Freedom Braids

Gather the midnight strands, tend the roots that gave you life, weave hopes into pathways— paths that lead you home.

Day after day, Nemy is forced to sow seeds in the sugarcane plantation, until one night, she follows a woman called Big Mother to a hidden shack. There, she finds a group of women braiding each other’s hair. But these are no ordinary braids. Hidden in each elaborate pattern is a secret – a message that signals their intent to flee and a map to guide them in their escape. Will the paths these courageous women weave guide Nemy to a new home where she can be free?

A picture book of love, liberation and legacy inspired by the true story of enslaved African women in Colombia braiding maps to freedom.

“Duncan’s heartfelt lines break like poetry as secret messages are embedded in Nemy’s cornrows. Moses’ digitally rendered art — in night tones lit up at times by fiery yellows or brightly bruised purples and blues — regenerates pain as a glow that leads Nemy to “a new dawn.” On the penultimate two-page spread, Nemy’s braided hair and the winding terrain of her escape route mirror each other in an illustration that feels both haunted and hopeful. Nemy’s story leaves us to consider what a miracle it is that a body can grow the strands of her own survival, and what ingenuity it takes to comb and style a path to freedom.”

- The New York Times

“Duncan’s words and Moses’s illustrations work together in a deeply original harmony, as in a two-page spread that captures the zigzagging rainforest traveled by enslaved people that matches the pattern braided into the back of Nemy’s hair perfectly. This book offers a fascinating glimpse into a real-life secret code that guided many toward freedom during this dark chapter in history.”

- Oprah Daily

“A poignant tale of courage and resistance and of long-standing cultural traditions. Quietly tinged with hope, Duncan's narrative demonstrates how those in bondage used skills passed down over generations to find the liberty they desired. Moses’ digitally rendered art depicts intricate braid patterns; his dramatic use of color during the escape scene heightens the drama, bathing characters in deep blues as they make their way to freedom." 

– Kirkus Reviews