The main character’s name is Isabel Gardener (Formerly Sal Lockton and Isabel Finch). Isabel was born into slavery, as was her sister, Ruth. When her elderly master Madam Mary Finch dies, Isabel and her sister Ruth are sold to the cruel, loathsome Locktons, whom of which are loyalists. Isabel and Ruth are shipped to Newyork where the Locktons live. When they get to Newyork, Isabel is approached by a slave boy named Curzon who wants her to spy on the Locktons for the rebels. At first, Isabel refuses but when her mistress, Madam Lockton almost seriously injures ruth while she was having a seizure because she believed ruth to be possessed by the devil, she knew she had to do something. The night of the event, Isabel sneaks out of the Lockton home and reports to curzon about important things she had heard master Lockton say. In exchange for this information, Isabel wants the patriots to help Ruth and her get home to Rhode Island, and their freedom. Not long after Ruth’s seizure Madam Lockton sells Ruth while Isabel is sleeping. When Isabel found out about this, she grew very very angry and fought with madam lockton. The fight concluded with Isabel running away from the Locktons. When she tried to escape, Madam Lockton found her and had her branded with the letter I for insolence, a cruel and inhumane action in which she deemed to be a suitable punishment. After Isabel is branded, she passes out. When she wakes, she finds herself in a strange and unfamiliar room. She is then greeted by lady seymour. She tells Isabel she had been staying at her house to recooperate. While she is at Lady Seymour’s house, she realizes that she is far nicer than Madam. Isabel returns to the Locktons house. Isabel takes to her old position again, slaving for the Locktons, but she is depressed and does everything without purpose or care. One day, Madam Lockton sends Isabel to the Sugar Water Pump and overhears other slaves as well as Grandfather, an elderly slave whom everyone refers to and thinks of as their grandfather, talking about the british ships in the waters near Newyork. Some of the slaves are talking about how the british are offering slaves freedom if they can escape to get to their came. Some argue that they should sabotage the rebels so they can be freed but grandfather says that they are foolish and that there is no free in freedom. He says that the slaves need to find the river of Jordan. No one understands what this means. A while after Isabel overheard the conversation at the well, the british invade Newyork and force rebel troops out. The british soldiers move into abandon rebel mansions and stay with rich loyalists. Both the Locktons and Lady Seymour have to house British soldiers. When Lady Seymour has to house a large number of Hessian soldiers (hired guns for the british), she sends a desperate letter to master Lockton, pleading with her to let her borrow Isabel. The Locktons give their consent and she goes to work for Lady Seymour. While she is slaving for Lady Seymour, the house catches on fire and Isabel saves her but Lady Seymour falls ill. The british go through people, looking for the person responsible and hangs confessed rebels without a fair trial. One day, the british win another battle against the rebels and brings back many many prisoners of war. One of them being Curzon. Isabel decides she must help curzon and starts to bring him as well as the other prisoners leftovers. Soon, she starts passing messages from the prisoners to their captain on the outside because she feels that Curzon’s life is in danger if she doesn’t. But, Madam Lockton finds out and berates her very harshly as well as hits her several times with a small whip. During her invective speech, Madam lets it slip that she did not sell ruth at all, but shipped her off to the Lockton’s home in Charleston. Isabel is infuriated by this and stands up to Madam, causing Madman Lockton to lock her in the potato bin. Isabel decides to break out. While Madam lockton and all the residence of the Lockton household were attending the queen’s birthday ball, Isabel decides to steal and forge papers that would declare her free. She also steals a map and renames herself Isabel Gardner. She plans to steal a boat to go to New Jersey and walk to Charleston. As she begins to set her plan in motion, she thinks of Curzon, realizing that he is her only true friend. So, acting on impulse, she decides to help him escape with her. SHe pretends to take the prison guard up on his previous offer to be a prison cleaner and sneaks a sick and feverish Curzon out in the wheel-burrow used to wheel out the dead.She makes a run for it. Fireworks from the queen’s celebration distracts the British soldiers and successfully steals a rowboat. She rows and rows the boat, her hands blistering and popping and blistering again over and over as she ignored the pain. When she finally makes it to the New Jersey shore, she collapses. Curzon, finally awake and looking better asks her where they are. She responds by saying “ ‘I think we just crossed the river Jordan’”.(Anderson, 300).
