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eveak's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this - very readable, well researched, raises pertinent issues, and the examination of Truth as a person and as a symbol - and the creation of that symbol - is invaluable.
musicdeepdive's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Phenomenal work because of how it tackles the two issues it mentions in the title - contrasting the biographical details of Truth's life, however scarce they may be at points, with the iconic imagery that enshrouded her and how that image was crafted (in some ways true to her story, in others the disingenuous work of usually well-meaning abolitionists). The spirituality and strength of Truth shine through both portions, making this a must-read for anyone interested in learning about her.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
“As an abolitionist and feminist, she put her body and her mind to a unique task, that of physically representing women who had been enslaved. At a time when most Americans thought of slaves as male and women as white, Truth embodied a fact that still bears repeating: Among the blacks are women; among the women, there are blacks.”
About a month ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear The Reverend Doctor William Barber speak. (More information about him here: http://www.breachrepairers.org/.) He was speaking about the times in our history that religious groups had responded well to the issues of the day. Starting with Reconstruction after the Civil War, Barber gave an incredible history lesson to everyone in the room. As he spoke, Barber referenced a number of authors and histories. I wrote down all that information so I could read through them and learn some new things about my country’s history.
With this first book, my eyes have been opened. I knew there was slavery in the North, I had heard that members of the Society of Friends in Philadelphia had owned slaves. I had never really considered what that meant. Who were the slaves? What happened to them after slavery was banned in the North? Were their lives any better or were they worse? This book answered questions that I didn’t even know I should be asking.
Sojourner Truth was a slave in New York State. She and her family were enslaved, abused and taken advantage of through slavery and the aftermath. Her whole life was affected by her enslavement.
I had no idea what Sojourner Truth’s life really was like. I knew the synopsis, the children’s tale of what Sojourner Truth did. There is so much more. Painter has written an amazing tale about a woman I really didn’t know. What makes it more remarkable is how few resources were available to Painter. To tell this life story took some incredible research.
If you think you know Sojourner Truth, pick up this book. If you like to read about remarkable people who have overcome incredible odds, read this sooner than later. You will be amazed.
About a month ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear The Reverend Doctor William Barber speak. (More information about him here: http://www.breachrepairers.org/.) He was speaking about the times in our history that religious groups had responded well to the issues of the day. Starting with Reconstruction after the Civil War, Barber gave an incredible history lesson to everyone in the room. As he spoke, Barber referenced a number of authors and histories. I wrote down all that information so I could read through them and learn some new things about my country’s history.
With this first book, my eyes have been opened. I knew there was slavery in the North, I had heard that members of the Society of Friends in Philadelphia had owned slaves. I had never really considered what that meant. Who were the slaves? What happened to them after slavery was banned in the North? Were their lives any better or were they worse? This book answered questions that I didn’t even know I should be asking.
Sojourner Truth was a slave in New York State. She and her family were enslaved, abused and taken advantage of through slavery and the aftermath. Her whole life was affected by her enslavement.
I had no idea what Sojourner Truth’s life really was like. I knew the synopsis, the children’s tale of what Sojourner Truth did. There is so much more. Painter has written an amazing tale about a woman I really didn’t know. What makes it more remarkable is how few resources were available to Painter. To tell this life story took some incredible research.
If you think you know Sojourner Truth, pick up this book. If you like to read about remarkable people who have overcome incredible odds, read this sooner than later. You will be amazed.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
Learned a lot from this about what we all THINK we know about Sojourner Truth vs. what is ACTUALLY historically known about her.
binstonbirchill's review against another edition
4.0
Reading about a famous historical figure that I knew virtually nothing about was a good way to end Black History month. My previous knowledge of her story could fit on the back of a baseball card, in fact, I think an Allen & Ginter card may have been my primary source of information on her life.
Sojourner Truth's life story is unique and not at all what I expected, first and foremost was the fact that she was a northern slave (New York to be exact). She is among the iconic figures of her era but in contrast to others such as Fredrick Douglass there is comparatively little recorded about her life or her speeches. What is recorded often strays from historical fact, so much so that the real Sojourner Truth is an impossible personality to pin down, as the author discusses at length.
One compelling piece of history... before and during the civil war those fighting for Universal Suffrage worked hand in hand with the abolitionists but after the war and emancipation a split occurred. The women's suffrage movement (headed by Susan B. Anthony) and the black male suffrage movement each tried to advance their cause separately, oftentimes at the expense of the other. And in the fight for white women's rights and black men's rights, the black woman disappeared. A fascinating woman by all accounts, well worth a read.
Sojourner Truth's life story is unique and not at all what I expected, first and foremost was the fact that she was a northern slave (New York to be exact). She is among the iconic figures of her era but in contrast to others such as Fredrick Douglass there is comparatively little recorded about her life or her speeches. What is recorded often strays from historical fact, so much so that the real Sojourner Truth is an impossible personality to pin down, as the author discusses at length.
