Great Speeches by African Americans: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and Others (Thrift Edition)

Book Description

This anthology comprises speeches by influential figures in the history of African-American culture and politics. Contents include the famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech by Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass' immortal "What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?" Martin Luther King, Jr.,'s "I Have a Dream," Barack Obama, and many others.

Customer Reviews:

Africa Receives Them Back........2007-03-23

This book was bought for a missionary in the rain forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for his schools. The schools are for the Batwa pygmy students. Their tribe in recent times was dominated by the Ekonda Master tribe. Now they are schooled together. This is for their English and History classes and their library.

The missionary who started the schools through Mission Pendjua, Dr. Jerry Galloway MD, feels this book will be a powerful influence and also give them the insight into the American expression of being an African American.

In a sense, "what comes round goes round" and this book and it's information and hope are being returned to Africa. It is powerful to realize that generations later, these authors and speakers are leading the way for the coming changes of the African continent.

Joyce M. Grubbs

best readings.......2007-01-30

this is a book that will give you insight into a lot of issues.

Great Speeches by African Americans.......2007-01-22

Interesting accounts of historic figures in african american history as displaced in the memorable speeches. Gives insight into the thinking and beliefs of some the great african american leaders of past and present times. If you are a historican of african american leaders or an avid reader, I would strongly recommend reading this book.

Sojourner Truth: Ain't I A Woman (Scholastic Biography)

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Review by Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal
A book...with a Twist!
Good
Sojourner Truth, an Inspiring Lady.
Sojourner Truth Ain't I a Woman

Sojourner Truth: Ain't I A Woman (Scholastic Biography)
Patricia C. Mckissack
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590446916

Customer Reviews:

Review by Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal.......2006-12-21

