The Seventh Child

In The Seventh Child, Freddie Mae Baxter--75 years old, compassionate, hauntingly wise--tells her story and the story of the twentieth century in her own charming, unforgettable voice.

Freddie Mae is as complex as she is irresistible. The seventh of eight children, she grew up in poverty at the height of Jim Crow. She picked cotton, worked in a factory, and raised the white sons and daughters of Manhattan's Upper East Side. She is a devout believer who disagrees with the Church and a fiscally responsible citizen with a weakness for Atlantic City. Heartwarming, vivid, illuminating, The Seventh Child celebrates the bounty of life's simple joys and introduces an American Soul to be cherished.

"Charming.... An uplifting story of tough breaks, hard work, and a generous heart."—People

In The Seventh Child, Freddie Mae Baxter—75 years old, compassionate, hauntingly wise—tells her story and the story of the twentieth century in her own charming, unforgettable voice.

Freddie Mae is as complex as she is irresistible. The seventh of eight children, she grew up in poverty at the height of Jim Crow. She picked cotton, worked in a factory, and raised the white sons and daughters of Manhattan's Upper East Side. She is a devout believer who disagrees with the Church and a fiscally responsible citizen with a weakness for Atlantic City. Heartwarming, vivid, illuminating, The Seventh Child celebrates the bounty of life's simple joys and introduces an American Soul to be cherished.

KLIATT

In her mid-70s, Freddie Mae Baxter was persuaded by a friend to record her memories of growing up in a small town in South Carolina, the seventh of eight African American children raised by a mother who had been deserted by her husband. This oral history, by format a rambling, associational narrative, is loosely organized chronologically as Freddie Mae recounts growing up in a large family with little money but much love and sharing. At 17, Freddie Mae came north, settling eventually in New York. She earned her living by housekeeping for white families and helping to raise their children. Unmarried herself, Freddie Mae considers that, over the years, she raised about 20 of these children, whom she calls "my kids." In an age of neurosis and self-doubt, Freddie Mae Baxter inspires with her balanced sense of humanity: "I was down to earth and I got along fine." A marvelous mixture of generosity and common sense, she has led more than "a lucky life"; hers is the story of successful living. KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1999, Random House/Vintage, 223p, 21cm, 98-54109, $12.00. Ages 13 to adult. Reviewer: Patricia A. Moore; Brookline, MA, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5)

Freddie Mae Baxter lives in New York City.