Sisters in Strength: American Women Who Made a Difference

by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Malcah Zeldis (Illustrator)

A highly-respected mother-daughter team honors eleven outstanding American women who have shaped history.

"I must admit I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings."
-Margaret Mead

Eleven American heroines come alive in these accessible biographies illustrated with vibrant paintings. While some crusaders, like Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart, were widely recognized during their time, others, like Emily Dickinson, were more celebrated after death. But no matter how these courageous women achieved their goals, they triumphed over adversity, made huge sacrifices, and held fast to their beliefs.

Told with graceful simplicity, these marvelous stories of passion, wisdom, and unyielding fortitude will encourage a new generation of readers to find role models in the pages of history.

Those included are: Pocahontas, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Emily Dickinson, Clara Barton, Mary Cassatt, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Margaret Mead.

Genres: Nonfiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and many of my novels take place here. But my new novel takes place in New Hampshire, and I have woven into it a historical component: the tragic story of Ruth Blay, who in 1768 was the last woman hanged in the state. When I read about Ruth, I was fascinated and horrified in equal measure, and I knew I had to write about her.
I was educated at Vassar College and Columbia University, where I studied art history. But I started writing fiction in my 20's and never looked back. I am the author of seven novels, 27 books for children and am the editor of two essay collections. I'm also the fiction editor of Lilith Magazine . Please visit my website, http://www.yonazeldismcdonough.com or find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yzmcdonough; I love to connect with readers everywhere.

Reviews

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters in Strengh: American Woman who made a Difference by Yona Zeldis Macdonnough (goodreads author), Malcaj Zeldis- Children’s illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of seven American Women (1) Pocahontas was a Native American[2][3][4] woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief[2] of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah, encompassing the Tidewater region of Virginia. Pocahontas was captured and held for ransom by English Colonists during hostilities in 1613. During her captivity, she was encouraged to convert to Christianity and was baptized under the name Rebecca. She married tobacco planter John Rolfe in April 1614 at the age of about 17 or 18, and she bore their son Thomas Rolfe in January 1615. In 1616, the Rolfes travelled to London where Pocahontas was presented to English society as an example of the "civilized savage" in hopes of stimulating investment in the Jamestown settlement. On this trip she may have met Squanto, a Patuxet Indian from New England. She became something of a celebrity, was elegantly fêted, and attended a masque at Whitehall Palace. In 1617, the Rolfes set sail for Virginia; Pocahontas died at Gravesend of unknown causes, aged 20 or 21. She was buried in St George's Church, Gravesend, in England. , (2) Harriet Tubman - was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army. In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the movement for women's suffrage. Born enslaved in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten and whipped by her various masters as a child. Early in life, she suffered a traumatic head wound when an irate overseer threw a heavy metal weight intending to hit another enslaved person, but hit her instead. The injury caused dizziness, pain, and spells of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life. After her injury, Tubman began experiencing strange visions and vivid dreams, which she ascribed to premonitions from God. These experiences, combined with her Methodist upbringing, led her to become devoutly religious. In 1849, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, only to return to Maryland to rescue her family soon after. Slowly, one group at a time, she brought relatives with her out of the state, and eventually guided dozens of other enslaved people to freedom. Traveling by night and in extreme secrecy, Tubman (or "Moses", as she was called) "never lost a passenger". After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, she helped guide fugitives farther north into British North America (Canada), and helped newly freed enslaved people find work. Tubman met John Brown in 1858, and helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. When the Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the raid at Combahee Ferry, which liberated more than 700 enslaved people. After the war, she retired to the family home on property she had purchased in 1859 in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She was active in the women's suffrage movement until illness overtook her, and she had to be admitted to a home for elderly African Americans that she had helped to establish years earlier. She became an icon of courage and freedom. (3) Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony- , (4) Clara Barton, (5) Emily Dickinson, (6) Mary Cassatt, (7) Helen Keller, (8) Eleanor Roosevelt, (9) Amelia Earhart, and (10) Margaret Mead.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We picked this book out for Women's History Month and with 10 profiles of women, it took us awhile to read the whole book. We would only read one each night, and although our girls never complained, I don't think they were overly stimulated by the material presented. They did like the illustrations, although they didn't know what everything was. I liked the short summaries of each woman's life and the information was succinct, but interesting. I would recommend this for older schoolchildren, perhaps grades 3-5.

[Emma Fields]

Summary: This briefly goes through the stories of different very influential women in history. This includes women like Pocahontas, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Emily Dickinson, Mary Cassatt, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, and Margaret Mead. The very brief summary outlines the upbringing, formative moments, and lasting impacts that each of these strong women have had.

Analysis: I really like this book because it usually starts out with each of these women when they were younger. This gives the students the chance to connect to think “if they were like me when they were younger, why can’t I be like them when I am older?”

How I would use this book in a classroom: This would be a good book to use for an “Interesting Person” study. Each student could pick one person from this book and research them more in depth. This could also be a read aloud book on International Women’s day, highlight the important women in History!