American Heroine: The Life and Legend of Jane Addams

by Allen F. Davis

Books about Jane Addams―founder of Hull House, social reformer, suffragist, pacifist, and one of the most greatly admired women in American history―come and go, but Allen Davis's account of her life, work, and ideas remains the standard biography. "A distinguished work of scholarship, mature, incisive....Davis has written not only the best study of Jane Addams but perhaps the best biography of any great American woman."―William L. O'Neill. "The first book that systematically and persuasively separates the real woman from the myth. It will be indispensable to anyone interested in the subject or the period."―Rosemarie Scherman, New York Times Book Review . "An important work, especially valuable for its cultural analysis and its sane, careful approach to the biographer's task."―Alonzo L. Hamby, History . "Detailed and well researched, this account...is the best thing written on Jane Addams I have seen."―Doris Grumbach, New Republic . "An impressively researched, perceptive biography." ―Gertrude Benson, Philadelphia Inquirer .

Genres: Biography, History

380 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dense book, but very interesting and well researched. It's taken me absolutely forever to read it, but I am down to the last two chapters and I'm happy I've trudged through. The author does a great job of detailing her entire life, from her early years, through the settlement years (Hull House) to her rise to "American Sainthood," to her fall from grace as a pacifist during a time of war. Amazing story of an amazing woman.

[Alondra Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I find the author to be overly critical of Addams, I find that he does a good job at informing the reader about the historical context that Jane Addams was brought up in, which helps us understand why she became a social work reformer. Another critique I have about the book is that it also down plays the relationship she had with Ellen Starr and Mary. So if you are trying to find out about her relationships this isn’t the best book to do so.

[Steven Spector · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed and analytical book on Ms Jane written by a history professor with an obvious love for his subject. As one who had no choice but to deal with Chicago politics, she had her victories and her defeats. When approaching a national level, perhaps she was a bit overcome with her local successes and sometimes didn't think of the ramifications of her positions and her verbal statements. With this said, her generally disapproving family seemed to haunt her throughout her life, notwithstanding her efforts to assist them as she thought appropriate.