Book Review - Songbirds Are Free by PM Terrell

Historical History at Its Best"Songbirds are Free" is the story of Mary Neely. Mary was abducted and taken into captivity by a group of Shawnee Indians. Suspense, Thriller author P. M. Terrell transported me to another time and place as she drew me into this story. I experienced, with Mary, the hardships of survival, of daily crisis. I was challenged to understand in a new light those confusing issues faced by the colonists, the Indians, and the British in the setting of the Revolutionary War era.I received a whole new picture of the culture, traditions, and savagery of the Indian as they were forced to migrate in hopes of finding new placed to settle. The Indian battles depicted in the Saturday matinees of the Western movies of my childhood were replaced with a new reality. I became immersed in the insight regarding beliefs, customs, and survival techniques of the military, the settlers, and the Indians, as principles were replaced with bigotry, cruelty, abuse, and revenge.Mary became accepted and her life was spared because of her songs. The Indians gave her the name "Songbird" because of her lilting voice and melodies. She sang hymns and composed poems as she planned her escape during a two year period of captivity.The story parallels Mary's movements and those of Lieutenant Jim Hawkins as they traveled the rivers and the frontiers of what we now know to be Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan to Canada, east to New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.This is a book for readers of historical fiction and those who enjoy suspense, action and romance. Terrell's writing is strong, her research impeccable. The dialog helps the reader get into the story. Selected pictures showing highlights of the locations from the book add a dimension of appreciation for the credibility of this heroic story of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity. Mary Neely was truly a remarkable woman. seuss book collection sets cat hat