Ken Follett is a great storyteller. Anything he writes is worth reading. ( )

very good historical novel - pre American Revolution

Well written story woven around the mistreatment of poorer classes in British society in late 1760's. The efforts of one man to achieve freedom with many struggles along the way. ( )

A page turner, describes the struggle of a miner in Scotland who is forced to become indentured in America. Good evocation of his journey and some decent descriptions of settings and thehistorical context. That said, this is basically a love story---the miner and the woman who is forced to wed a ne'er do well aristocrat. With a fair amount of attention to erotic detail (pretty well done), the story is a bit too Hollywood-ended. ( )

I wanted to read another Scottish tale to compare the experience against the Outlander that's back in vogue. I've been reading that series and thought of this book which is set in the same time period (1700) and I like Ken Follett's historical fiction. So I read A Place Called Freedom.

The biggest difference in the experience was the story's voice. I found Ken Follett's writing to be more formal. Though he presents a good image of the characters, time period, and unique human scenes, the prose doesn't touch the heart as deeply. In that regard, Outlander shines a higher score.

This does not mean it's not worth the time reading - it is a good book. The story did tug on my heart, especially the scenes that showed the horrid treatment of the people back then, the miners, and even children. As a mother of four reading the sections, where they were shipped off as 'indentured slaves' and when working in the mine, moved me. I am very thankful things have changed.

The two strong protagonists, Lizzie & Mac have stories that weave together in and out until the final conclusion. They find what they had been searching for - freedom. The storyline has a love relationship that develops over years, a great villain in the character Jay, and lots of confrontation and obstacles to overcome.

If you want not only historical fiction, but also action adventure and romance, then this book's a wise choice to read.
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