“Even her own father seemed like a stranger, married to a new wife. And Bert, her brother, had changed most of all.”

Margaret Goff Clark establishes the significant shift in the family dynamic that happened when Laura was sent to live in the South for four years. In that time, what was once familiar (geographically and relationally) has become foreign to Laura. Adjusting to the changes in her family and in herself is the main obstacle for her in the book.

“The visitor from North Carolina must be someone important for Bert to be so polite.”

Laura is unaccustomed to people treating enslaved people with the respect and kindness Bert and Joel show to Martin. As such, it comes as even more of a surprise when Laura sees Martin for the first time and realizes why he is there.

“For several days after that, she hadn’t played with Joel. Then he had come to her house with a small, jet-black kitten as a peace offering […] Joel had been so kind to her and they were even better friends than before.”

Laura and Joel’s friendship from years ago is put to the test in Freedom Crossing. Though the two of them butt heads in the beginning of the book, neither of them can forget the bond they had as children. Eventually, Laura’s sense of justice and Joel’s ability to make amends reconnect the friends.