How Far We've Come by Joyce Efia Harmer (author)

A groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed debut novel of friendship and freedom that crosses continents and centuries, in a timeslip story exploring the legacy of slavery, selected as The Times Children’s Book of the Week.

Sometime, me love to dream that me is a human, a proper one, like them white folks is.

Enslaved on a plantation in Barbados, Obah dreams of freedom. As talk of rebellion bubbles up around her in the Big House, she imagines escape. Meeting a strange boy who’s not quite of this world, she decides to put her trust in him. But Jacob is from the twenty-first century. Desperate to give Obah a better life, he takes her back with him. At first it seems like dreams really do come true – until the cracks begin to show and Obah sees that freedom comes at an unimaginable cost . . .

Hopeful and devastating, this powerful novel about equality, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go, introduces an extraordinary new literary voice.

Praise for How Far We’ve Come:

‘A powerful exploration of racism, solidarity, friendship, freedom and hope’ Laura Bates

‘One of the most impressive young adult debuts of the year. This gripping novel takes a nuanced look at the legacy of slavery, injustice and inequality in today’s world’ Observer

‘Both hopeful and heartbreaking, this gripping book turns a searchlight on the changing faces of injustice through time’ Guardian

‘A brilliant idea and a powerful debut’ The Times, Children’s Book of the Week

‘A seriously impressive debut. Read it now’ Irish Times

‘A powerful, ambitious, unforgettable read about freedom, rebellion, love and hope’ Liz Hyder

‘A gut punch of a debut, this book is both vital reading and a call to arms’ Laura Wood

‘Compassionate, brave, authentic, educational. Everyone should read it’ Abiola Bello