In the acclaimed novel Copper Sun, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon M. Draper delivers a powerful narrative that takes readers on a poignant journey through the horrors of slavery. This gripping historical fiction explores the life of Amari, a young girl abducted from her peaceful village by relentless slave traders. Once engaged to the love of her life and surrounded by the warmth of her family, Amari’s world shatters when violence erupts in her village.
As she is dragged away to the slave ship, the chilling experience strips her of everything familiar. All that remains is a flicker of hope. In the Carolinas, her fate lies in the hands of a plantation owner, who cruelly gifts her to his son as a ‘birthday present.’ It is on this cruel plantation that Amari meets Molly, an indentured servant who becomes her closest ally as they bond over their shared desire for freedom.
As the two young women learn to navigate their harrowing new reality, Amari starts to learn English while clinging to her memories. When a daring opportunity to escape arises, they both find the courage to flee South toward the Spanish colony in Florida at Fort Mose. Their journey is fraught with peril; they must endure hunger, cold weather, hostile wildlife, hurricanes, and the ever-present threat of being captured for reward money.
Through it all, Amari's hope for a new beginning keeps her spirit alive, even as doubts creep in. Will their dreams guide them to safety in an unfamiliar land? Will hope and dreams be enough to overcome the grit of their reality? Copper Sun is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of friendship.
