Freedomland

Freedomland is a 1998 mystery novel by Richard Price. Plot introduction A woman staggers into a local hospital, too dazed to speak. As the doctors and police try to puzzle out her injuries, her story comes out. She was thrown to the ground and her car was stolen. And, in the back, was her four-year-old son. The town of Dempsey is in turmoil as the search for the child goes on and pressure builds up on all sides. Explanation of the novel's title An abandoned theme park, Freedomtown, is the site of a massive search and discovery, both for characters within the novel and relating to the crime. The secondary meaning refers to the freedoms that the citizens have that are restricted and reduced in special circumstances. Setting Dempsey – A fictional city that is predominantly African- American and poor. Gannon – A fictional middle-class city bordering Dempsey. Armstrong Housing Projects – A set of buildings in Dempsey in which the bulk of the novel takes place. Freedomtown is based loosely on the theme park Freedomland U.S.A.