One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line in New York, by Arthur Browne

I read this book in June of this year, reviewed it on LibraryThing, and was shocked to see that I hadn't cross-posted it here! I still have it in my possession; I have not yet heard from Alabama State University. I will contact them again.

A biography of Samuel Battle, the first African American police officer in New York City, in 1911, and the challenges he faced getting on the force and fighting for each promotion and honor. He faced not only racial discrimination, but also Tammany Hall and organized crime.
This is also a story of race relations in the early years of the 20th century in the United States. What surprised me: (1) that the civil rights struggle did not begin in the 1950s; it began when the first shipload of African slaves was brought to what was then called the New World, and (2) that prejudice and discrimination was and is a national problem, not only a southern problem.
This book gave a fair and balanced account of Samuel Battle's life and behavior, revealing flaws as well as his many righteous and heroic deeds. We also see his personal life, a strong, loving husband and father, a man of faith, and a leader in his neighborhood and community.
This book is well documented and well researched, relying not only on Mr. Battle's own words in a manuscript written by Langston Hughes, but also citing public records and newspapers of the day. It has an extensive Notes section, as well as a very helpful Index.
I will try to donate this book to the Alabama State University, a historically black school in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Battle's story should be shared with all who are interested in racial relations and in civil rights.

Happy Anniversary, Alice in Wonderland!

stock photo courtesy of Abe Books

I saw this note on Abe Books' Facebook page: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a book loved by many and this year it celebrates its 150th anniversary. Learn about the author, the story, the illustrators and more on AbeBooks."

On the website linked below: "Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a story about a curious girl who falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a magical, nonsensical world, celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2015. Read by millions of children and adults alike around the world, this iconic book has been translated into at least 97 different languages and continues to be published in various forms. "

Read more here: Abe Books celebrates Alice in Wonderland

I have to say, of all the illustrators whose works are sampled in the website, I greatly prefer the original, John Tenniel, and also the Disney version (not pictured on the site). That was the Alice I grew up with, the little blond girl with a blue dress and white pinafore!

Did you read and enjoy Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass when you were a child? Have you read it since becoming an adult? I read it as a child, loved it then, and loved it again when I read it to my children!
Happy Anniversary, Alice!

Two books I want to read

I have discovered two books online that I would like to read.

One is an account I read on Facebook of the actions of the kind and generous citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, on September 11, 2001. Airplanes from all over the world were landing at their airport, and travelers were temporarily stranded for several days, as there were no flights into or out of the United States following the attacks.
The Day the World Came to Town

The other is from an article in The History Blog about Emily Post, When Emily Post Drove From Sea to Shining Sea .

The book is By Motor to the Golden Gate . It is available online only; it has been digitized.

English Fairy Tales

fairy tale image courtesy of Stock Vector Illustration, from Shutterstock, copyright lukeruk

With thanks to my friend Carrie of Reading to Know for the links.

Do you enjoy reading fairy tales for yourself or to share with children? Some of these may be more appropriate for older children, as the endings aren't always happy.

Here is one called Molly Whuppie and the Double Faced Giant Slightly reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk, but significantly different.

For more stories, see the Table of Contents on the left side of the The Baldwin Project site, linked above. One might spend a few satisfying hours on this site!

Private Life, by Jane Smiley

This book is a novel about Margaret Mayfield Early's life, spanning the era from 1883, when she was a young girl, to 1942. Her parents remembered vividly the American Civil War, and she lived through the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. (To be honest, World War II had just begun when Private Life ends, but Margaret is still strong and healthy.)

At 27 years, Margaret Mayfield is not beautiful nor especially talented. Her younger sisters marry and begin rearing families. It seems that Margaret is destined to remain an old maid - until Captain Andrew Early comes along. He doesn't exactly sweep her off her feet; his interest in her seems amazingly cool and indifferent, but she accepts his proposal. He is of a respectable family; his mother is a friend of her mother and he is always well groomed, and not unattractive. He has written a book concerning his theories of the universe, which has caught everyone's attention. It is only later, much later, that Margaret discovers that he has also caught unfavorable attention from his superiors and others at the university where he taught, and was forced to leave suddenly.

Immediately after their marriage, Andrew and Margaret move to California from Missouri, where Margaret has lived all her life. Taking an interest in her new surroundings, making friends and joining women's groups, Margaret is not homesick or bored. Time passes, and their hopes for a large family of strong, lively sons is thwarted. She grows less enchanted with her husband, as unsettling truths are slowly revealed, and his overbearing personality becomes more pronounced. She finds her time at home alone, when he is at work or engrossed in his projects, are a relief.

Margaret's old friend Dora (her sister's sister-in-law) has remained a busy, single career woman, traveling all over the world as a newspaper reporter. Although it is never expressed overtly, it seems that Margaret is envious of Dora's freedom. Although, actually Margaret is surprisingly free to come and go as she pleases, for a woman of her time. Her husband purchased an automobile, but insisted that she, not he, be the one to learn to drive it. She roams all over her small city and the county, and into San Francisco, observing nature and visiting friends which include a Japanese family and a Russian ex-patriot.

The Prologue and the Epilogue take in place in 1942, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These sections deal with the aftermath, especially the detainment and internment of Japanese families, Margaret's friends particularly.