k8iedid's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you read a biography that so blows you away that you are shocked you've never heard of or knew more about the subject. (And then you remember that education upholds white supremacy.) This is one of those books.
I had never heard of Pauli Murray and came away extremely impressed and inspired. What a LIFE - and to maintain such a commitment to equality despite having almost every machination of society fighting against you. And then to befriend one of the most outspoken first ladies amidst your lifelong fight! Truly remarkable. Bell-Scott's research into Murray's life and the letters between her and Elizabeth Roosevelt is so incredible.
I had never heard of Pauli Murray and came away extremely impressed and inspired. What a LIFE - and to maintain such a commitment to equality despite having almost every machination of society fighting against you. And then to befriend one of the most outspoken first ladies amidst your lifelong fight! Truly remarkable. Bell-Scott's research into Murray's life and the letters between her and Elizabeth Roosevelt is so incredible.
casehouse's review against another edition
3.0
Dense with historical information. I picked this up because it was one of the options for summer reading for my sophomore. It took me forever to get through. I finally tried it in audio format and could engage with the material better that way. This is good stuff for young people to learn, but I just didn't feel like the writing would pull them in.
fclancy93's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
rtwilliams16's review against another edition
4.0
Patricia Bell-Scott's "The Firebrand and the First Lady" was a well-researched book about the friendship between Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt. This book is a great companion to the 2017 biography [b:Jane Crow: The Life of Pauli Murray|31927918|Jane Crow The Life of Pauli Murray|Rosalind Rosenberg|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493771424s/31927918.jpg|52581508] by Rosalind Rosenberg which I also highly recommend. I would suggest that you read Jane Crow first before this book, so that you can get a full grasp of who Murray is before you read about her friendship with Roosevelt. Murray and Roosevelt's friendship is a small part of the book Jane Crow, Bell-Scott's book goes into more depth. Bell-Scott includes excerpts of letters between the two women which I found fascinating and illuminating. I could really tell that both women admired and respected each other. Overall, the book is a very readable documentation of this important friendship in American history.
jereshkigal's review against another edition
5.0
This book gives a good insight into the life of Pauli Murray, especially in relation to her friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt. This book makes me want to go out and look up more books about both women.
gmdudley4's review against another edition
4.0
I really admire women like Pauli Murray (and Eleanor Roosevelt) who pushed the limits of womanhood and activism in their own way. It was interesting to learn about this friendship and get context about each of their lives. I was a little exhausted by the length of the book and found that I needed to take long-ish breaks from it to keep my interest going. Tremendous work by Patricia Bell Scott - I could really feel her admiration and respect for the life of Pauli Murray.