Fanny was 14 years old when Sloan found her singing in Scotland and agreed to bring her family to the USA as long as she agrees to work on his riverboat as a singer for 7 years. What her dad, who can't read, didn't know when he signed the contract with his X was that the agreement was for 7 years per family member, which includes her parents and 2 sisters. When she's almost completed her 7 years of servitude and discovers Sloan isn't planning on letting her leave at the end of the 7 years, she starts planning her escape. When a storm causes her to fall overboard, she takes this as a sign that when she wakes up on shore the next day that God intended for her to leave the boat and head back to her family in New York. On the way there she encounters a family of escaped slaves that cause her route to be slightly derailed, but along the way she discovers the joys of friendship. When they finally part ways, she finds herself a nanny for Walter, and German homesteader who is waiting for his new bride to arrive from New York. He agrees to pay Fanny to look after his toddler Anneliese, but along the way they may both get more they bargained for.
I really enjoy historical fiction, and this book was no exception. The obvious bias against people who have a different accent or skin colour that was felt in those days was included, but not front and center. I do wish we learned more about the family she travelled with, once they parted ways we hear nothing about them. It left me wondering if they ever found their way to freedom, and why she wrote them out when she did. Fanny's ultimate destination was New York, which is a state that borders Canada and where they were ultimately going to end up so they all could have travelled together far longer, or even the whole way, and the reader would have known they made it to safety. As it stands, its left to our imagination. Otherwise, while I found the ending was slightly anti climatic, it kept you reading and wanting to know how it would all be wrapped up in the end.

The book was slow to start but once it got rolling it became a great story. Forced to sing on a riverboat as a young girl because of her melodious voice by her father he unknowingly signs her over for many years. She wants a simple life, one far away from the riverboat and its customers.
An accident one night on the boat grants her freedom as she's washed ashore. The people she finds are also seeking freedom of another kind.
The book was full of excitement and adventure of many kinds from being prisoner on a riverboat to being on the run, the unknown and the uncertainty that goes with this. I loved seeing the enthusiasm and fortitude Fanny has despite all the hardships she has faced and continues to face. great reading with an exciting plot.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved reading this book. Amazing story and the characters lend to the charm of this book. I would highly recommend this book. You would not be disappointed.

A encouraging slow burn romance of faith, as Fanny breaks free of her bonds and finds a beautifully unexpected love.

Fanny Beck is an indentured servant, with no hope of freedom, as her indenture holder is a man of cunning who doesn't plan to let her go at the end of her seven years. So during a great storm she sees her chance and takes it.

A steady historical romance, with a sweet, likable heroine, strong themes of faith and courage. I liked that Fanny has a compassionate heart for others, selflessly putting others first when no one would blame for being selfish. Walter is a good man, not prone to speaking much, but he loves his daughter fiercely.

Overall, this was a pleasant read that reminded me of the books I read growing up in my teen years, a enjoyable read with a more simple plot, and inspiring message. Great for fans of this author and historical romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this faith-based historical romance! Fanny is an indentured servant who manages to escape her captors and undergoes a difficult journey. Along the way she finds a sweet romance with Walter and love with his baby girl, It has a great message about not letting a difficult past determine who you are in the present and God's grace and forgiveness, I will seek additional titles from the author for sure!

When an escaped indentured riverboat singer and a widowed homesteader with a young child to care for meet, they seem to have just what each other needs—she a place to stay and earn some money for a trip to her family in New York and he someone to care for his toddler so he can work. But will it be that simple, especially when a sinister force are lurking out there somewhere?

That synopsis doesn't cover everything going on in this book, but it is the bulk of it. There are also the escaped slaves that Fanny travels with for a time, but since they are gone by around 30% of the way through the story and don't have much of a conclusion, their part in the story feels a bit like it's disconnected from the rest. In the end, I can't help but wonder exactly why Sawyer chose to include them. I guess to add to the theme of "freedom" throughout the story, but it seems a bit heavy-handed at that point. None of that is bad, necessarily, and it does give the reader some early insight into Fanny's character, so at least there's that.

