Traces (book)

Traces is a historical fiction novel by American author Laurie Halse Anderson, published in 2024. It is the final book in Anderson's Seeds of America trilogy, which explores the experiences of enslaved and free Black people in the American colonies during the Revolutionary War era.

The novel follows Isabel and Curzon, characters introduced in the previous books, Chains and Forge, as they navigate the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. They seek to rebuild their lives and find freedom in a nation grappling with its own ideals and hypocrisies regarding liberty and equality. Traces examines themes of resilience, the enduring legacy of slavery, and the ongoing struggle for racial justice in early America. The narrative explores the complexities of post-war life for African Americans, highlighting the challenges they faced in securing their freedom and claiming their place in a society still deeply divided by race.