This extraordinary narrative offers a fresh perspective on the Underground Railroad as it traces the perilous journeys of fugitive ex–slaves from the United States to free black settlements in Canada.

The Underground Railroad was the passage to freedom for many slaves, but it was rife with dangers. There were dedicated conductors and safe houses, but also arduous nights in the mountains and days in threatening towns. For those who made it to Midnight (the code name given to Detroit), the Detroit River became a River Jordan—and Canada became their land of Canaan, the Promised Land where they could live freely in black settlements under the protection of British law. One of these settlements was known as Dawn.

In prose rich in detail and imagery, From Midnight to Dawn presents compelling portraits of the men and women who established the Railroad, and of the people who traveled it to find new lives in Canada. Some of the figures are well known, like Harriet Tubman and John Brown. But there are equally heroic, less familiar figures here as well, like Mary Ann Shadd, who became the first black female newspaper editor in North America, and Osborne Perry Anderson, the only black survivor of the fighting at Harpers Ferry.

From Midnight to Dawn evokes the turmoil and controversies of the time, reveals the compelling stories behind events such as Harpers Ferry and the Christian Resistance, and introduces the reader to the real–life “Uncle Tom” who influenced Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

An extraordinary examination of a part of American history that transcends national borders, From Midnight to Dawn will captivate readers with its tales of hope, courage, and a people’s determination to live equal under the law.

“Illuminating and entertaining, From Midnight to Dawn offers a sweeping overview of the history of fugitive slaves in Canada and their interactions with the American anti-slavery movement.” —Chicago Tribune

“Thoroughly researched and very readable.” —Rocky Mountain News

"Accessible and fluidly written." —Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating look at the shared history of the abolitionist movement and the development of freedmen settlements between the U.S. and Canada." —Booklist

 
Jacqueline Tobin is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed Hidden in Plain View and The Tao Women. She is also a teacher, collector, and writer of women's stories. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Hettie Jones's seventeen books include How I Became Hettie Jones, a memoir of the "Beat Scene"; the poetry collection Drive, which won the Poetry Society of America's 1999 Norma Farber Award; Big Star Fallin' Mama (Five Women In Black Music); and No Woman, No Cry, a memoir with Bob Marley's widow Rita. Jones's short prose and poetry have appeared in The Village Voice, The Washington Post, and elsewhere. She lives in New York City, where she teaches writing at New School University and the 92nd Street Y Poetry Center.