This slim, readable entry in the A&E Biography series will appeal to fans of Little Women; Ruth makes extensive use of Alcott’s journal writings and letters and makes clear where real life and fiction converged. The author describes the Alcotts’ difficult lives, due in large part to Bronson, whose philosophical views kept the family near bankruptcy. Although Ruth is careful about her sources and end notes, it’s not always apparent which ideas and events are hers and which are from Alcott’s writings. Still, this is an interesting look at a well-loved figure, with black-and-white reproductions and photographs for added appeal. It’s also a de facto introduction to transcendentalism. (bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 3, 1998
ISBN: 0-8225-4938-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
This latest book in the American Profiles series features short biographies of ten women who fought for the right to vote. Among those included are Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Amelia Jenks Bloomer, Mary Church Terrell, Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Victoria Woodhull, and Jeannette Pickering Rankin. Helmer succinctly outlines each woman’s life in 10—12 pages and describes how that woman came to the suffrage movement. Each vignette includes a chronology and a further reading list. The last entry, Jeannette Pickering Rankin, appropriately sets forth the results of enfranchisement: “She was the first woman ever elected to the United States Congress and the first woman elected to any national government in the world.” While there is some disjointedness and repetition in the stories, the book will provide researchers with an overview of the suffrage movement, and solid background on some of its leading lights. (b&w photos, index, not seen, chronologies, further reading) (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: June 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8160-3579-2
Page Count: 140
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
When railroads came into use in America in the 1830s, they were ``owned, built, and run by men.'' In 1838, the first women became employed by the railroads in domestic service jobs. Levinson (Snowshoe Thompson, 1992, etc.) portrays how, through talent and perseverance, women have advanced to become welders, engineers, and executives on the railroads, despite resistance from men. Women were considered ``bargains'' because they were ``honest, productive, dependable, and accepted low pay.'' Readers will learn about Ella Campbell, a brass pounder (telegraph operator) in the 1870s who helped to head off a train collision; how Ida Hewitt, the first female locomotive engineer in the US, learned the job by riding along with her father; how, in 1901, Sarah Clark Kidder became president of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge to become the first woman to head a railroad company. The black-and-white archival and contemporary photographs add excitement to this remarkable, unusual history. (b&w photos, notes, glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-525-67545-0
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1997
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