As for the main characters, Fanny and Walter, both of them seemed a little too "good." Neither of them really had any faults that were brought out in the story, aside from the faux faults perceived only by themselves, that anyone with a more objective view would easily tell them they were silly for considering a fault. Walter was a little less confident than he'd once been, and I suppose Fanny doesn't know how to be a homesteader, but it's more endearing than anything. Both of them drove me nuts with the periodic mental berating over mistakes and bad choices that they thought must mean that God wouldn't want to hear from them anymore.

There was also a 3rd perspective in this story, that of the riverboat owner who had indentured Fanny, as he tries to track down a singer to replace her. I don't think his story really added to the book, and it culminated in a climax that was far too easily resolved. And speaking of Fanny's indentured state, I think maybe the author should have spent some time going over some of the less-known and less-quoted parts of the Bible, like the book of Philemon.

Kim Vogel Sawyer does write very well, and I really enjoyed the glimpses at different parts of life and parts of the country in 1860 that were presented in this book. However, various parts of this book just didn't sit right with me, though I'm sure that many other readers of Christian historical romance will be less bothered by what stuck out to me and will enjoy this book.

Freedom’s Song is inspirational, Christian fiction by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

Indentured servant, Fanny Beck, only wants to reunite with her family. Riverboat owner, Sloan Kirkpatrick, only wants to maintain possession of his money-making songstress. Both would go to extremes to get their wish. Exactly how far will they go?

Ms. Sawyer reveals the story using alternating viewpoints of the primary characters, handling this technique with appropriate chapter headers. Sawyer also uses scenery to create the appropriate mood. Freedom’s Song is very well-written with an attention-holding plot. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to all readers of Christian romance.

My thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Indentured, riverboat entertainer Fanny Beck is cast overboard during a ship fire. After she ends up on the bank, she scrambles to make a way back to her family in New York City. She meets up with an African-American family escaping slavery. Fanny is able to give them a way to travel north and she offers all that she has. But, it is now time for Fanny to continue to NYC and she is out of funds. By rail she can sing for tips and earn railway passage. She is sometime on foot.
Walter Kuhn, widower, has asked his parents to send him a mail-order bride. Fanny stumbles upon his young daughter, left is a makeshift playpen, and the two need to work out a sanctuary for Fanny while she gets her feet under her.
It is a creative story talking about slavery of a few kinds and how to have hopes in that midst of no choices.

Kim Vogel Sawyer knows just how to draw you into her books. Freedom's Song is yet another beautiful story by her.

Fannie was indentured as a young girl to sing on a riverboat in exchange for passage for her and her family to go to America. Little did she know how she'd be treated and what a long journey she would have before her to return to her parents. If you're like me who loves Christian historical romance, you'll be rooting for Fannie and Walter all the way to the end.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 19 October 2021

I loved this beautifully written, faith based story. It was so heartwarming and inspiring.
Many thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Freedom's Song, by Kim Vogel Sawyer, takes you on a journey through mid-America in the 1860s. Sawyer's Christian historical fiction tackles a variety of topics with a unique approach, beginning with a near-drowning and ending with freedom for many.

Fanche “Fanny Beck,” a riverboat songstress and indentured servant, is providentially supplied by the Lord with a means of release from indenture. Traveling across several states, by rail and on foot, while trying to reach her home in New York, Fanny stumbles upon a farm and hears a baby weeping.

Walter Kuhn is a widower attempting to care for his farm, earn a living and provide for his little one. He arrives home one day to discover Fanny caring for his baby, whom he had left asleep in a "pen" he had built.

On many levels, Freedom's Song pulls together spiritual, emotional, and physical freedoms. I value how Sawyer entwines those freedoms together and shows how God is the only One who gives us genuine freedom.

The story is well-written, with well-developed characters and historical accuracy. An underlying theme of suspense and romantic element runs throughout the story.

