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There are currently 13 member reviews
for The Three Mothers
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Tara T. (Carterville, IL)
The Three Mothers
I was quite excited to read this book. I spent a good deal of time in college researching the Civil Rights Era, so I had a lot of interest going into this one. To be clear it's a well-written, well-researched, and overall good read. However, it reads and feels very much like a dissertation. The potential with this subject matter was very much there, but the execution of it will not necessarily garner a large audience.
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Marge V. (Merriam, KS)
Great Promise But No Fulfillment
I have no problem with the writing in this book. The three mothers are representative of many women of color in history. My heart broke for the humans these mothers were. Their sons are three men in American History that are not well known enough as individuals BEFORE they became famous or infamous. I felt I was reading a text book rather a biography. The book was more of a general sociology textbook that a biography and I feel unfulfilled.
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Mary (Queens, NY)
Added to What I Knew
After reading Isabel Wilkerson's The Warmth of Many Sons, as well as presenting an art talk on the Harlem Renaissance (with a focus on the causes of the Great Migration), I looked forward to learning more about these mothers of special sons. And, while I did learn more, I missed the technique of vignettes that Wilkerson used, to "show not tell". The book spans the 20th century in its scope, and cements the legacy of these ladies in history.
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Melanie B. (Desoto, TX)
Great Expectations, Average Insight
I'm glad to have read this book because I learned background on Alberta King, Berdis Baldwin and Louise Little that I didn't previously know, but a good deal of what these mothers contributed to the lives of their sons seems to be what the reader would assume a "good" mother would do and the presumption that only their sons' better traits were shaped by their mothers. I'm still not clear how these women had insights that shaped a nation; however, this book is a good introduction to the lives of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, and Malcolm X.
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Laurie F. (Brookline, MA)
Story of three amazing women
The story behind these three powerful women, activists, mothers was interesting but could have been better written.
The writing improved as it went along but in the beginning, was a bit scattered as the author went off on historical tangents rather than sticking to the women's lives. Where were the editors?
Once she focused and delved into the violence, tragedies, and sadness these women endured, I learned so much. Through their personal struggles, they were the power and influence behind three icons of the Civil Rights Movement. Thank you Alberta, Louise, and Berdis.
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Darrell W. (Hillsboro, OR)
Celebrating Mothers
Author Tubbs has given us a readable, thoroughly researched account of the contributions three mothers made in the lives of three very famous Black civil rights leaders. In each case, although very different, the mothers were instrumental in the formative years of their sons. Tubbs shows us how the mothers fought for civil rights, stood tall against oppression, and provided a foundation for the sons' development. This book adds an accessible account to civil rights literature making a strong case for recognizing the overlooked importance of motherhood. On balance I would prefer more of the historical novel approach to writing than an academic thesis.
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