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Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
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Plot Summary of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
"

Little, Brown, Jan 2004, 27.95, 272 pp.
ISBN: 0316144924

THE ROAD TO FREEDOM is a superb account of the American “Black Moses”, Harriet Tubman. The book actually opens with Ms. Tubman's last major public endeavor surprisingly (at least to this author) occurring in 1908 long after her famous role as an engineer of the Underground Railroad. The bio then shifts back to the early nineteenth century as Ms Tubman is born during ironically the “Era of Good Feeling” as a slave in Maryland. It follows her as she marries John Tubman, flees to Canada without him, joins John Brown, works as a Civil War nurse and spy, and of course the Underground Railroad.. Of interest is that Ms. Tubman not only advocated racial freedom, she championed women's suffrage.

Ms. Tubman's salad days lack insightful personal information due to her slave status and a 1850s fire. Therefore Ms. Clinton provides a general look at conditions for slaves in Eastern Shore, Maryland. This generalization enables the audience to infer how Harriet probably lived in her early years. Deeper insight is provided to her middle and later years this is a suburb account that biography readers will appreciate because it is well written, easy to follow, and loaded with plenty on interesting detail about a genuine American hero. Though the author too easily accepts the “legendary” Tubman as gospel, HARRIET TUBMAN: THE ROAD TO FREEDOM is an endearing educational and entertaining book that history buffs and biography aficionados will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Political/social rights fight Yes
Plotlet: - women fighting for rights - slavery
Period of greatest activity? - 1800's

Subject of Biography
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity - Black
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The Americas (not US): Yes
The Americas: - Canada
Century: - 19th century

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Writer's slant towards subject: - favorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
Most similar books to Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
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Josephine Butler by Jane Jordan
Prophesying Daughters: Black Women Preacher and the Word, 1823 - 1913 by Chanta M. Haywood
The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson by Michael Les Benedict
Sold by Zana Muhsen


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