Bound For the Promised Land : Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero

Rating:
Summary: Very well written and researched
Review: I found this book fascinating. As a resident of Talbot and Caroline counties in Maryland for 15 years now, I was very interested in discovering the local places and names that were so significant a part of Ms. Tubman's life. For me, it made this history come alive.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in Harriet Tubman or the history of Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: In her introduction, Larson says "We all believe we know Harriet Tubman" yet this knowledge is limited to the heroic myth of children's books. She does not seem real flesh and blood to us. Larson sets out to rectify this, and does so admirably. She spent years combing through primary sources such as court records and private letters to recreate for us a Harriet Tubman who lives and breathes. There's even a family tree.

Along the way, some treasured myths are debunked. For example, there was never a $40,000 bounty on her head. Nor (as every school child can quote) did she make 19 trips and rescue 300 people; it's closer to 13 trips and 70 people, and she perhaps provided aid and instructions to another 50. None of which diminishes her heroism, of course. It simply makes her more accessible as a human being by setting the record straight. And what Larson adds to the record far outweighs what she takes away.

This book can be challenging to read at times, because rather than stating her own conclusions as fact (e.g.Tubman's birth date, which she places in February or March of 1822) Larson sometimes presents several possibilities and provides evidence to support each; we are left to draw our own conclusions. But this provides groundwork for future researchers and, I feel, is a more honest than presuming finality where none is present.

The Publisher's Weekly review above mentions competition from Catherine Clinton's Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom. While the narrative style of the Clinton book is probably more accessible to a casual reader, the book relies heavily on secondary sources, repeating some of the very myths debunked in Larson's book. But overall, it does take advantage of modern scholarship and is therefore an improvement upon previous adult biographies. If you want a quick and easy read, the Clinton book is a good choice.

If you want a book that is solidly and originally researched, then Larson is the only way to go.

Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage dot com

Rating:
Summary: exceptional and well researched
Review: In her introduction, Larson says "We all believe we know Harriet Tubman" yet this knowledge is limited to the heroic myth of children's books. Yet in order to tell the true story of Harriet Tubman, Larson often doubts Tubman's own testimony and instead calls for evidence from "white sources" to corroborate Tubman's claims. Larson questions, for example, the fact that Tubman herself stated that she was born in 1825 and instead claims that there is no archival evidence to support this.
She then further questions the number of trips and the number of slaves that Tubman claims she freed.

I have always had my doubts of white scholars doing black history, and Larson's book proves me right. Larson doubts what black people stated, believed, and KNEW through both our own oral culture and history, and then comes along to say that she is going to tell us something more than just myth. If questioning numbers and doubting black historical actors is her version of history, we surely have not made it to the Promised Land.

Rating:
Summary: A Hero's Journey.
Review: Unfortunately, what many people know about Harriet Tubman is often relegated to a few facts taught during Black History month. "The Moses of her people" or the "Conductor of the Underground Railroad" are a few often quoted phrases used when discussing this historic figure. Yet, how many of us honestly know and understand what truly drove Harriet Tubman to do what she did? In the historical biography BOUND FOR THE PROMISE LAND: HARRIET TUBMAN: PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN HERO, by Kate Clifford Larson we are given a birds-eye view of the overwhelmingly heartbreaking and dangerous sacrifices Tubman endured to obtain her freedom and that of other enslaved people.

Kate Clifford Larson gives insight into Tubman's life by documenting her family history and how she, her mother and siblings were sold and forced to move away from her beloved father. Tubman spent most of her teen years being hired out to different masters; many of these temporary masters were unbelievably cruel to her. It was fear of being sold once more that prompted Tubman to run away using the already established Underground Railroad for help. The love and empathy for family and friends who remained in bondage is what gave Tubman the courage to make trips back into slave territory to and assist her people in escapes. The amount of intelligence, physical stamina and heroism that it took for Tubman to endure during the trips were nothing short of miraculous, especially considering the fact that Tubman was epileptic (caused by being hit in the head by an overseer trying to prevent an escape). Yet, her love of family, justice and God kept her going despite the threat of being caught.

Kate Clifford Larson has written a book that is not only a historical biography, but also reads like a work of fiction. Harriet Tubman comes to life in a compelling story of love, loyalty and courage during a horrific period in America's history. Although the tale of Harriet Tubman's life has been documented numerous times before, Larson digs deeper than most other biographers. Harriet's soul and spirituality comes to life in the compelling well documented way that Larson tells it. This is a biography that I believe many will enjoy because it isn't as dry as some historical autobiographies tend to be. Larson takes the reader on Tubman's journey step by step with compelling reality. Throughout the book you could sense Tubman's fear and anxiety as she hears the barking of the bloodhounds on her heels, or feel the pain of the slaves as they run for their very lives. Larson has truly created a worthwhile read.

Reviewed by L. Raven James
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: Who is this woman they called "Moses?" and what did she do to acquire this name?
In this work by Kate Larson we examine the life and workings of Harriet Tubman, a remarkable woman who risked her life for others. The author takes us along the journey of Ms.Tubman's life and her battle for freedom and the freedom of others who were slaves at this time.
The author's work shows her intense research as she carefully outlines and puts together all the pieces of this incredible woman's life. Her writing style is factual yet she draws you along in a gentle storytelling manner that keeps your attention.
The pictures that were included added much realism to the read as pictures certainly help by putting a face on the character you are reading about. I found this work very enlightening and certainly learned a lot about an outstanding woman of history and the era in which she lived.
Shirley Johnson