Her name was Isabella but her parents called her, Belle. Sojourner Truth is a story about a strong woman who demanded integrity. Slavery's long shadow cast over families rendered them helpless to save their own children who were sold, and powerless to save themselves from cruel and unkind treatment by the masters. Their lives were filled with heartbreak and suffering and the only times of relief were when they got together to sing mournful songs or cried out to their god to help them. Belle was one of the first black women in the country to win a court case. She won back her six-year-old son who was sold. She was free, but her four daughters were left in slavery. She took her son and went to New York to seek better opportunity and promised to send for them once they were freed at twenty-one years of age. Her son, Peter, had an obsession with taking things that did not belong to him and she needed to seek rehab for him. She was very tall and her feet wore size twelve shoe. She never owned a pair of shoes until she was an adult and hired a cobbler to custom make them. The book is a collection of data, rather than a mellifluous story, rife with names of people involved in the slavery issue, so that it is difficult to follow in many places. After Belle and Peter arrived in New York they found a Methodist Church where black people worshipped. There a brother and sister who had been sold away from her parents years ago found her. She found that one of the elders of the church whom she had worshipped with and who had passed away was another sister. Belle was taken in by a religious scheme and accused of murder. It took her three years to prove her innocence. Peter never rehabilitated and finally after being jailed numerous times his mother and a minister got him commissioned for duty on a ship at sea. He wrote letters but she never saw him again. In the 1830's New York was a center for the abolitionist movement and the management of the Underground Railroad. Slaves wanting to run away were contacted by a "conductor" who would give them directions to safe houses along the way until they were in a free state or Canada. Songs were used to pass code messages and the North Star was used as a guiding light. At forty-six, 1843, Belle changed her name to Sojourner Truth and went East which she thought was directions from God. She traveled to camp meetings speaking and singing and talking about the suffering of slavery. The simplicity of her language and the sincerity of her message, combined with the courage of her convictions made Sojourner a sought-after speaker. She was cautious of fanaticism and didn't like noise and commotion. Noted abolitionists were William Lloyd Garrison, publisher of The Liberator; Wendell Phillips, known as abolition's Golden Trumpet, and George Thompson, a noted British abolitionist. David Ruggles and William Sill have been credited with helping to free over 600 fugitives while serving on the Underground Railroad. Fifty thousand slaves escaped through this organization. Women's rights were also sought during this same timeframe. Sojourner was not educated, but Olive Gilbert wrote her biography and she sold it at meetings. The audiences changed drastically as a pro-slavery group called the Copperheads formed in the north. Her mission became dangerous, but she never gave up. She attended a woman's rights convention in Akron, Ohio where she gave a historical speech aimed at the pedants and hypocrites, combining her slavery experience with women's inequality and frequently reiterating, "Ain't I a woman?" The fugitive slave law was an obstacle to abolitionists to the point that some were preparing for war, but Sojourner did not want war. From 1851 to 1857 she spoke out for anti-slavery and women's rights. In 1853 she visited Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, written in 1852 as a response to the Fugitive Slave Act. By 1856 over two million copies had been sold. Sojourner retired at 60 in Harmonia, Michigan and was joined by two of her daughters and two grandchildren. At 62, she went back on the speaking tour, accompanied by her grandson, Sammy. There were at least two hundred slave uprisings between 1800 and 1859. John Brown was a radical abolitionist and after his trial and execution was hailed as martyr, a symbol of freedom. People sang "John Brown's Body" and later during the civil war Julia Ward Howe wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to the music of "John Brown's Body." It was a personal favorite of Abraham Lincoln, who would be remembered as "the Emancipator." Sojourner visited with Lincoln and ask for an autograph for her "Book of Life," a scrapbook of her memoirs. She thanked him for doing so much for her race. The civil war was over April 9, 1965 and Lincoln was dead of an assassin's bullet six days later. At seventy, Sojourner worked for the war department at Freedman's Hospital. Susan B.Anthony devoted efforts to women's suffrage in 1869 after the fifteenth amendment was passed in 1868 and Sojourner teamed up with her. Black males were allowed to vote, but not females. They all died before women won the right in 1919. Sojourner's last cause was to travel with a petition for congress to sign a land grant proposal for the black people who had worked for no pay. Sammy grew ill with a fever and died before he was twenty-five. She never stopped mourning for him but continued to do occasional speaking and women's rights projects until her death at eighty-six.
Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal.

A book...with a Twist!.......2006-07-05

A thrilling book that I was intrigued to read during my summer home for 2 weeks. The book takes a rather twist which im impressed how not many decided to put on their reviews.

It's a great more than a biography of a groovy... woman...but what's more is that it chronicles of not just one, but many courageous individuals battles against injustice... really!

There's an impressive ending which it has been posted before in this amazon review section.

Buy the book!!! Places to go, take a look in a reading rainbow!

Good.......2005-11-04

I liked this book because it took you through her whole life in chronological order. However, it was not very useful for the information I was looking for. It talks about her as a slave and an abolitionist, but it doesn't say much about her as a feminist. I would've been five stars if the author had given more on her and feminism.

Sojourner Truth, an Inspiring Lady........2004-03-26

This book starts out with the birth of Sojourner Truth and takes you all the way through her life. You learn about her as a slave, as a free woman, as a preacher, an abolitionist, and an activist for the rights of both blacks and woman.

I personally did not know much about Sojourner Truth, but I do now.

If you are looking for a great novel to entertain you or for something to keep you on the edge of your seat, then this book probably isn't what your looking for. If you want to learn about history and an inspiring lady than I would say pick up this book and read. There is nothing worng with knowledge and this book is a great way to learn.

Sojourner Truth Ain't I a Woman.......2003-12-18

Sojouner Truth Ain't I a Woman takes place in the 1700's-1800's, about 300 years ago. This genre is non-fiction. If you like true stories then read this!
This story is about black people being slaves. Sojouner works for a family that beats her. She works for them for about 13 years. Then she gets sold again and the family tells her she can leave at 27 years (a year before she is suppose to.) The family says, "No you can't leave we changed our mind," when she was about to leave. They finally make a deal and say, "Okay, you can leave."

