Born a slave in 1797, Sojourner Truth eventually gained her freedom and became known for her wit, her songs, and her great common sense. She electrified audiences as she championed civil rights, women’s rights, prison reform, and better working conditions.

In the New York Times Book Review, Richard Ellman wrote: “Quietly factual when it suits her story, but lyrical when the demand arises, Jacqueline Bernard has succeeded on nearly every account. A good popular history.”