Elisa Carbone

Elisa Carbone researches historical fiction for younger readers through original records and firsthand narratives. Raised in Arlington, Virginia, she earned two master's degrees at Maryland and taught speech communication there before becoming a full-time writer. Stealing Freedom draws on the documented life of Ann Maria Weems, a girl enslaved in nineteenth-century Maryland who escaped through the Underground Railroad. Carbone spent years researching and revising the novel, reading hundreds of firsthand accounts to build its daily detail. The story follows Ann after her family is separated and traces the choices, disguises, and networks of assistance involved in her journey. Yearling publishes the current edition, and the book received American Library Association recognition. Carbone's other historical novels include Blood on the River and Storm Warriors. In Stealing Freedom, her approach joins archival fact with a focused young perspective, helping readers understand both Ann's individual courage and the coordinated work required to reach liberty.