- The Disappearing Man

As a Vine reviewer with plenty of access to “free”, pre- or recent-issue books, about the strongest compliment of the works of any author is to say that after having read ONE of that author’s works on a complimentary basis, I have felt impelled to buy another. That is certainly the case with respect to “The Disappearing Man (The Underground Railroad Book 2)” by Doug Peterson. Having just posted my review of “The Vanishing Woman” (posted on Amazon yesterday, 11/26/2020), I immediately purchased this second account of an amazing escape on Kindle, and read it immediately.Peterson is an exceptionally effective story-teller and developer of characters. Although his “Underground Railroad” books are based on extraordinary, well-documented tales of escapees whose stories became part of the abolitionist lore just prior to the Civil War, what make his works so enthralling are back-story vignettes. These are primarily works of imagination, but are based on extensive research into the actual circumstances of the particular time and place where the escape occurs. While “The Vanishing Woman” is about a couple, William and Ellen Craft, who made their extraordinary journey together from Macon, GA to Philadelphia by train, ship and coach, in this second book Henry Brown actually has himself shipped in a wooden box from Richmond, VA to the North. He accomplishes this feat after his pregnant wife Nancy and their three other children are sold off to somewhere in the Carolinas to raise funds to cover their owner’s debts.The sub-theme of both of these books, as author Peterson explains, emphasizes the determination of the protagonists to attempt to preserve family unity. As if the basic circumstances of enslavement were not brutal enough in and of themselves, the brutality was exponentially multiplied by the vicious practice of separating parents from their children. For me, the emotional impact of these books is vastly increased by realizing that although chattel slavery is not involved, the current cruelty of policies in the US of separating asylum-seeking parents from their children is a horrendous “rhyming” of history. Although Peterson’s stories are of successful escapes with happy endings in terms of sustaining the families involved, they certainly require the reader to engage at the deepest level with the tragic inhumanity of which so many of us still seem to be capable.

Peterson has made a name for himself by digging deep into the history books to find those compelling stories of courage, justice, and faith that the modern man has never encountered. The Disappearing Man was his first foray into the historical fiction genre and it does not disappoint.Trying to keep interest in a story where the main character spends a bulk of the book alone in a box would provide an insurmountable challenge to a lesser author, but Peterson is able to weave in flashbacks, suspense, and juuust the right amount of detail to keep the reader turning the pages.This book is wonderfully crafted and and a great read for adults and older children.

When I read the story I did not realize it was based on an actual person's story. What true grit, faith and courage is exhibited - against impossible odds. God bless this man and the people who helped him. It is well written. I did not feel that there were wasted words. A joy to read technically, sad because of the evil of slavery and the hard-heartedness of man, an exciting adventure - a well told story.

In the end, I enjoyed this book. It took a few chapters before I actually got into the story. I struggled a little with how the author was telling the story. But I finally came to enjoy and appreciate the authors approach to telling the story. It made each chapter exciting to read as the scene and prospective of the story varied! Well done... I rather enjoyed reading this history lesson!

Amazing, exciting fiction about a real-life slave who tried a daring escape in a wooden box. The story goes back and forth from the escape attempt to Henry Brown’s earlier life and seamlessly keeps both stories in the reader’s attention. I don’t normally read books with violence, but here it is not gratuitous and is necessary in the historical context. Helps me think about what horrible things we might be doing to each other in present times.

I loved this book.I was intrigued, it kept my attention, and I didn’t want to put it down. I admired Henry.

This was a very inteiEsting book and touches on many different events in a slaves life. I would recommend this to all who love historical books.

I cannot believe all the emotions I felt, I smiled and frowned, I actually laugh and cried. I so felt and shared the emotions of this heart breaking book. So hard to believe that a human being could go through so much and still have a will to see another day.