Another fantastic story from Tauranga author Sherryl Jordan. This time Jordan delves into historical fiction rather than her usual fantasy. The Freedom Merchants starts in the small seaside fishing village of Ballykilmara on the Irish Coast. It is 1615 and twenty five years prior the village was brutally raided by Barbary pirates from North Africa who carried off men and women to be slaves to Muslim masters. These events were happening at the same time as the slave trade of Negros to America. Over 1 million white Christians were captured by corsair pirates, and sold.

The main protagonist is fifteen year old Liam who has been born since the raid. During a storm Liam hears the warning bell tolling; a pirate ship has been wrecked in the bay and survivors are struggling ashore. Armed menfolk rush to the shore to protect the village and what ensues is both bloody and brutal and leaves a guilt burden on the normally peaceful villagers.

Liam has a secret. One of the pirates, Iskander, washed up further along the beach and dragged himself to safety. He has terrible injuries. Liam confesses to his family who then nurse him back to health. The villagers, remembering the slaughter, now show clemency. But the local priest and the English land owners are not so lenient and Iskander is dragged off to be hung in England.

Some months later another pirate raid seriously wounds Liam's father and his older brother is amongst many other villagers carried off to be sold as slaves in the markets of Algiers.

Liam has heard of Monks paying for the release of hostages and approaches the Monks of the local monastery to mount a rescue mission using gold from the pirate ship sunk during the storm. They all set sail for North Africa in a leather boat.

Liam's adventures bring to life the cruel and brutal slave trade and two religions that have been at odds for centuries and continue to battle each other in the present day.

Wonderfully researched with detailed historic notes and bibliography along with a contents page, this is an all-round fantastic book. In my opinion this excellent story should be an essential reading resource in any class of teenagers learning about the history of slavery. Very well done. ( )