Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria [Hardcover]

Kyra E. Hicks (Author), Lee Edward Fodi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Martha Ann is twelve years old when Papa finally saves enough money to purchase her freedom from slavery. In 1830, the family leaves east Tennessee to begin a new life in Liberia. On market days, Martha Ann watches the British navy patrolling the Liberian coast to stop slave catchers from kidnapping her family and friends and forcing them back into slavery. Martha Ann decides to thank Queen Victoria in person for sending the navy. But first, she must determine how to make the 3,500-mile voyage to England, find a suitable gift for the Queen, and withstand the ridicule of family and friends who learn of her impossible dream. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is the true story of Martha Ann Ricks, an ex-slave who spent fifty years saving spare coins to fulfill her dream of meeting the Queen of England.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kyra E. Hicks is a marketing professional and quilter.  She was so mesmerized after seeing Eva Ungar Grudin's 1990 exhibition, "Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts," that she began to teach herself to create her own quilts. "I found my voice that afternoon in the museum," she remembers. Today, Kyra's quilts have been included in more than forty exhibitions in venues such as the American Craft Museum in New York, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum in Hartford. She hosts the African American quilting news blog, Black Threads.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933285591
• ISBN-13: 978-1933285597
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kyra E. Hicks was mesmerized after seeing Eva Ungar Grudin's 1990 exhibition, "Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts," that she began to teach herself to create her own quilts. "I found my voice that afternoon in the museum," she remembers. Today, Kyra's quilts have been included in more than 40 group exhibitions. She hosts the African American quilting news blog, Black Threads. Kyra resides in Arlington, VA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Gift!! History and Inspiration, November 25, 2006

By 

Carole (Columbia, MD, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria (Hardcover)

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is a wonderful book for any young girl or boy. Kyra brought the story of Martha Ann and her family to life and skillfully gives us a history lesson that spans 3 continents. The book neatly illustrates the complex ties between the U.S., England and Liberia in a way that is sure to provoke many discussions for young (and old) readers. The book also deals with the horror of slavery in a sensitive way and demonstrates that slaves were sometimes able to purchase their freedom. Above all, Kyra's story shows the strong, enduring desire for freedom and education that has inspired so many African Americans from slavery through modern times. Many, many lessons can be taught around this short, but powerful, book. The story of a woman who saved pennies over the span of her lifetime to achieve her dream is relevant for so many of us who have lost sight of the power of patience, persistence and faith in one's self. I strongly urge all parents and teachers to grab a copy now and share it with young people. It should open up many great conversations!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Special Gift, March 20, 2007

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria (Hardcover)

Kyra Hicks has written a wonderful story based on the real life of Martha Ann Ricks, who was born into slavery in Tennessee. Her father learns about the American Colonization Society, and after working several years to purchase the family's freedom, takes assistance from the group so the family can move to Liberia. Life in Liberia starts out beautifully for the family. Martha Ann is finally able to attend school, and in her spare moments learns to sew from her mother. However, tragedy strikes and Martha Ann and her brother are left to fend for themselves.

Martha Ann eventually marries. She is moved by the work of Queen Victoria and vows to someday thank her in person for all the things the queen had done for blacks. Despite ridicule from family and most of the town, she continues saving her money to pay for the trip to England. Martha Ann also decides to present a gift to the queen, a beautiful, handcrafted quilt she would make herself. Martha Ann is an old woman when she finally has the opportunity to meet the queen, but her dream is finally realized. The quilt, known as the Coffee Tree Quilt was proudly displayed and viewed by thousands of people.

At the heart, MARTHA ANN'S QUILT FOR QUEEN VICTORIA is a story of patience, perseverance, gratitude, and faith. The book highlights the impact of slavery, life in Liberia and the role the British Navy and Queen Victoria played in helping to protect free blacks from slavery. The book can be used to launch readers into countless areas of further study and discussion. The illustrations are especially important in MARTHA ANN'S QUILT FOR QUEEN VICTORIA because they allow readers to slip into the setting of the tale and also help demonstrate the passage of time, from Martha Ann's childhood to her senior years. Kyra Hicks has written a book that is not only significant for its historical value, but for its message about holding on to dreams and working to make them come true.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful threads of a good story, December 4, 2006

By 

Anne B. Levy "bookbuds.net" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria (Hardcover)

This story of a freed slave who sews a quilt for England's queen is a tear-jerker of the first order, as uplifting as it is heartbraking.

We follow Martha Ann from slavery in Tennessee to freedom in Liberia. Then the British Navy begins patrolling Liberian waters to ward off slavers, and Martha Ann hits on the idea of thanking that nation's new monarch. Again, the quilting takes on a larger-than-life significance as Martha Ann's stitches her life together again and again after various tragedies and setbacks, always with the same coffee-plant pattern, always setting coins aside hoping to make that 3,500-mile trek to England.

Wow, was I rooting for poor Martha Ann. The story's told in simple, straightforward text--no fancy literary footwork here, but this gripping tale doesn't really need it. Fodi's watercolors fill in those blanks by depicting Martha Ann at work, both in the fields and over her masterpiece.

A press release I received describes Hicks' own journey into Martha Ann's life: visiting Windsor Castle, weeding through Library of Congress newspaper microfilm, interviewing distant relatives. I'm glad she was so obsessed: this true story adds a colorful piece to the patchwork of American history.