Just finished the book, and it's pretty hard to put into words what I feel. If I were Japanese, I would be ashamed, humiliated, and very concerned that my culture could/?can reach the depths of depravity that Dr. Bumgarner so matter-of-factly describes. The treatment of their POWs is almost beyond belief, as is the fact that any of the prisoners survived at all. The book is well-written and engrossing, with a physician's eye for detail. No exaggeration nor hyperbole creeps in -- none are needed -- the story speaks for itself. You'll read the book and wonder "Could I have lived through this?" I'm sure it was not pleasant for the author to dredge up these remarkably clear memories and write about them, but we owe him a debt of gratitude for doing so.

The description of Mrs. Mary McCray as an adult in Montclair, New Jersey and her struggles for "full freedom" are truly inspiring. I felt as if I was sitting in that kitchen listening to the anecdotes as they were told. I found the early part of the book, however, to read like a research paper with the footnotes included.

It seems to me that this book, along with Edward Ball's Slaves in the Family, offers a new and important look at the history of race relations in America. Both of them deal with situations that were not unique, but carefully swept under the rug. I applaud both authors for their work, and since Mrs. McCray has said she's writing another book, there is at least one reader, here in the nation's oldest city, who is anxiously awaiting it.

Ms McCray's ability to put us back in time is timeless, a true depiction of how life was and is for so many African Americans...Her ability to convey the innocence of childhood and reality through the eyes of her mother and through her own experience is something extrodinary. A warm and compassionate story of love, triumph, and struggle through one of the darkest times in American history. Written very tenderly so you can smell the warm pies and cakes baked in the Allen home, the flowers that she nurtured. Her legacy? Her children who were reared with self respect and taught to be proud of who they are as a people. Freedoms Child is a must read for all, black or white, it will grip you leaving you laughing, crying and ulitmately wishing we could have been there. A story of a mother and the love she gave her children. A story of a woman in the "Red Hat" who would not lie down. A story of coming of age. A story that every American should read. When you finish this book you will just sit back and smile! I know because Carrie Allen McCray is my Grandmother!! Lane McCray