An awe-inspiring African American woman! A talented seamstress, born a slave, bought freedom for herself and her son.
This picture book biography weaves together historical details, vibrant collages, and the words of her own journals to bring to light the life and beautiful work Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, the seamstress who bought herself and son out of slavery. Lizzy’s story of hardship and resilience offers an untold side of history during a time of great injustice and change.
Born enslaved in 1818 on a Virginian plantation, Lizzy experienced and witnessed unspeakable cruelty. When she was sent to workfor a tailor, her wages went to her master, not Lizzy. However, the beautiful gowns that Lizzy created attracted the attention of the wealthiest women in Virginia, even Mrs. Jefferson Davis. With money from her patrons, Lizzy bought her freedom and her son’s freedom working tirelessly stitch by stitch, going on to design gowns for the First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and grow an influentialcareer.
This inspiring story about an unsung hero is beautifully illustrated with oil paint, cut paper and fabric collage and hand-embroidery by Elizabeth Zunon that brings Lizzy’s dresses to life. Connie Morrison writes with straightforward honesty and clarity, seamlesslyincluding research on fashion, life, and politics of the time. The backmatter includes a bibliography for further reading.
About the Author
Harriet Hyman Alonso is the author of five books, including the prize-winning biography Growing Up Abolitionist: The Story of the Garrison Children, and a recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship. In 2017, the Peace History Society, an affiliate of the American Historical Association, awarded her its Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a professor emerita of history at the City College of New York. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Martha and the Slave Catchers is her first novel. Visit her website at http://harrietalonso.com.
Elizabeth Zunon lives in Albany, New York, and creates art influenced by her tropical childhood in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. She illustrates with a mix of oil paint and collage in such picture books as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Legendary Miss Lena Horne, and many others.
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