First published 1992
In 1904, a young black woman named Mary Bethune opens the doors to her Daytona Literary and Industrial School, armed with nothing but grit and a vision. Facing a severe lack of resources, from crates for desks to crushed elderberries for ink, Mary pours her heart into shaping the minds of her first six students. As the school grows, so do the obstacles - scarce funding, community skepticism, and the weight of racial injustice. But with unwavering determination, Mary transforms her humble beginnings into a thriving institution that would become Bethune-Cookman College, leaving a lasting legacy that empowered generations.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american, education, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: determined-protagonist, overcoming-adversity, social-change
Setting: Florida
Period: 1904
56 pages · Paperback · Steck-Vaughn Co