By Vicki Ungvarsky
Prior to writing and independently publishing her middle-grade historical fiction
novel, “The Great Sleigh Ride: A Tale of the Underground Railroad,” Gloria Brown was a
College Composition professor at Tri-C. She is a resident of Medina, Ohio which is where
the book takes place in 1856. It follows Eliza Garrett’s life of peaceful privilege as it
suddenly changes. It is revealed that the strange, eerie sounds she has been hearing in her
home at night are coming from runaway slaves with traumatic, tragic stories. Quickly, the
whole Garrett family is faced with dangerous consequences. If caught hiding the
runaways, her father, a widely respected lawyer, could be sentenced to jail time and a
major monetary fine, which would change the family’s life of some luxury, to a life of
poverty. An infamous “slave catcher” is watching him closely as he walks throughout the
village with his large dog. There are some fellow villagers that are not supporters of the
fugitives’ missions and cannot be trusted. While Eliza faces adult responsibilities as she
helps her father, his friends look after the escaped slaves. A risky opportunity for rescue is
found in the Great Sleigh Ride of 1856.
Per the Acknowledgements and Author’s Note sections, while the story is fiction, it
was inspired by actual events. The Eliza character is based on real-life Medina resident
Elizabeth Blake McDowell. Her story was delivered to Brown by her great granddaughter,
the late Betsy Whitmore. McDowell’s family home (where Brown’s Garrett family lives) still
stands, although the description was embellished a bit in the book. H.G. Blake, who Eliza’s
father was based on, really did use the actual event of the Great Sleigh Ride of 1856 to
smuggle fugitives out of Medina, Ohio. There are other characters and events based on
real-life people and experiences, but I would hate to provide any spoilers!
“The Great Sleigh Ride: A Tale of the Underground Railroad” is a fast-paced read
complete with danger and exciting plot twists that will engage youths and the young at
heart. There is an element of young romance as well. Brown did an excellent job of telling
the slaves’ stories in ways her target audience could understand, therefore, having an
appropriate emotional response to them. Ultimately, this is a tale about social movement
events leading up to the Civil War which began in 1861. It serves as a reminder of how
people’s actions have the power to cause enough trauma to last a lifetime for others, or
they can choose to empower and help them.
