"Few novels cut to the heart of the matter so elegantly or eloquently ... Nightjohn should be required reading."
School Library Journal

Sarny, a twelve-year-old slave on a plantation in1850's America, is drawn to a new field hand, Nightjohn, when she hears about his past.  Having escaped north to freedom, Nightjohn has now returned, his goal to secretly teach his fellow slaves how to read and write.  Risking everything, Sarny embarks with Nightjohn on a quest for knowledge and freedom.