One compelling piece of history... before and during the civil war those fighting for Universal Suffrage worked hand in hand with the abolitionists but after the war and emancipation a split occurred. The women's suffrage movement (headed by Susan B. Anthony) and the black male suffrage movement each tried to advance their cause separately, oftentimes at the expense of the other. And in the fight for white women's rights and black men's rights, the black woman disappeared. A fascinating woman by all accounts, well worth a read.
siria's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this book because I was curious to learn more about Sojourner Truth beyond the vague outline I'd picked up: a nineteenth century African-American woman who'd campaigned for an end to slavery and for women's rights, a towering figure known for addressing a white audience with her famous "Ain't I a woman?" speech. And it turns out that preconceptions like that are Nell Irvin Painter is trying to undo with this biography. Painter ably demonstrates that Truth's life has been co-opted and transformed by the need of later writers—feminists, womanists, social justice activists in particular—to create an iconic image of a Strong Black Woman, often by ignoring the documentary evidence about Truth's life. Truth likely never said "Ain't I a woman?", but the myth is often more enticing (and less challenging) than the reality. I would actually have liked to have seen more of the book devoted an exploration of that symbolism, and to a dissection of the ways in which even eminent historians of American history like Linda Kerber have fallen prey to the myth-making. However, the space which Painter devotes to the postbellum women's rights movement in the States is very absorbing and makes good use of the sources (though I have to say, as a medievalist, I found Painter's frequent complaints about the paucity of the sources amusing—while it's true that they're fewer than we would like, and there are none from Truth's point of few as she was illiterate, there are still far more things that we know about Truth than we do about the vast majority of medieval European women, regardless of colour or social status.)
bennificial's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
3.0
Learned more about a person that I knew nothing about! Really interesting!
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
“As an abolitionist and feminist, she put her body and her mind to a unique task, that of physically representing women who had been enslaved. At a time when most Americans thought of slaves as male and women as white, Truth embodied a fact that still bears repeating: Among the blacks are women; among the women, there are blacks.”
About a month ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear The Reverend Doctor William Barber speak. (More information about him here: http://www.breachrepairers.org/.) He was speaking about the times in our history that religious groups had responded well to the issues of the day. Starting with Reconstruction after the Civil War, Barber gave an incredible history lesson to everyone in the room. As he spoke, Barber referenced a number of authors and histories. I wrote down all that information so I could read through them and learn some new things about my country’s history.
With this first book, my eyes have been opened. I knew there was slavery in the North, I had heard that members of the Society of Friends in Philadelphia had owned slaves. I had never really considered what that meant. Who were the slaves? What happened to them after slavery was banned in the North? Were their lives any better or were they worse? This book answered questions that I didn’t even know I should be asking.
Sojourner Truth was a slave in New York State. She and her family were enslaved, abused and taken advantage of through slavery and the aftermath. Her whole life was affected by her enslavement.
I had no idea what Sojourner Truth’s life really was like. I knew the synopsis, the children’s tale of what Sojourner Truth did. There is so much more. Painter has written an amazing tale about a woman I really didn’t know. What makes it more remarkable is how few resources were available to Painter. To tell this life story took some incredible research.
If you think you know Sojourner Truth, pick up this book. If you like to read about remarkable people who have overcome incredible odds, read this sooner than later. You will be amazed.
About a month ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to hear The Reverend Doctor William Barber speak. (More information about him here: http://www.breachrepairers.org/.) He was speaking about the times in our history that religious groups had responded well to the issues of the day. Starting with Reconstruction after the Civil War, Barber gave an incredible history lesson to everyone in the room. As he spoke, Barber referenced a number of authors and histories. I wrote down all that information so I could read through them and learn some new things about my country’s history.
With this first book, my eyes have been opened. I knew there was slavery in the North, I had heard that members of the Society of Friends in Philadelphia had owned slaves. I had never really considered what that meant. Who were the slaves? What happened to them after slavery was banned in the North? Were their lives any better or were they worse? This book answered questions that I didn’t even know I should be asking.
Sojourner Truth was a slave in New York State. She and her family were enslaved, abused and taken advantage of through slavery and the aftermath. Her whole life was affected by her enslavement.
I had no idea what Sojourner Truth’s life really was like. I knew the synopsis, the children’s tale of what Sojourner Truth did. There is so much more. Painter has written an amazing tale about a woman I really didn’t know. What makes it more remarkable is how few resources were available to Painter. To tell this life story took some incredible research.
If you think you know Sojourner Truth, pick up this book. If you like to read about remarkable people who have overcome incredible odds, read this sooner than later. You will be amazed.
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