Dorothy Sterling (1913–2008)

Secret of the Old Post-Box is the kind of mystery I would have loved reading when I was a girl and can still enjoy now. Pat Harrison, eleven years old, has lived in New York City, but her family has moved back to her father's hometown of Haven, 32 miles away. Pat doesn't know a lot of things that the local children know about the American Revolution and local events. This gives Ms. Sterling a chance to explain a number of things to readers (and amuse older readers with Pat's confusion).

The show more Harrisons live across the street from a colonial house that used to belong to descendants of the original builder, but it will be sold in August to pay for back taxes [property, presumably]. I don't care if most of the locals are 'a bunch of rock-ribbed, rugged individualists, who wouldn't help their own grandmas;' I am personally offended that the town isn't rallying to help out the widow and children of a soldier who was killed in the Korean War. The Paines have already had to move out. The oldest boy, Nat, is extremely prickly about the loss of their ancestral home. He also looks down on girls now that he's in junior high [middle school], which Pat doesn't appreciate. Johnny and Sam Paine aren't much better, in Pat's opinion.

Jim Gray, the boy across the street from Pat, has more modern ideas about the acceptability of girls as ball players. Barbara Thomas, who is Pat's age, is no more a 'girly girl' than Pat herself. Go, tomboys! (Barbara's father is the person who made that snark about other locals after he tried to get them to help out the Paines.)

There's rumor that a treasure is still hidden in the old Paine house. If it can be found, the family will be able to keep their home. The children start searching, but a mysterious light coming from the old house one night suggests someone else might be searching for it, too!

I enjoyed the mystery, the information about the American Revolution and George Washington's spies, and finding out a not-at-all heroic definition of 'cowboy' that dates from New York state during that revolution (see chapter 11).

The illustrations are nice. I'm glad I found this book. show less

"Dorothy Sterling's sensitive biography of antislavery and women's rights stalwart, Abby Kelley re-places in history a pioneer woman lecturer, a pillar of both abolitionism and women's rights, who supported her causes by raising the requirements for progressive reform: consciousness and money. This rewarding portrait pays a welcome dividend by recovering Kelley's social milieu, including black women, who usually disappear. Thanks are due -- again -- to Sterling, who has already undone the show more mischief of short-sighted historiography." Nell Irvin Painter, Edwards Professor of American History, Princeton University show less

The biography of abolitionist Abby Kelly Foster who endangered herself by lecturing on the topic around the New England area. The courage of this woman for her cause comes through the book on every page. Foster dedicated herself to the cause to the detriment of her health and livelihood which endeared her to me as I was reading.

Has a story-telling rather than historical fact approach I alternately find fun and annoying. Decent background, though - and an excellent bibliography. I love when authors show their sources.