WEAVER’S DAUGHTER

As life unfolds in the Southwest Territory (modern day Tennessee), 10-year-old Lizzie Baker and her family confront the issue of slavery, the complexities of medical care, and the lure of finery and larger cities. As Bradley paints a detailed picture of daily life during the 1800s, the dilemmas of family life become strikingly familiar. Narrator Kate Forbes is sympathetic to Lizzie’s illness and sensitive to her growing awareness of the world around her. One hears pain in Lizzie’s fear of her asthma, determination in her desire to weave a coverlet for the new baby, and joy in her discovery of reading and learning. Quietly and succinctly championing Lizzie, Forbes also defines the many women in the story and the men who influence them. A.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 01]