I always appreciate and enjoy Kim Vogel Sawyer's works, and this is perhaps my favorite so far because of its topic and spiritual elements.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Waterbrook Multnomah. All opinions are my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I loved this book. It held my interest from the first chapter until the last.
Freedom from fear. Freedom from indenture. Freedom from slavery. All entwined with the ultimate freedom. Freedom in Christ.
There are discussion questions at the end. It would make a great book club selection.
I had an advance copy.
reviewed on amazon

Kim Vogel Sawyer has a knack for creating characters that are easy to fall in love with. Freedom's Song continues that trend with Fanny Beck, and nearly everyone she encounters.

When Fanny's father puts his X on her letter of indenture to Sloan Kirkpatrick, he believes it is the best thing for their whole family. Seven years of service in exchange for passage for the entire family to America, seems like an even exchange. At 14, Fanny hates the idea of being separated from her family for so long, but she knows there is no other way for them to leave Scotland. She's willing to make the sacrifice of seven years for the sake of her parents and two younger sisters.

What none of them know is that Sloan is not the most honest of men. Hearing the purity of her voice as she sings in church, and seeing the perfection of her beauty, Sloan is captivated. He has traveled to Scotland looking for just such a singer to entertain passengers on his riverboat, the River Peacock, and is willing to promise just about anything to get her on his boat. Fanny and her father both believe that her term of service is seven years, but since neither can read, Sloan hides the words "for each passenger" in the contract, thus chaining Fanny to Sloan's service for 35 years, or until her voice wears out and her beauty fades.

For nearly 7 years, Fanny's life has consisted of performing and being locked in her windowless room on the River Peacock. Her voice and beauty have made her the darling of the Mississippi, and she has performed for dignitaries and gamblers alike, but she dreams of the freedom she expects to have in a few months. When she overhears Sloan gloating about how he had duped her father into indenturing her for not 7 but 35 years, she is horrified. Sloan has already become a very rich man on the strength of her voice. Surely he would have some compassion for her. Instead, her forced lockdown is made even more secure the closer her seven years comes to ending.

When a storm aboard the riverboat distracts the crew from locking her in, Fanny seizes the opportunity to go on deck. Unprepared for the crush of frightened humanity, Fanny is knocked overboard and nearly drowns. Washed up on shore, she is found by a group of runaway slaves seeking freedom of their own. As she travels north with them, she finds her faith strengthened. Can her voice be her ticket to her family?

Walter Kuhn has been the sole caregiver for his infant daughter since his wife died. Awaiting the arrival of his mail-order bride, he's doing the best he can to care for his daughter, and to run the farm, but something always comes up short - most often his daughter. When he stops work to check on his daughter, he is stunned to find a woman in his house, caring for her. Terrified of what this filthy stranger might want, Walter steps in but after talking to the woman, he ends up offering her a job and a place to stay. Cleaned up, the woman is not only beautiful, but she loves his daughter. The more time he spends with her, the less he hopes for his new bride to arrive.

Since his singer is missing and presumed drowned, Sloan begins a "talent search" for his next performer. Unfortunately, the women who audition can't compare to what he had in Fanny, plus, he'd have to pay them. As he travels from city to city, he begins to hear of a woman who sang like a nightingale at several of the train stops. If he could find her, she could be the replacement. The more he hears about the woman, though, the more certain he is that he is on Fanny's trail. Could she really have survived?

Freedom. A concept most of us take for granted but for those who live in captivity, it is a cherished dream. The characters in Freedom's Song learn that there are many different kinds of freedom. I loved how Sawyer put several different kinds of slavery together and pointed to the One who makes all of us free. This is a love story with a little suspense, and lots of old hymns. From beginning to end, I was captivated by Fanny's faith and the love she poured out on everyone she met, from the slaves to her neighbors to Walter and Annaliese. No one deserved freedom more! I highly recommend!

