A book by Bill Gallaher. Touchwood Editions Ltd.

I usually post my book reviews on Book Bub, but they couldn’t find this book, so I thought, because I liked this book so much, I would post my review here.

Moses, full name Wellington Delaney Moses, was a black man born in the Grand Cayman Islands in 1817. He left his family behind and travelled to the US, where he discovered many of the states held black men as slaves. He discovers the underground railroad, and Gibbs, who becomes a close friend. They both become involved in escorting runaway slaves to the northern states and then further as a new law is passed that any black person captured in the free states can be taken to the slave states and declared a slave.

Then they travel to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, where Governor James Douglas, a black man, has issued an invitation for blacks to enter. When they arrive, there is great debate going on amongst the population about whether they should join the Canadian confederation. Here black people are free, but still face types of discrimination.

Next the gold rush. Scores of people pour up the west coast of Canada, hoping for the big cache and Moses joins them. At last, he finds a place where no one reacts to the colour of his skin, just to his ability to perform his job as barber. He died in 1891.

Quite a historical novel, lots of research based on Moses’ journals and the history of North America, well written. 5 stars!