Passenger on the Pearl by Winifred Conkling

Passenger on the Pearl by Winifred Conkling

From Book Club for Kids by kitty felde

April 15, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the book 'Passenger on the Pearl' by Winifred Conkling, focusing on the historical context of an attempted escape of African American slaves.

The Book Club for Kids podcast began in the smallest quadrant of Washington DC called Southwest. It was the waterfront for DC, the place where ships would dock bringing everything from building supplies to fresh fish to slaves. This week marks the 178th anniversary of what Washington Post writer Colbert King calls " one of the most courageous acts in antebellum America ": the attempted escape of African American slaves on a ship docked at the Southwest waterfront, a ship called the Pearl. This week, Book Club for Kids honors its roots by reprising our one episode featuring a non fiction book: Passenger on the Pearl by Winifred Conkling, taped before a live audience at Virginia's Fall for the Book Festival. Lolita Marie is our celebrity reader. www.bookclubforkids.org

People in this episode

Guest: Lolita Marie

Topics covered

  • history
  • slavery
  • escape
  • non-fiction

Keywords

  • Washington DC
  • Pearl
  • Fall for the Book Festival

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Passenger on the Pearl

Books & works: Passenger on the Pearl

Places: Washington DC, Southwest, DC, America, Virginia

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