Sojourner Truth

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This work by the authors of A Long Hard Journey--The Story of the Pullman Porter is a great deal more than a biography of a remarkable woman. The forceful narrative also offers a startling portrayal of a pivotal yet appalling era in American history. Born a slave in Ulster County, N.Y., in 1797, ``Hardenbergh's Belle'' (so named after her first owner) had been bought and sold by several masters by the time she was a teenager. In 1826, betrayed by an owner who reneged on his promise to free her if she ``worked extra hard,'' Belle made the first of many intrepid moves, and escaped with her youngest child. After living for some time in New York City, in 1843 the deeply religious woman followed what she interpreted as a directive from God and, assuming the name of Sojourner Truth, went off ``to do the Lord's work.'' For the rest of her long life, the indefatigable abolitionist and feminist journeyed from one state to another, delivering her impressively articulate message at anti-slavery and women's rights conventions--often to hostile, jeering audiences. The authors' meticulously researched account describes Truth's relationships with such noted figures as William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abraham Lincoln, underscoring the book's value as a chronicle of not just one, but many courageous individuals' battles against injustice. Ages 8-12. (Nov.)

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

This is a rich biography because of the dynamic energy and brilliance of its subject. Sojourner may have been illiterate, she had to dictate her autobiography, but she spoke dramatically and sincerely from first-hand experience. Her wit and wisdom are still applicable. She spoke out for all who were oppressed, both slaves and women. Six feet tall, dressed in black, she had a presence that made people take notice. Her famous "...and ain't I a woman" speech is still a powerhouse. She is a woman for all time. 1994 (orig.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-- With compassion and historical detail, the McKissacks offer a rich profile of Isabella Van Wagener. Her experiences as both slave and freed slave in New York shaped her midlife commitment to abolition and women's rights. At age 46, she received a call to ``walk in the light of His truth.'' Henceforward, her name was Sojourner Truth and, although she never learned to read or write, the six-foot tall woman became a striking, eloquent spokesperson whose wit, common sense, and candor popularized her with audiences throughout New England and the Midwest. This biography draws personal information from many of the same sources cited in other recent biographies by Lindstrom (Messner, 1980; o.p.), Taylor-Boyd (Gareth Stevens, 1990), and Macht (Chelsea, 1992). But the McKissacks emphasize the condition of African-Americans from 1797-1883, their subject's convictions and magnetism, her contributions to the welfare of her people, and her involvement with other influential abolitionists and activists during the last 40 years of her life. Brief profiles of these acquaintances, from Susan B. Anthony to Harriet Tubman, are appended. Middle grade readers and researchers will enjoy the readability, quotes, and documentary photos, all of which breathe life into the personality and times of Sojourner Truth. --Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC

Hazel Rochman

Born a slave in the North and sold on the auction block, Sojourner Truth became a leading abolitionist and feminist, a speaker of wit and wisdom who drew on her own experience to fight against human suffering. Standing six feet tall and dressed in black, she stirred audiences across the country and spoke with presidents. Illiterate, she dictated her autobiography, "Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave," in 1850, editing and updating it several times. The McKissacks (who won the Coretta Scott King Award for "A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter" ) draw on Sojourner Truth's "Narrative", and they integrate her personal story with a general history of slavery, resistance, and the leading figures in the abolitionist movement. The style is straightforward, but it's the dramatic quotes from Sojourner Truth herself that grab you. Readers will be stirred by her speeches (including the famous one with the refrain "And ain't I a woman?"). They'll also love her fierce one-liners: "No more scars and stripes," she said, "just stars and stripes for all God's children." Includes a bibliography, but no notes; many black-and-white photos to come.