everything about Luke Richmond. He envies his new friend's normal brothers, kind father, and beautiful house, which is almost an exact duplicate of the abandoned house Josh's father grew up in on the outskirts of town. Explanations for his father's anger, the abandoned house, and other family secrets are revealed just as Josh's world comes crashing down around him. The pacing of the story is slow and the characters are one-dimensional and oftentimes stereotypical. The metaphors involving John Brown are often forced and the historical relationship between Brown's acts and Josh's experiences will be lost on many teens. The author attempts to address too many conflicts—family dysfunction, corruption in the Catholic Church, John Brown's legacy—and fails to bring about a convincing resolution to any of them. While there is some action and adventure, this title will appeal to a limited number of young adults.—Lynn Rashid, Marriots Ridge High School, Marriotsville, MD","brand":"Penguin Group (USA)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145342173424,"sku":"2940012440549","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012440549_p0.jpg?v=1763569042","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012440549","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}