Well written and an easy read. . . . This magisterial biography is a first-rate contribution that will appeal to scholars in New England studies, cultural studies, women's history, and African American studies.--H-Net Reviews
Brown uses extensive archival research, including genealogical materials, to trace significant events in Hopkins's life and experiences of her ancestors and to clarify inconsistencies in earlier studies. . . . The definitive Hopkins biography.--Journal of American History
A rich and rewarding text and a skillful biography, which appeals to the reader interested in literary, regional, political, and family history; intertextuality; and interdisciplinary studies. This biography is an excellent example of the possibilities inherent in a revisionist view of history with race and gender at the center.--Journal of African American History
Includes not only excellent readings of her novels . . . but also much new information about Hopkins' ancestry and her later years. . . . Provides a solid base for future study. . . . Highly recommended.--Choice
The brilliance of Brown's excavation of her career and the reverential consideration she provides for Hopkins make for happy reading and a long overdue appreciation for a true 'black daughter of the revolution.'" --African American Review
Lois Brown's biography of Pauline Hopkins is a truly astonishing piece of scholarship. The research is prodigious, the material truly compelling, the writing clear and articulate. Brown's approach to Hopkins's oeuvre through the lens of family genealogy and ancestral legacy allows for a seamless interweaving of life and letters which works amazingly well. Hers will stand as the definitive Hopkins biography for decades to come.--Carla L. Peterson, University of Maryland
About the Author
Lois Brown is associate professor of English and director of the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts at Mount Holyoke College. She is editor of Memoir of James Jackson, The Obedient Scholar Who Died in Boston, October 31, 1833, Aged Six Years and Eleven Months by His Teacher, Miss Susan Paul.
