Harriet Tubman.

Stein, R. Conrad. Harriet Tubman.
Enslow 2010 128p 31.93 Americans-Spirit of a Nation(Enslow)
978-0-7660-3481-5 ms/hs E-BNS
It is not a hyperbole to say that Harriet Tubman is more than a legend. In becoming the “Moses of her people,” she aided many in their flight from slavery, she spied and served as a nurse during the Civil War, and afterward, she served the needy and lectured. When the reader finds non-fiction to be a “page-turner,” he/she has made an amazing discovery. That is how one feels while reading this biography The writing is excellent, the research is thorough, and the characterizations of Harriet Tubman are fascinating. There was a mystical quality behind her achievements, and examples of resourcefulness and determination beyond imagination shine. There is a medical description for the type of seizure that was caused by a wound to her forehead when she was twelve years old; however, it suited those around her to say that her trance-like sleeping spells were times when she communicated with God. With a plethora of abolitionists helping her along the way and the ability to think fast, change her appearance and follow the stars, she possessed a quality of resourcefulness that was unequaled. The best example of her determination was when she ordered a slave to “Move or die!” He’d floundered in the swamps, wanting to return to his plantation when Tubman “reasoned” with him in such a unique way. The timeline and glossary aide the reader in organizing Tubman’s events in history as well as in navigating the more difficult passages, respectively. The resource list and index are helpful as well. Finally, the layout and support photographs and portraits are wonderful. The blue color shows the reader when a page has information that enhances the text, making it easy to spot! Squaresky, Martha