Category Archives: Traditionally Published Author

What’s it about?

This book tells the personal stories of some of the most notable women in black history. It is done in such a way that younger readers can easily relate to the women they’re reading about.

My Review of Women in Black History

This is a fantastic book. I picked it up because I’d recently read something on Coretta Scott King, and I wanted to know more in general about black women in our history. Right from the beginning it was made obvious how little I really knew. Half the names I didn’t recognize! The other half I really only had a passing familiarity with. I’d never heard of Phillis Wheatley (at least that I can recall), but the poem listed in this book was beautiful. She definitely had talent.  While I had heard of Sojourner Truth, I’d never read the ‘real’ version of her speech. It was definitely powerful! Harriet Tubman… I knew she was involved with the Underground Railroad, but I had no clue about any other part of her life. Imagine your own husband telling you he’d tell your master if you ran! Mahalia Jackson had an amazing singing voice. (I’ve attached a link to the youtube video at the bottom of this review.)

I love how the author is able to communicate the ‘realness’ of the women. I didn’t feel like I was reading a history book about distant people in our pasts. I felt like I was reading their lives as they happened. I would highly recommend this book. Its highly insightful, entertaining, and educational.

I love the think / learn / create sections at the end of each essay on the women. Even though its obviously meant for children, I tried a few of them out myself, and they definitely made me think.

Now, truth be told, I wasn’t a huge fan of the underlying religious message, but I haven’t let that weigh on my review of these stories. These women had faith, and it was important to them. They did good work, each of them. That’s the important part to me.

Overall, this really is a fantastic read, and one that we need to see on library shelves nationwide.

Click here to find Women in Black History now on Amazon.com

Title: Women in Black History: Stories of Faith, Courage, and Resilience | Author: Tricia Williams Jackson | Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company (site) | Pub. Date: 2016-1-5 | Pages: 176 | ISBN13: 9780800726522 | Genre: Children’s (Educational) Nonfiction | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 5 out of 5 | Date Read: 2016-2-25 | Source: Received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.