She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman

I finished this in one day, which is saying something because reading has been difficult for me lately. But this is a conversational and engaging book. We have it in our adult collection at the library, but I would absolutely say it's a good fit for high school and even middle school readers. It's got plenty of detail about aspects of Tubman's life that I'd never heard about previously, as well as a style that manages to make her story feel almost intimate. I don't really know how to describe it well, but the author's style manages to challenge that pedestal we put certain historical figures onto that can make even the most fascinating or heroic of actions dry to read about. It's a page turner! And the art throughout is really show more excellent. Highly recommend, because if you're anything like me you'll definitely learn at least one or two things about this amazing woman's life and work. show less

A very accessible, well-written biography of Harriet Tubman which I think would be ideal to give to someone—particularly a teen/young adult reader—who is new to this remarkable woman's life and career. Tubman's fierce determination to achieve emancipation comes through loud and clear in Erica Armstrong Dunbar's prose, although some of the stylistic choices (such as the title) may date this book more quickly or make it seem more frivolous than it is.

When people started a campaign to commemorate a woman on U.S. currency several years ago, Harriet Tubman was selected to replace President Jackson on the $20 bill. While the Trump Administration has delayed that from happening, it still may occur later in this decade.

So if Harriet Tubman is a significant enough person to be placed on our currency, it makes sense to review her life and actions, and reading Erica Armstrong Dumbar's book, "She Came to Slay", is a good way to satisfy that need.

Most people will recognize Harriet Tubman as a suffragist and a key member of the Underground Railroad, rescuing slaves from the south and helping them find freedom in the North or in Canada.
But there's more to her story than just that. The book show more tells the story of her life, explains how she helped to liberate hundreds of slaves, adds that she worked for the Union army during the Civil War, and much more. The book is enlightening and entertaining, and shows that Tubman has earned the right to be commemorated for her bravery and dedication working for freedom and human rights. show less

Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross c. 1820, grew up a slave and eventually made it to freedom - and brought along several family members and other enslaved people along with her, going back to the south for 13 more trips. This is her amazing story.

This biography, only about 150 pages, is tightly written, conversational, and a fascinating account of an incredible lady who was nicknamed "Moses." Though I know the outline of her story, as she's usually an insert in American history books at least, there was a lot of information packed into the book that I had not known. Dunbar does a great job of framing the narrative, too, pointing out the evils of slavery in breaking up families, allowing rape, and depriving another human's freedoms.

She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Short and accessible, Dunbar still manages to explore all of Tubman’s extraordinary life from enslavement to Union nurse and spy, to suffragette activist. Dunbar paints with a broad brush and most of the book is anecdotal, but readers looking for a quick hit about Tubman will finish with an understanding of her and her quintessential passion for equality that manifested through her amazing works.

Title way too cutesy, especially given that Tubman supported John Brown but as far as we know neither killed people herself nor led others in killing people, though she threatened to shoot at least one man to keep him from deserting (and thus revealing her paths through slaveholding Maryland). But I wanted to learn more about Tubman, and this book adequately reports what we do know about her constant struggles, visions possibly resulting from early head trauma, and iron will. When they wouldn’t let her spy during the Civil War, she nursed and sold pies to soldiers; when they wouldn’t give her a pension, she fought for decades until she got something.

“Harriet’s raid on the Conbahee dealt a devastating blow to the Confederacy. Causing nearly two million dollars in property damage and the loss of hundreds of slaves, Harriet became the first woman, black or white, to plan and lead an armed military expedition during the Civil War. Her strategy supported a force of combat new to the Civil War – a type of ‘’scorched” earth warfare that left nothing to chance. In Harriet’s mind, everything about slavery needed to be destroyed, and she felt no pity over the loss of property or Confederate life. Having come face-to-face with their cruelty, she knew that Southern slaveholders would never voluntarily end human bondage; they would need to be cancelled out.” P 94

This is a small show more book – not just a small format but only 176 pages in length. It packs into its small size a good biography of Harriet Tubman. Although she was best known as a conductor for the Underground Railway, she was also a Union spy, the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the Civil War, a suffragette, and an advocate for the aged.

Besides text, it contains historical photos as well as illustrations.

Although it's not labled as YA, it would probably work on the junior/senior high level.

It was quite good and I was happy to learn more about Ms Tubman’s activism after the Civil War.

This author is doing a series of African American biographies. I would be interested to read more of them. show less