Celebrated for her courageous exploits as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman has entered history as one of 19th-century America’s most enduring and important figures. But just who was this remarkable woman? To John Brown, leader of the Harpers Ferry slave uprising, she was General Tubman. For the many slaves she led north to freedom, she was Moses. To the slaveholders who sought her capture, she was a thief and a trickster. To abolitionists, she was a prophet. Now, in a biography widely praised for its impeccable research and its compelling narrative, Harriet Tubman is revealed for the first time as a singular and complex character, a woman who defied simple categorization.
Far Beyond the Underground Railroad I learned so much from reading this well-written account. The dearth of written records, such as a personal diary and letters was a formidable challenge for the author. Clinton handles the understandable gaps in the written record with care and candor. I learned for example that Tubman and Sojourner Truth had opposing views of Lincoln, before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Tubman’s unstinting generosity, her physical bravery, and her experience of violent abuse as a slave fill out…
It Was What I Was Looking For- The Story of Her Life Although this book lacks great detail, I was pleased with that. Too many times authors, in my opinion get bogged down in the minutiae. I was looking to read a book about her life, start to finish, the overall picture. That is exactly what I found in this book. There was very little political opinion expressed which I found to be delightful and a reason to give this book five stars. It must have been very difficult for the author to tell this story with such limited information but I felt she…
Harriet Tubman For President I am a 37 year old white girl born & bred in Australia. I never knew too much about slaves myself, only what I have seen on tv and movies. I wanted to know more & an African American female friend suggested this book. I LOVED it & loathed it all at the same time. It is hard to believe the extremes that owners went to to keep their “slaves” at their property. Australia was once the same with having native Aboriginal people work for them in the settler years. Only, Australia wasn’t as bad…