Book Description

This inspiring memoir, first published in 1850, recounts the struggles of a distinguished African-American abolitionist and champion of women's rights. Sojourner Truth tells of her life in slavery, her self-liberation, and her travels across America in pursuit of racial and sexual equality. Essential reading for students of American history.

Customer Reviews:

Historical reminder.......2007-05-12

Provided a valuable insight into some of the thinking of slaves even while experiencing inhumane treatment and searching for their own identity. A woman of courage, foresight and well ahead of her time.

Excellent.......2006-08-30

In a world that still suffers from the blight of slavery, mainly in Islamic nations and northern Africa, and Sudan, but also through the sex trade in nations like Thailand, this book is a great nonfiction account, especially for grade and middle schoolers, but also for all who think slavery is a thing of the past.

history hurts but is needed to know.......2006-08-20

I can never tire of learning the depts of suffering black woman had to endure. It gives me even more pride for my people and much hope for a better tomorrow.

let the truth be known.......2002-12-29

very much a must read
the way the words flow
with your thoughts
as if you were really there
to me it is a must read
nice book

THE TRUTH FROM SOJOURNER TRUTH.......2002-12-16

Anyday, anywhere, this book: "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth", is a masterpiece. The hardship she endured, as well as other horrors of slavery will always live in our memories. Afterall, it is said that: 'The evil that men do lives after them'. Sojourner's courage and perseverance is commendable. There is a lot to learn from her.
I strain to keep myself from laughing each time a serious issue like Slavery is raised, and I see men and women do nothing but run for cover. The North accuses the South of having been too tenacious on slavery, and the South accuses the North of hypocrisy, insisting that she (the North), started it in the first place: by disguising the first slaves whom she brought (in 1619) to New Amsterdam (the present day New York) as "indentured servants".
Surely, the guilty are afraid and ashamed; but that changes nothing. Reality will always remain reality. This 138-paged book is a fantastic history memo. It is the real truth; from Sojourner Truth.

Strangers and Sojourners: A Novel (Children of the Last Days/Michael D. O'Brien)

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Simply beautiful
A Good Book, Really Is Literature
Strangers and Sojourners
Not what I thought
Inspiring but too slow

Strangers and Sojourners: A Novel (Children of the Last Days/Michael D. O'Brien)
Michael D. O'Brien
Manufacturer: Ignatius PR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0898706092

Customer Reviews:

Simply beautiful.......2007-01-02

I just finished reading Strangers and Sojourners today. I am so glad I read it and I find myself wishing everyone would read this beautiful work in large part because I'd love to discuss it with the world - there is so much rich and precious insight into life in this book and it's so moving that it's difficult to just keep it all in.

This book is poetry in the form of prose. The writing is something to savor - I don't want to sound corny, but it's just delicious how the writer plays the English language like delicate watercolors to convey thoughts, images, feelings.

The story, the settings, the characters and the humble, bening brilliance behind it all - if you are a seeker, a stranger or a sojourner in life you will find this work to be precious indeed.

A Good Book, Really Is Literature.......2006-06-08

While some of the other reviewers found this book slow and disappointing, I strongly disagree.

Anne Delaney is a woman who, while prophetic and speaking for truth, struggles for most of her life with issues of belief and unbelief, trust and fear. She does find a resolution to her "shadows" in the end. Pay careful attention to the visit by Fr. Andrei while she's ill in bed, and the fact that he said a few words, Latin words, that should have been said a long time ago. The journey the family and the community take collectively is the focus of the tale. Anne Delaney and her family are the connecting threads of the story. There is little within this book that does not have some meaning if you spend a moment contemplating it. It is beautifully written and a sympathetic depiction of various forms atheism, doubt, and despair takes, while at the same time providing very real answers.

A wonderful book. It is apocalyptic literature, as compared to the apocalyptic grocery store novels that were the Left Behind series.

