I thought that Voyage of the Slaves by Brian Jacques was a very well written book; definitely one of my favorites. This book will astonishingly make you laugh and cry at the same time. The characters feel more like family than most authors know how to create. This story is both thrilling and eye-opening. Voyage of the Slaves will undeniably be one of the best books you will ever read, I highly recommend it!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=voyage+of+the+slaves