Customer Reviews

A Voice of Her Own: A Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet

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Born in Africa and sold into slavery at the age of seven, Phillis Wheatley worked as a servant for a family in Boston who believed, unlike most white people at the time, that slaves were fully capable of learning to read, write, and master the arts. Within just a few years Phillis was fully literate in English and had moved on to math, geography, and the classics. Her greatest love and talent lay in poetry, and as an adolescent Phillis was already reciting verses in society circles and publishing her own work. In the face of extreme discrimination, Phillis grew up to become the first African American published poet and the first African American woman to publish her writing.

Rich illustrations and clear text bring Phillis Wheatley's story to life and help to make her biographical account accessible to younger readers. The narrative also touches on some of the economic aspects of slavery and reasons why whites were unwilling to empower slaves with educations, making the book a valuable resource for educating children about the history of slavery and the importance of social justice.

We paired this one with "Revolutionary Poet" by Maryann N. Weidt, and it made a good combination. Wheatley's story is well told in both books. In this book, the biography is not as well developed, but the poetry is emphasized, and it is wonderful to read.

Kathryn Lasky uses a wonderful theme of sunlight and dawn as a way to show Phyllis Wheatley shining light on the problem of slavery. This book also sets up wonderful comparisons - the idea of freedom for slaves as a parallel to freedom for the colonies is a big one. There is a very moving illustration of Phyllis invited to tea at the home of a family, and the realization that this is the family of the man who enslaved her.

The illustrations deserve a mention - they are beautiful and capture the scenery of Boston, the confinement of a slave ship, the plainness of a New England church, and the dignity of Phyllis Wheatley herself.

Extremely well done book.