An admiring look at an admirable woman, a deserving subject in the Trailblazers series. McPherson chronicles Addams's childhood, the founding of Hull-House, her later years actively pursuing peace, and the chronic back pain that accompanied her throughout. The book's format doesn't allow for great depth, but does provide the salient details without oversimplification; McPherson combines a readable, anecdotal style with substantial (for this age group) documentation of her sources, which themselves point the way toward more study of a life fully lived. Bibliography; b&w photos; notes; index. (Biography. 9-12)
