Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?

by Patricia C. McKissack

Paperback, 1994

Status

Available

Local notes

921 TRU

Barcode

6287

Collection

Publication

Scholastic Paperbacks (1994), 192 pages

Description

A biography of the former slave who became well-known as an abolitionist and advocate of women's rights.

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

192 p.; 5.5 x 0.5 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member BrynDahlquis
While I do like Sojourner Truth, there's no avoiding the fact that this book is just poorly written and a pain to read.
LibraryThing member rgruberexcel
RGG: Biography of Sojourner Truth. Very informational; not very literary.
LibraryThing member rupsarkar
In 1797, Isabella was born in New York. She was a slave until 1827, but was not known as Sojourner Truth until much later in life. She tried to learn how to read and perform basic tasks but this was in vain. Her owners did not approve of this. She worked tirelessly to promote the evils of the slave
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trade and tried to forge a sense of equality for both men and women, regardless of skin color. Sojourner Truth also worked to develop an early idea of feminism. She believed that racism and sexism were unacceptable to general people with strong morals. She, along with Harriet Tubman, were viewed as prominent female abolitionists. Truth's ideals were the backbone for over 200 slave rebellions from 1800 to 1859. The various border wars (most notably the Kansas Affair) and Harper's Ferry weakened the powerful roles of slave owners and caused a paradigm shift in American politics. She later met with President Lincoln to discuss the moral stance of slavery and oppression. Even with Sojourner Truth's death in 1883, her ideas about freedom, equality and justice are memorable. She could not read but she knew the Bible and was a prominent speaker.

This book is a biography. It presents many interesting facts but the narrative style is not consistent. Overall, it is a difficult read. The book can be used as a good starting point for a lesson about the important people of the Civil War. Students who are interested in history have an opportunity to read about various important people during the abolitionist movement. The often disjointed narrative may confuse younger students. This book does have a great deal of factual information which can be used to frame essential questions to guide discussion. As always, it is important to bolster the information presented in this book with other historical documents and pictures. It is important to keep this book in a collection of Civil War history to ensure there is information presented from an influential woman's perspective.
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LibraryThing member mahallett
a good book on slavery and the people who tried to end it.
LibraryThing member empress8411
Starting from her early life, this book takes us through the remarkable life of Sojourner Truth. Born into slavery, she eventually because a free woman, and a powerful speaker against the injustice of that practice.

This is an excellent biography. It does not glorify Truth, nor does it humilate
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her. It shows the complete woman - brilliant, flawed, strong, frail, and willful. Good biographies do not white-wash their subjects, and this is a good biography. Worth reading.
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Pages

192

Rating

½ (29 ratings; 4)
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