Strangers and Sojourners.......2005-08-02

This book is incredibly fascinating, well written, and insightful. The author's knowledge of history, geography, literature and art is amazing. His recognition of the way evil penetrates society, especially through the media is food for thought.

Not what I thought.......2005-07-17

I found this book to be disappointing. There are part of it that are insightful and make you think, but overall the story seems rather disjointed. I am not sure what the theme is supposed to be - if it's the family, the book doesn't give a complete picture of all the family and what happens to them. If it's the spiritual development, it is lacking because you never know exactly what the husband Stephen's faith consists of and the wife Anne's faith is nonexistent until at the end of her life she finds something but what it is seems vague. I really didn't much like this book - at the end I got the feeling that life is awful and then you die. It is not uplifting or inspirational in the least.

Inspiring but too slow.......2005-06-03

The author employs fascinating dialogue with great insight to characters and their spiritual journey. Unfortunately that did not start until after about 190 pages into the novel. This is a slow developing novel with too many sub-plots and problems with character development.

I can only recommend this book because of the great insights this author provided within the novel. There are small gems scattered throughout the last half of the book.

O'Brien's book Fr. Elijah is still one of my all time favorite books, so maybe I am setting the bar too high.

The Black Christ (Bishop Henry McNeal Turner/Sojourner Truth Series in Black Religion)

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The Black Christ (Bishop Henry McNeal Turner/Sojourner Truth Series in Black Religion)
Kelly Brown Douglas
Manufacturer: Orbis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883449390

Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth

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A Story for All Times, All Races, All Ages
She could not be silenced
The story of a real fighter for freedom
The Voice of Freedom.....
review on only passing through: the story of sojourner truth

Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth
Anne Rockwell
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Politics & Government | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0679891862
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Amazon.com

Born in 1797, and sold three times by the time she was 13 (and beaten many more times), a tall young slave girl named Isabella grew in her determination to fight the evils of slavery and speak for human rights. At the age of 46, having been a free woman for 17 years, Isabella woke from a dream telling her she must travel the country, conveying to people what it meant to be a slave. On that day, Isabella renamed herself.

"It was as though the life she'd known up till then belonged to someone else. A new one was beginning. The old life had become a tale to tell, a story to bring freedom to others. Her old name belonged to her old life. From that day on, she was never called Isabella again. Her name was Sojourner Truth."

Anne Rockwell's picture-book biography of the legendary and powerful messenger of civil rights rings with authority and dignity, matched by Gregory Christie's full-page impressionistic paintings featuring Truth's symbolically outsized head and hands, and striking perspectives of both slaves and slave owners. Awash with rich color, Christie's images will linger long with readers, as will Rockwell's description of Sojourner Truth singing in the face of enraged, drunken antiabolitionists. The author includes a historical note and a 19th century timeline for further context. Rockwell is the noted author of more than 100 books for children, and Christie was the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Honor for his illustrations in The Palm of My Heart. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

A powerful picture book biography of one of the abolitionist movement's most compelling voices.

Sojourner Truth traveled the country in the latter half of the 19th century, speaking out against slavery. She told of a slave girl who was sold three times by age 13, who was beaten for not understanding her master's orders, who watched her parents die of cold and hunger when they could no longer work for their keep. Sojourner's simple yet powerful words helped people to understand the hideous truth about slavery. The story she told was her own.

Only Passing Through is the inspiring story of how a woman, born a slave with no status or dignity, transformed herself into one of the most powerful voices of the abolitionist movement. Anne Rockwell combines her lifelong love of history with her well-known skill as a storyteller to create this simple, affecting portrait of an American icon.

