A fabulous read! This book has a thoroughly gripping story. The floating theatre travels along the along the banks of the river which seperate the north and south states of America; and more importantly, the slave states and the free states. May becomes inadvertently involved in transporting runaway slaves across the river to freedom, however she is closely pursued by a slave catcher. There is good money in captured slaves! I loved the descriptions of life aboard a floating theatre of this period, the community life, the different towns. I was also drawn in by the story, and the tension kept racking up- would May get caught? What would happen to her, and those she was trying to help? This is a brilliant story, describing a particularly horrifying part of American history. Highly recommended for a good read!