Frontier Freedom Fighter: The Story of Clarina Nichols [Abridged] [Audio CD]

Diane Eickhoff (Author, Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2006

Clarina Nichols (1810-1885) was set apart from other 19th century women activists—both physically and emotionally. As one of the few feminists to follow the nation’s westward expansion, Nichols was separated from the women’s movement just as it began to flourish under the leadership of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other Easterners. Unlike many activists, Nichols personally experienced some of the most troubling heartbreaks and hardships that a married woman of her day could know. This hard-won knowledge led her to sacrifice both health and financial well-being to right the wrongs that were tolerated in her time.

Driven by a deep inner need to end the mistreatment of women, Clarina Nichols left the comforts of her Vermont home and moved West to the wild frontier of "Bleeding Kansas," where her sons fought alongside John Brown and she helped shaped the state’s new Constitution to free slaves and give women rights they had no where else in America.

Now--for the first time--the story of Clarina Nichols comes alive thanks to Diane Eickhoff, whose meticulous, six-year quest to collect and analyze Nichols’s scattered writings and papers has yielded a richer understanding of this remarkable pioneer. Frontier Freedom Fighter: The Life of Clarina Nichols is a unique audio book: It’s an original piece of scholarship praised by academic historians as "thorough and illuminating," a "full-bodied" and "exceptionally detailed portrait." Yet it is written for Young Adults who will enjoy the moving account of this brave woman. Eickhoff traveled around Kansas in character as Clarina Nichols in chautauquas, and brings her performance skills to this cd. Frontier Freedom Fighter is more than an engaging biography; it is a window into an unjustly overlooked period in American history about the three great 19th century reform movements—abolition, women’s rights and temperance.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up–Author/narrator Diane Eickoff brings a lesser-known leader of the 19th-century women's rights movement to the attention of students. Based on the author's Revolutionary Heart (Quindaro, 2006), a biography of Clarina Nichols, the CD opens as Nichols reaches out to shake the hand of presidential candidate Ulysses S. Grant. That's just one of the bold moves made by this Vermont native. At a time when a woman didn't even own the clothes on her back, Nichols overcame the difficulties of caring for three small children while dealing with an irrational husband and, finally, a failed first marriage. A second, happier union, with editor George Nichols, was troubled by illness, hard work, and relocation. Traveling to emerging states such as Wisconsin and Kansas, Nichols became a recognized leader in the battle to change the laws that oppressed women. The first child of community-minded Baptists, she was unflinching in her determination and often traveled alone to participate in rallies. Acquainted with notable social activists such as Horace Greeley, she included Susan B. Anthony among her correspondents. Even in semi-retirement in California, Nichols continued to support the Temperance movement and her last letter warned of the dangers of second hand smoke. Eickhoff's straightforward narration matches Clarina Nichols's direct but caring personality. Well-chosen music, carefully placed throughout the recording, adds just the right emotional tone. Extensively researched with many quotes from Nichols's writing, Frontier Freedom Fighter offers middle and high school students information about a lesser-known figure in the women's rights movement. The CD will be even more effective combined with Eickoff's book.–Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
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Review

"Diane Eickhoff has written a very readable history of the life of one of America’s unsung heroines." -- Ambassador Madeleine May Kunin, former governor of Vermont

"Diane Eickhoff’s biography of Nichols is a thorough and illuminating treatment of one of the most instrumental—and underappreciated—of American feminists." -- Nancy Isenberg, author, Sex and Citizenship in Antebellum America

"Eickhoff shows how the history of westward expansion was more than a story of men, horses, and guns." -- Jonathan Earle, author, Jacksonian Antislavery and the Politics of Free Soil

"This deserves to reach as wide an audience as possible." -- Barbara L. Watkins, continuing education coordinator, University of Kansas

"What I found most interesting about the book is the number of directions a teacher could take it." -- Kendall Taylor, public school teacher, Chicago, Illinois

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Quindaro Press; Abridged edition (April 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976443473
• ISBN-13: 978-0976443476
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,699,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable Woman Fights for Change, May 15, 2007

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Frontier Freedom Fighter: The Story of Clarina Nichols (Audio CD)

This audiobook brings to light a contemporary of Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Nation. Clarina Nichols (1810 - 1885) wasn't content with a woman's lot in her era. She couldn't vote, speak in public, have a say in the custody of her children, or own property. Other evils of the day such as slavery and the effects of alcoholism on families also gave her concern.
In this CD, Eickhoff brings this unknown heroine to life. Clarina lived in Vermont and came to Kansas during the struggle for it to become a free state before the Civil War. Having grown up in Kansas, I found that part particularly interesting. The narrator, who also wrote the book, presents Clarina's life in pleasant tone and some sections are enhanced with pioneer tunes and voices raised in a spiritual.
The events of her life fall into sections which would be easy to use in a classroom setting. Clarina's experiences give a personal feel to such topics as the abolition of slavery, Kansas frontier days, the temperance movement, women's roles in the 1800s, and women's suffrage.
The phrasing is lively and the description of early Kansas was almost poetic.
The book, that the CD is based on, is listed as a young adult title, but I expect that few teens would voluntarily select this from a bookshelf. Hearing a selection from the CD might intrigue them into reading the book. A more likely audience is anyone interested in Vermont or Kansas history or women's studies. I could see a book group having a lively discussion after hearing this CD or reading the book.