Lorene Cary author of Price of a Child

Mayor Street announced on November 25, 2002 the selection of Price of a Child for the “One Book – One Philadelphia” program. The aim is to turn the entire region into a book club with people reading and talking about a novel. The choice of Price of a Child is perfect. Lorene Cary is a Philadelphia author who also teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. The story takes place in Philadelphia just before the Civil War and involves a woman slave’s escape with the help of the Underground Railroad. It could be called the Price of Freedom because it means leaving her child back at the plantation. Lorene captures the sound and feel of Philadelphia one hundred and sixty years ago, and the struggles, both internal and external, of choosing to be free.