Petrash, Antonia. More than petticoats; remarkable New York women.Globe Pequot. 176p. illus. bibliog. index. c2002. 0-7627-1223-6. $10.95. SA This is part of a series; Twodot Press features important but not always well-known women in the history of each state. It is an admirable ambition, and Antonia Petrash illuminates the lives of such inspirational women as Mary Burnett Talbert Mary Burnett Talbert (September 17, 1866 – October 15, 1923) was an American orator, activist, suffragist and reformer. Called "The best known Colored Woman in the United States," Talbert was among the most prominent African Americans of her time. , Harriet Tubman, Emma Hart Willard, and Sybil Ludington Sybil Ludington (1761–1839) was the daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, the commander of the local militia near Fredericksburgh Precinct, New York (later renamed Ludingtonville, and now part of the town of Kent) during the American Revolution. , to name a few. The book is organized chronologically and each chapter begins with the name of the woman and a phrase defining her accomplishments, which makes it a pleasant browse and efficient for fact-finding. Petrash's research appears thorough, and she is an enthusiastic teacher. For example, she points out that Sybil Ludington--not as well known as Paul Revere Revere, city (1990 pop. 42,786), Suffolk co., E Mass., a residential suburb of Boston, on Massachusetts Bay; settled c.1630, set off from Chelsea and named for Paul Revere 1871, inc. as a city 1914. , she also alerted the patriots by a midnight ride--accomplished more than Revere, since she rode farther, rode unaccompanied un·ac·com·pa·nied adj. 1. Going or acting without companions or a companion: unaccompanied children on a flight. 2. Music Performed or scored without accompaniment. , and completed her journey successfully. It is fascinating to read what Amelia Jenks Bloomer did besides being an advocate for comfortable clothes for women, and amusing to learn about the adventures of Deborah Dunch Moody, thorn in the side of colonial men. Her choice of remarkable women leaves me wondering. In all of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of history (prior to 1900), couldn't she find anyone more "remarkable" than Kateri Tekawitha? (Kateri was the first Native American to become venerated as a martyr martyr Person who voluntarily suffers death rather than deny his or her religion. Readiness for martyrdom was a collective ideal in ancient Judaism, notably in the era of the Maccabees, and its importance has continued into modern times. .) I fail to see where martyring oneself at 24 is inspirational if you are not Catholic. If you are Catholic, of course, it is the ultimate honor, but this was not advertised as a religious book. Since I try to be accepting of cultural differences, it made me wince to read "Kateri turned away from the pagan culture of her birth and lived in a world steeped in holiness and piety." Also, I hope it is just a typo typo - typographical error that made Petrash list the wrong amendment as that which guaranteed a woman's right to vote. (She gives the 20th, which defines presidential terms, rather than the 19th.) Perhaps in subsequent installments More Than Petticoats will be a better product, but for now, while I would surely recommend it for entertainment, I would be reluctant to recommend this book for research, especially to youth, except when the researcher had other books on similar subjects with which to make a comparison. Frieda Toth, Children's Libn., Crandall P.L., Glen Falls, NY |
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