Henry Walton Bibb was born a slave. His father was white although his identity was not positively known. Bibb was separated from his mother at a very young age and hired out to other slave owners for most of his childhood. Always yearning for his freedom, he made his first escape from slavery in 1842. He was recaptured and escaped, recaptured and escaped over and over; but he never gave up on his desire to be a man in control of his own destiny.

Lucy Larcom was an American poet, teacher, and mil-worker. According to Wikipedia: "Larcom served as a model for the change in women's roles in society." This is her colorful autobiography. Here, she tells about her happy childhood, and her time working in the mill. Along the way, she speaks about topics like morality, independence, love and loss inside a family, a strong belief in god, and the effects of being poor. Fans of Gene Stratton Porter, Fanny Fern and Susan Warner, and Ella Wheeler Wilcox will be delighted with this book. Lucy's sunny personality makes this book a very uplifting and interesting read.

Author Elizabeth Latimer synthesizes notes from a variety of sources to produce this summary of the nation of France in the 19th century. (Summary by Cathy Barratt)