After finally completing this book, I find I have mixed feelings about it. Whilst I was looking forward to it, as it had an interesting plot, once I started there were so many bad things happening to the main character that I quite dreaded reading a further chapter - & was in no rush to get back, having taken breaks. The story was being told from different people’s perspectives, & one in particular always meant nothing good was going to happen. In fact, it was as if the writer had too many ideas for just one book & had crammed at least three storylines in together, whereas if they had been separated out – each could have made a better tale on its own. That’s just my opinion, but I was really wanting to enjoy this book more than I did, & was left feeling somewhat disappointed.
I have read other books by this writer, but don’t consider this to be her best. 3 1/2 stars

Freedom is the theme throughout this story. People searching for their own freedom and taking a look at their own lives. Strong messages of Christian faith support the tale. Fanny fell overboard from a riverboat where she'd basically been held prisoner for 7 years of being indentured as a singer. She is able to look back and see God in her days there. She was put on a God's path that filled her life and touched others. Slavery of different kinds is explored, shining light on their depth. Rich, full characters make you want to see how their lives turn out. Excellent read, one you look forward to picking up again each time you have to put it down.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#FreedomsSong #NetGalley.

Fanny is a singer with a God given voice on a riverboat back in the day. She is really kept prisoner due to a contract between her father and the riverboat owner. When circumstances step in and Fanny escapes from the boat, she sets off on a journey home to New York, where her parents and sisters are. Along the way, she meets and assists a family (no spoilers here) on their own journey and learns important lessons on the way.

Fanny and the family eventually go their separate ways and Fanny is thrown into yet another situation that she doesn't expect. She also faces hard decisions of what is best for her after being indentured to Sloan, the riverboat captain for so long. She has to come to terms with what she really wants and what is best for her. Also, she tries to keep in mind that God's plans are really working for her and all she has to do is remember is grace.

I really loved two of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books, but this one fell flat for me. The lessons in the book were really good and brought me back to simple truths, but the way it delivered just wasn't for me. I had a hard time believing Fanny would find herself in the situation in the second half of the book and that it would work out the way it did. However, I guess anything is possible with God's love. I truly believe this and appreciate the author's attempt in reminding us all of this, but I just had trouble connecting with Fanny and the other characters. Some of it was really good, but it just took me way too long to finish. At some points I didn't think I would.

Freedom's Song
A wonderful, believable story that was hard to put down! I would like to read more by this author.

Freedom's Song is another great read by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I loved every single page and am giving it a very well deserved five plus stars.

Fanny Beck's family hailed from Scotland and she became an indentured servant to Sloan Kirkpatrick to allow her family the possibility of coming to America to achieve their dreams. She had the voice of an angel and Sloan wanted her to entertain his passengers on his Mississippi riverboat. She was 14 when she started and she only had to serve 7 years, or so she thought. When she found out that Sloan had no intention of releasing her from her servitude after 7 years, but only after 35 years, she needed help from the Almighty God to release the bonds that held her captive. When a tragic circumstance allows her the freedom she had prayed for, she took the chance.

Fanny wanted to get to New York City to be with her parents and her two younger sisters, but along her path to freedom, she met with a group of runaway slaves trying to make their way to Canada to escape the bonds that held them as slaves. She chose to help them in every way possible, and by so doing, she reduced some of her options to go home to her family.

On her journey, she becomes a nanny for a young child whose mother had died 5 months earlier and whose father was overwhelmed with working on his farm and taking care of his young daughter. She agrees to this situation with the promise of earning enough money to make her way to NY City.

I won't give away any more of the story but there is a happy ending. This story provided a glimpse in to the Underground Railroad, the life of an indentured servant and some of the unscrupulous people who hold them captive. It reminds us that there are many ways to be enslaved, as well as ways to experience freedom. The story was clean, wholesome and overall a good read. This author has a talent when it comes to character development of both primary and secondary characters which gives the story depth.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

This is the third novel I have read recently that deals with the indenturing system. If you haven't heard of it, do some research. It involves a service contract. This is Fanny Beck's story. She is indentured, singing on a river boat. She is approaching the end of her contract. The owner of the river boat doesn't intend to release her, she knows something is wrong with the contract. A fire on the boat begins her journey to freedom. She was cut off from the world on the boat, so she has a lot to ...more

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