Customer Reviews:

A Story for All Times, All Races, All Ages.......2007-01-29

This is a wonderful book for all young men and women to read. The lessons it teaches, from being "the new kid", to "the foreign kid", to "the abandoned and abused kid" to being "the black kid" certainly ring as true today as they did in Sojourner Truth's Day. The author's passion for the subject, and the illustrators moving illustrations reach out and touch readers, and inspire them to look into their own lives to be certain they are helping to create a diverse society. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King. This book would be a wonderful story for kids to act-out in class for Black History Month. The author certainly seems to know about race relations, and peace. I recommend this for all parents who want to raise children who see people with their hearts, and not their eyes. Who see no color, just the glorious traditions, rich heritage, tremendous courage, and incredible art that comes from being downtrodden for generations.

She could not be silenced.......2002-09-13

Many a young reader will be shocked by the opening page of this story about slavery in the U.S. For the auction block from which a 9-year-old girl was sold in 1806 was in Kingston, N.Y., not Alabama or Mississippi.

Isabella was sold only after a long day in which no bidders showed any interest--until the auctioneer threw in a flock of sheep. She was separated from her aged, ill parents, who were left to fend for themselves, having been worn out by cruel masters. Hell followed for Isabella, for her new master spoke English while she spoke Dutch--like most people in the Hudson valley. For not understanding, he whipped her so hard that her back bore the scars all the rest of her life.

She was sold to a tavern-keeper and, when she was 13, to a neighboring farmer named John Dumont. At 16, she was six feet tall and could do the work of any man. She was forced to wed, against her will, and bore four daughters and a son. In 1817, New York enacted a law that would free all slaves on July 4, 1827. By then, Isabella was 28. But when Dumont reneged on his promise to free her, she ran to a nearby farm, believing that its abolitionist owners would save her. The Van Wageners bought and freed her.

Dumont, however, sold her son Peter to an Alabama plantation owner. To sell a slave out-of-state was then illegal in New York. Isabella took the unheard-of step of hiring a white lawyer to plead a court case for the return of her son. She won, he returned, she sent him to school, and he became a sailor on a whaling ship.

After Peter left, Isabella dreamed that she should travel the U.S. and tell people of her bondage. She took the name of Sojourner Truth. The final pages of this adventure tell some of the accomplishments of this American heroine. The illustrations greatly compliment the story, accentuating the iron will of a woman who would not be bought, or silenced.

The book concludes with a one-page author's note and a chronology of the events of Sojourner Truth's life. In the former, the author writes of those times when evil rules, and good people feel called upon to tell the truth to those who do not wish to hear.

Sojourner Truth was such a person, and she lived in such a time. Children find this story inspirational. Alyssa A. Lappen

The story of a real fighter for freedom.......2002-08-21

"Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner Truth" combines text by Anne Rockwell with illlustrations by R. Gregory Christie. Together they tell the story of Truth, who was an important figure in the movement to abolish slavery in the United States. The text discusses her own life in slavery, how she gained her freedom, and her participation in the abolitionist movement. The book includes a chronology of her life.

The illustrations are colorful and striking, but Christie's human figures are bizarrely distorted, with out-of-proportion heads, limbs, and hands. Ultimately I found that this style distracted me from the important story being told. Still, this book is a worthwhile look at an important figure in American history.

The Voice of Freedom............2001-07-02

Anne Rockwell's moving picture book biography of Sojourner Truth is a powerful and evocative story that will draw youngsters in and take them on a journey toward freedom with an amazing woman. Born into slavery, Isabella was taken away from her parents when she was only nine, sold three times, threatened, beaten and lost her own children to slavery before she was finally freed. Though she never learned to read or write, she challenged the system of buying and selling people in court, traveled around the country, spoke out against slavery and became one of the most powerful voices in the abolitionist movement. She was a sojourner, one who is only passing through and her mission was to speak the truth about the evils of slavery..... Ms Rockwell's passionate and eloquently written biography is complemented by Gregory Christie's beautifully rich paintings and together they've authored a story about this remarkable woman that's full of courage and strength. With an author's note and timeline at the end to augment and enhance discussions, Only Passing Through is a wonderful book, perfect for youngsters 9-12 and a story few will soon forget.

