Customer Reviews

Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House

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It is about time someone wrote about this tragic little boy. I have told this story to incredulous listeners for years. I am overjoyed to think that now more people will know this little boy's name and probable fate. A great Christmas gift with excellent art work and lively, readable text.

Award-winning author Rickey Pittman presents Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House, a children's picturebook revealing the amazing true story of a young black boy rescued from his cruel guardian by Varina Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Jefferson Davis registered Jim as a free black child and became his guardian; Jim was treated well and enjoyed happy times in the Confederate white house during the civil war. Yet when the Union won, Jefferson Davis was imprisoned and Jim Limber was taken away by Union soldiers. Jim Limber was displayed as a "slave" of Jefferson Davis, though he tried to protest that the scars inflicted upon him were from his first master, not from the former Confederate President. By the time Jefferson Davis was freed from prison, Jim Limber had disappeared, never to be heard from again - what happened to him remains a mystery to this day. Earthy illustrations by arts teacher Judith Hierstein add a complementary touch to this glimpse of a largely unknown and unseen side of the Confederate White House.

As a librarian, I'm always looking for quality literature that offers a sound, if differing, perspective on topics. Jim Limber Davis was a black orphan who was rescued, loved, and adopted by the Jefferson Davis family, abducted by Northern soldiers and beaten to force him to testify against the Davis family, which he did not. Where is this story in any of our history books? Rickey Pittman is a talented author and historian who has penned an outstanding piece that needs to be in every library and many homes. Kudos.

I found myself to be on a rollercoaster of emotions while reading about Jim Limber Davis. I was angered by his abuse; I found myself smiling as I read about his adventures with the Davis family and was saddened when he was abducted. The illustrations are incredible and bring the story to life. I look forward to hearing my grandchildrens reviews about the mysterious story of Jim Limber.

While this is a story worth the telling (and debating), I doubt that it belongs in children's nonfiction literature, as there is high dispute to its claims. Although I take pains to present information from a variety of viewpoints, I would never read this book to my students, as it does not meet reasonable standards of research and accuracy. No one knows whether or not Jefferson Davis adopted Jim, and most historians agree that he was treated as a part of the family much as in-house slaves were treated as family members of their owners. Mrs. Jefferson even once referred to Jim as a beloved "pet." There are plenty of Confederate historians who provide far more reliable information than that provided by Mr. Pittman. Furthermore, even if I had fully agreed with the author as to the historical veracity of this tale, I would still be disappointed with the contrived and paternalistic nature of the dialogue. A disappointing tribute to the new definition of "balance," it reads like propaganda.

Granted, children's literature from an opposing viewpoint often has the same disturbing quality. We should be careful how we read our history to children.