Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad was written by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard, Jr. It is a controversial book that promotes the theory that quilts were used as codes for the Underground Railroad. The whole book is based on a single oral testimony. In Africa, everyday objects were used for communication. Quilts were everyday objects seen on southern plantations in the 1800s. It is estimated that 4 million slaves escaped but only 1 percent of them headed north. Slaves fleeing for freedom would watch for a sign that it was time to start their journey. According to the book, each quilt block was assigned a different meaning. It is said that the quilts contained road maps and secret messages. The Monkey Wrench , The Star, and the Wagon Wheel were common patterns in slave quilts. The Monkey Wrench was a signal for the slave to gather everything he would need for the journey. The Star signaled to follow the north star to Canada and freedom. The Wagon Wheel was a signal for the slave to pack provisions for a trip by wagon. An article by Kris Driessen, Putting it in Perspective: The Symbolism of Underground Railroad Quilts, discusses quilts as they are related to history. Many quilt blocks were renamed in the late 1800s to correspond to historical events. There actually are Underground Railroad quilts composed of Jacob's Ladder blocks. Most believe that they are just that. The consensus is that the Underground Railroad quilt codes are a romanticized myth. Either way, they are a gentle reminder to all of us that quilts are interwoven in literature and history.