review on only passing through: the story of sojourner truth.......2001-01-15

I think this is a wonderful book. I have not read it but even the title pulls you in. The reason I am writing about this book is because I love slave stories. I have read other books by this author and I think she is awesome. This book is on my wish list and i hope to get it soon

Slavery on Trial: Law, Abolitionism, and Print Culture (Studies in Legal History)

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Slavery on Trial: Law, Abolitionism, and Print Culture (Studies in Legal History)
Jeannine Marie DeLombard
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Slavery & Emancipation | World | History | Subjects | Books

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Jurisprudence | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Legal History | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0807858129

Book Description

America's legal consciousness was high during the era that saw the imprisonment of abolitionist editor William Lloyd Garrison, the execution of slave revolutionary Nat Turner, and the hangings of John Brown and his Harpers Ferry co-conspirators.

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Sisters of the Dream - a Novel for the New Millennium

Sisters of the Dream
Mary Sojourner
Manufacturer: Northland Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Delicate: Stories
Solace: Rituals of Loss and Desire

ASIN: 0873584864

Customer Reviews:

Sisters of the Dream - a Novel for the New Millennium.......2000-10-16

I found the book Sisters of the Dream, actually, through a dream! In my dream I attended a reading circle which was studying a book entitled "The Sojourner." The next day I searched Amazon.com. to see if such a book existed. Ms. Sojourner's name came up on the search results as an author. I decided to find out what she had written and Sisters of the Dream called to me. Unfortunately, it was out of print, but I found a copy in my local library.

Well, what can I say? Very nice! I've never read a book quite like it. The protagonist, Liz, a contemporary uprooted woman, sees some photographs of the Anasazi ruins in Arizona. Something in the pictures calls to her - the buildings, a certain quality of light - and she travels west and settles in a small mountain town near the ruins. There, she meets Deena, a divorced mother struggling with the hassles and grief of joint custody, Hatt, an old, proud widow of a trading post owner, and Rose, a modern Hopi woman caught between her traditional culture and that of White America. Their lives progress; they form friendships, help each other with problems, and share joys. And all the while Liz is dreaming the life of Talasi, a 12th century Hopi woman. The "work" Liz has come west to do is somehow connected with Talasi and each dream she has adds another thread to this tapestry. Eventually, we find out there's more to it than dreams....

The characters are perfectly described. On the surface, I had little in common with any of them - I've never been a "hippie princess" or trading post owner, for example - yet, at the same time, I related to them completely. Through the book's characters, Ms. Sojourner must have touched some kind of universal chord deep inside me. There are things all women have in common, just by being women. For instance, all the characters have problems with the men in their lives, whether lovers, husbands, ex-husbands, sons; and these problems are satisfactorily resolved by novel's end, though not always "happily ever after."

Not only the main characters, but also the supporting characters (even the cats!) are perfectly etched. Indeed, the southwest landscape itself seems to be a character in its own right. Even the comet Liz sees in a planetarium while she's trying to forget an ex-lover seems to have an important supporting role. Ms. Sojourner has a "poetic" way of writing. I found myself rereading passages simply because I liked the way she wrote them; her metaphors. This was especially true of passages on "earth gifts."

The Talasi passages were fascinating and I found myself drawn into that culture and learned much about Hopi culture. And this is where I have my only complaint. The book should have included a glossary of Hopi words used in the novel. Although the author did define in the text most of the Hopi words she used, sometimes when the word appeared the second time, I had forgotten what it meant, so had to look back in the book to try to find it again. A glossary would have been nice.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting..........2005-11-04

I thought this book was written a little differently, but I also found it helpful. It was cool how Sojourner Truth's Book of Life was written inside of it along with a whole separate book. There was a lot of good information in it. I used this book for a school project and it worked out great. The book was useful and interesting to read because there are letters from people she knew that were written to her. I enjoyed reading this also recieved info from it.

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