Customer Reviews

Fire in My Soul

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The story of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is one that not many outside of Washington, DC, may know, but it is one that needs to be heard and read. She is one of the great leaders of our time, and the author does a wonderful job of chronicling her life. The most poignant part of the book for me was the chapter about Eleanor Holmes Norton the mother, and how she has raised a daughter who is severely mentally and physically challenged. The daughter, now an adult, still lives with Holmes Norton, who is depicted as being committed to her family, city, and country. I loved the book! - Malcolm

We have needed a book like this: the story of an incredible woman of color of the twentieth century who has taken advantage of every opportunity to change, fight, modify and transform the culture of repression she found as a descendant of slaves in Washington, D.C. Well-researched, strongly-written; it'll grab you. Critics agree.

In Fire in My Soul, Dr. Lester accomplishes a rare feat for a biographer. While she avoids the trap of painting too pretty or too perfect a picture of her subject, including a number of descriptions that are less than flattering, she is at the same time able to clearly allow her respect and admiration for this remarkable woman to come through.
The effect is that we see a real life heroine, warts and all, and we find her all the more admirable for this.
This is an important book, and I look forward to Dr. Lester's next effort.

I don't usually read political biographies, but this one gave me the hope I was searching for in the face of the depressing political realities of today. It's inspiring to read about a fiercely intelligent woman who follows her inner moral compass while compromising when necessary to get things done. I wish everyone serving in Congress had to read this book. Every voter should as well!

Joan Steinau Lester and Eleanor Holmes Norton met as college classmates at Antioch College in 1958. They became friends and marched together in civil rights marches in New England. Now forty-five years later, Ms. Steinau Lester, now a journalist/writer reunites with Congresswoman Holmes Norton in writing her biography in Fire In My Soul.

Congresswoman Holmes Norton's great grandfather, Richard John Holmes, escaped from Virginia into Washington D.C. to become a free man and elude his former owner. He eventually became one of the few black firemen in the nation's capital and persevered to become a sergeant in the department. He felt a black man was worthy of equal opportunity and it is no surprise she inherited some of her great grandfather's fire for justice. With a legacy such as this, having descended from a strong, middle-class background, it is little wonder that she pursued a career in law that would one day put her in the limelight.

Already involved in civil rights activities, the Congresswoman, while a Yale Law School student, went to Mississippi in June 1963 to join the voter registration drive as a SNCC member. Twenty-four hours later Medgar Evers was dead, victim of an assassination and Holmes Norton had to make quick decisions concerning other members who were being falsely arrested. After law school, she obtained a clerkship with Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., the first black district court judge, in Philadelphia. She then met her future husband, Edward Norton, also an attorney, a man who was secure enough to not be threatened by her status or activities.

Holmes Norton's status did indeed rise as she ventured further into her profession as an attorney, became more involved with civil and human rights, and eventually going into politics. Her life was not always smooth. Her daughter, Katherine, was born with Down's Syndrome; however, she resisted health specialists advice to institutionalize her when she got older. She was very devoted to her.

This reviewer had the opportunity of seeing the Congresswomen twice this year. She is as formidable a presence in person as she is in the media. Her stature commands respect and her sense of belief in pursuing and preserving the rights of human life comes across instantaneously. She is a cheerleader for the people of Washington D.C., who she represents with candor and is respected by them as she respects them. This was a well-written biography of a powerful woman.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

This fascinating biography is not only a pager turner, it also an insightful discourse on how to be an agent of change. This book is a MUST READ for anyone who is grappling with issues of how to change policy, whether as an "insider", "outsider", or hybrid. It is also an inspirational story of an terrific woman. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Dr. Holmes and Dr. Lester for this exciting, informative and historical book. I was raised in the South (LA) and experienced many of the conditions described in Fire in My Soul. Remembering my blessings on this journey, I give thanks for all of my past experiences. My parents attempted to sheild me from many of the conditions of the south and in turn I was shielded from much of the history of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's except for limited TV coverage. Fire in My Soul serves as a personal history lesson for me and is one that I will read more than once. Reading about the personal experiences and the 'inner' workings of the local, state and federal agencies that Dr. Holmes was/is a part of reminded me of many personal experiences in the private sector. Reading Fire in My Soul remeinded me that the absence of compassion for another person is not isolated to any specific location or sector of the nation. Reading the story of one who continues to live her passion for justice offers the encouragement to do what I can where I am for justice.

A fantastic, inspiring book for these times. Civil Rights history comes alive in the Congresswoman's life story. The writing is diligent and refreshing, illustrating Norton's true integrity and commitment to the core values of the United States Constitution.Lester tells the story in a unique fashion. I couldn't put it down.

Fire In My Soul is a fascinating account of how one woman of color experienced and led the nascent Civil Rights, Equal Opportunity, Human Rights and Feminist movements. It is also a powerful insider's look at the personal compromises and trade-offs women, in particular, must make in order to prevail as torch-bearers. Particularly touching is the recounting of Eleanor's childhood where she consistently overrode her intense longing for connection and home with action and organization. This childhood pattern would become the watchword of her life. Also fascinating is the history of her forebears in slavery and her fights at the EEOC. Lester lets us see Eleanor as a whole person, warts and all. It is a fascinating and compelling read and a clear portrayal of what it takes to succeed as a woman in a man's political world. I only wish there were more women like Eleanor to help keep the torch burning!

A must-read in such trying times. This is a real go-getter; she seems to have been everywhere during the last 4 decades where anything was happening! Her views are strong, clear, consistent and radical. Thanks to Ms. Lester and Ms. Holmes Norton for your perceptive and useful teamwork.