Before She Was Harriet
by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James E. Ransome
Holiday House, 2017
A brilliantly told story that introduces Harriet Tubman, best known as a Conductor in the Underground Railroad. Written in brief, open verse, the story opens with her twilight years, and works its way back to when Harriet worked as a suffragist, when she was “General Tubman”, Union Spy, and the many roles she played in history.
“a wisp of a woman
with the courage
of a lion.”
Illustrated in loose, yet vivid, colors, one can ‘feel’ her story. The book will fuel a curiosity in readers to want to know more about this American hero.