Heroine of the Titanic: The Real Unsinkable Molly Brown [Hardcover]

Elaine Landau (Author), Jim Burke (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Margaret (Molly) Brown is best known for her bravery and compassion during the tragic sinking of the Titanic, which catapulted her to international fame virtually overnight. But few people are aware that she was also an outspoken suffragist, a tireless champion of miners’ rights, and one of the first women to run for the U.S. Congress. Raised in a working-class Mississippi River town, Margaret—who was never called Molly in her lifetime—followed her brother to a rough-and-tumble Colorado boomtown at a time when few women dared to settle in the then untamed West. She married a silver miner who eventually struck it rich, and she used her new wealth and social prominence to further her own education and to fight for the rights of others, regardless of their race or religious beliefs. This vivid account of Margaret Brown’s remarkable life from well-regarded author Elaine Landau shows how much a strong woman could accomplish, even at a time when few opportunities were available. Archival photographs and excerpts from early-twentieth-century newspapers and Brown family letters provide a clear picture of this forward-looking, energetic individual and the society that she strove to reform. Chronology, endnotes, bibliography, index.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The vivacity of the socialite and activist who survived the infamous shipwreck seems curiously absent from this otherwise well-researched biography. Landau (John F. Kennedy Jr.) cautions, "Much of what you think you know about [Margaret Brown] may be untrue"; for instance, she was "never called Molly during her lifetime." But the author often corrects misinformation from newspaper stories and the 1960s film (The Unsinkable Molly Brown) with the assumption that readers know something of her subject. One of the strongest sections is Landau's description of how Margaret threatened to throw the simpering quartermaster of her lifeboat overboard and how the society women passengers rowed to save victims from drowning a passage that proves more inspiring than the characterization in the 1997 movie. Margaret earned her fame by her dedication to raising funds and finding housing for lower-class and immigrant women (many of whom were widowed in the shipwreck). The bulk of the volume focuses on Margaret's humble beginnings and marriage to an engineer whose success thrust her into the upper echelons of society. Several anecdotes capture a saucy, witty Margaret; for example when a friend of Margaret's points out another woman at a luncheon, saying it "wasn't proper to wear diamonds in the daytime," Margaret replies in the woman's defense, "I didn't think so either until I had some." Brown's pithy quotes unfortunately underscore the contrast between her own words and the volume's rather belabored narrative style. Ages 10-14.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-A realistic biography of an independent and strong-willed woman. When the ship on which she was traveling to visit her sick grandchild sank, both the Titanic and Margaret Brown were guaranteed perpetual fame. The role that Mrs. Brown took, organizing relief for the survivors, was very much in keeping with her life of charity and generosity, and Landau successfully puts the Titanic experience in the proper perspective of her subject's life. The turn-of-the-century Western American culture of which she was a part is well presented, as is the fact that some people were not ready to accept such a charismatic female. Many others came to respect Mrs. Brown and her family as they admired and appreciated her benevolence. For example, although the wealth that she enjoyed came from her husband's silver mines, she waged a crusade for miners' rights. Along the way, the author clarifies many obscure facts, including how Molly, who never went by that name during her lifetime, was one of the first women to run for Congress. Black-and-white archival illustrations and photos highlight her life as well as greater relevant aspects of the period in which she lived. The cult of Molly Brown is discussed, and photos of her stage and screen representations are included. Landau hits just the right tone in this complete portrait of a "social figure, suffragette, [and] patriot," and readers will enjoy learning the truth about her.-Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, I.-- patriot," and readers will enjoy learning the truth about her.
Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395939127
• ISBN-13: 978-0395939123
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Social Activists

More About the Author

I'm a children's book author and writing coach who loves both children and books. I've never been much of a fiction fan, I've spent my time both reading and writing nonfiction. I live in tropical Miami with my husband and son who are nonfiction lovers as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Molly Brown Hero, January 6, 2007

By 

Talmasca "Talmasca" (Mid-Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heroine of the Titanic: The Real Unsinkable Molly Brown (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my son. He was thrilled to get it. I wasn't sure how a little boy with a huge interest in planes and ships would like reading this book about this amazing woman. He loved it. He read Anne Frank not long after this book. Opened up the eyes of a little boy to other great people other than just male heroes.