Mary Jemison: White Woman of the Seneca [Paperback]

Rayna M. Gangi (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

"With two children on her back, nine-year-old John beside her, and Tom astride a horse in front, Mary inched her way through the lonely forest. It was almost too empty. She hadn't remembered it ever seeming so barren, so absolutely clean of leaves or dead branches. She wondered if wars did such things.... Did her Seneca brothers know? Did they understand that killing people often meant killing land?" (Rayna Gangi)Basing her novel on Mary Jemison's own account of her life, Rayna Gangi tells the true story of the captive white girl who became the wife of a Seneca warrior chief during the French and Indian wars. Captured at 15 during a raid, this daughter of Scotch-Irish parents was rapidly assimilated into full tribal membership and the responsibilities of womanhood. She bore eight children and became a respected elder in her adopted community. By "becoming" Seneca, Mary Jemison developed the strength, values, and enduring commitment that -- together with her native courage -- sustained her through wrenching personal tragedies in the aftermath of a war the Seneca could not win. An accurate account of many of the events that shaped the destiny of the Seneca people, this book has been sanctioned by the Seneca Nation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mary Jemison: White Woman Of The Seneca tells the dramatic life story of a famous Indian Captive who chose to accept the Seneca people as her own, becoming the wife of a warrior chief during the savage Indian-white wars of the eighteenth century. Drawing on painstaking research and a keen sense of time and place, Grayna Gangi's novel presents a compelling and accurate picture of the Seneca way of life and of the people who earned Mary's lifelong loyalty, despite the Seneca raid that resulted in the slaughter of her white family. Captured as a fifteen-year-old girl, this daughter of Irish parents bore eight half-Seneca children and became a beloved and honored member of her adopted community. Gangi conveys a feeling for the "Seneca way" - the integrity, simplicity, and the community ties that, together with her own courage, sustained Mary through wrenching personal tragedies in the aftermath of a war the Seneca could not win. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Clear Light Pub (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940666588
• ISBN-13: 978-0940666580
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,722,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mary Jemison: Our Local Ledgend Comes to Life, March 6, 2002

By 

Emily Lynn Howe (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Jemison: White Woman of the Seneca (Paperback)

This interpretation of the life of Mary Jemison as written by
Ranya M. Gangi is wonderful. It is one of the few versions that is actually approved by the Seneca Nation, and also features an epilogue by Pete Jemison, who I met along with Wanda Jemison as a small child. This story of Mary Jemison is focused on the harsh reality that occured when she was captured in Pennsylvania and given as a gift to the Seneca's to replace a fallen brother. Gangi's interpretation of this story teaches us many unknown facts about Jemison as well as the Seneca Indians, which people may be unaware of. After reading this touching story, I went to Letchworth State Park where Ms. Jemison is buried to pay my respect to this local heroine. This book is the best version of Jemison's life that I have read, and I strongly reccomend it for all ages.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Agree with Author, This book is MUCH more than a children's, July 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Mary Jemison: White Woman of the Seneca (Paperback)

Underrated and profound! Much more than a children's book. The story, the spirituality, and the simplicity/truth of style make this book a compelling read for anyone from age 9-100.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Have Been A Bestseller, October 19, 2006

By 

Ruth M. (Buffalo, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Jemison: White Woman of the Seneca: A Novel (Hardcover)

Mary Jemison was a Scot-Irish girl captured by the Shawnee and French during the French and Indian war. Subsequently "gifted" to two Seneca sisters, she was raised with their culture, values, and spirituality. Seaver's book does not do this woman or her story justice and Lois Lenski is not "in tune" with the heritage. Rayna Gangi is a versatile author, and has the insight, spirituality, and cultural heritage to make this truly fascinating story come alive. Mary is strong, vulnerable, wise and trusting. She loses two sons to white devices, and chooses to stay a Seneca. Letchworth State Park has her statue, Gangi has her real story. This book is the ONLY one on Mary Jemison sanctioned by the Seneca Nation as being the truth. Highly recommended for all ages.