With Open Hands: A Story about Biddy Mason (Creative Minds Biographies)

Ferris, Jeri Chase

ISBN 10: 1575053306 ISBN 13: 9781575053301

Publisher: Millbrook Press ™, 1999

Synopsis

Born a slave in Georgia in 1818, Bridget "Biddy" Mason learned to survive in a harsh world. Taken from her parents as a young child, Biddy grew up to be self-reliant and hard working. When she and her children finally found freedom in California in 1855, she turned her nursing skills into a successful career as a midwife. Even after she became a wealthy landowner in Los Angeles, Biddy never forgot her basic philosophy of sharing with others: "The open hand is blessed," she always said, "for it gives in abundance, even as it receives."

About this title

About the Author:

JERI CHASE FERRIS is the award-winning author of eleven Lerner biographies for children and young adults. She specializes in biographies of women and minorities―people who have done great and important deeds, but have been overlooked in history―for example: Go Free or Die: A Story about Harriet Tubman, Demanding Justice: A Story about Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Arctic Explorer: A Story about Matthew Henson, What Are You Figuring Now?: A Story about Benjamin Banneker, and With Open Hands: A Story about Biddy Mason.

Jeri retired from a 30-year teaching career in order to write full time and travels all over the United States and the world to research and collect information on her subjects. In addition to writing, she is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences, bringing history to life through the lives of these remarkable women and men. Her current novel is not a biography but is historical fiction, a survival story set in WWII Russia (USSR).

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-The story of a former slave who became one the richest women in Southern California. The book begins with an introduction that explains how the story of Mason's life was preserved through the journals of people traveling with her. It concludes with a list of other books related to slavery and black women, as well as Web sites about the subject's life and contributions. Mason was born into slavery in 1818 in the South, but traveled with her master's family, who converted to the Mormon faith, to Utah. Later, when the family moved to California, Mason finally gained her freedom and became a landowner. She also worked as a nurse and cared for many people who otherwise could not afford medical care. This biography, while written in narrative form with the use of dialogue, is informative and straightforward. Full-page black-and-white drawings of average quality are scattered throughout. An inspirational book about a woman usually overlooked in biographies for this age group.
Susan Knell, Pittsburgh State University, Pittsburgh, KS
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Millbrook Press ™
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1575053306
• ISBN 13: 9781575053301
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Ramstad Ralph L.