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How Far We’ve Come

Joyce Efia Harmer - Author

Obar is enslaved on a Barbados plantation and dreams of freedom. When rebellion is whispered about, she meets Jacob, a boy from the twenty-first century who wants to help her reach the future.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Enslavement· ExplainedFreedom· ExplainedSlavery’s legacy· Explained

Consider

Violence and harmViolence

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

enslavementfreedomslavery’s legacy

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Slavery and freedom

Obar dreams of freedom while enslaved on a Barbados plantation; rebellion is whispered about, and a time-slip links her story to the future.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The premise frames Obar’s situation through her longing for freedom and connects it to the legacy of slavery.

Talk about: How does the story connect Obar’s experience with the future?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The time-slip brings a present-day perspective into a story about slavery’s legacy, giving families a way to consider how the past reaches into the present.

What Deserves Attention

Slavery and the prospect of rebellion are central to the premise. A child may want support in talking about enslavement and the dangers Obar faces.

A Conversation Worth Having

If Jacob can take Obar to the future, what might that journey help her understand about freedom and the legacy of slavery?

Reading Approach

Read together at a pace that leaves room to pause over the historical setting. Check in after the rebellion is mentioned, and let the child decide what they want to ask or explore.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Slavery and freedom: The details of the rebellion, the time-slip’s outcome and the ending remain unclear.

How Far We’ve Come

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Slavery and freedom

How Far We’ve Come

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Slavery and freedom

Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.

Heidi

Heidi

How Far We’ve Come

At a Glance

Discover

Consider

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

Themes in Context

Slavery and freedom

Why It May Be Worth Reading

What Deserves Attention

A Conversation Worth Having

Reading Approach

What remains unconfirmed

Lists This Book Appears In