Taking Liberty: The Story of Oney Judge, George Washington's Runaway Slave

Based on an extraordinary true story, this young adult novel follows an young enslaved woman’s struggle to take what is rightfully hers.

When I was four and my daddy left, I cried, but I understood. He had become part of the Gone.

Oney Judge is a slave. But on the plantation of Mount Vernon, the beautiful home of George and Martha Washington, she is not called a slave. She is referred to as a servant, and a house servant at that—a position of influence and respect. When she rises to the position of personal servant to Martha Washington, her status among the household staff—black or white—is second to none. She is Lady Washington’s closest confidante and for all intents and purposes, a member of the family…or so she thinks.

Slowly, Oney’s perception of her life with the Washingtons begins to crack as she realizes the truth: No matter what it’s called, it’s still slavery and she’s still enslaved.

Oney must make a choice. Does she stay where she is, comfortable, with this family that has loved her and nourished her and

owned

her since the day she was born? Or does she take her liberty—her life—into her own hands, and like her father, become one of the Gone?