November 4, 2016 Hello ,
By the time you read this I'll be on my way to the Keystone State, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It's a nine-day book tour for FANNIE NEVER FLINCHED. I'll be visiting six schools in Pittsburgh, talking to a few groups including the Battle of Homestead
Foundation.
People in the Pittsburgh area were very supportive while I was researching the book, so I'm happy to throw a little party at the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum in Tarentum, PA, Saturday, November 12, 1pm. It's open to the public and if you're in the area I hope you'll stop by. I've been putting together my power point presentation and getting excited to talk to kids and adults about Fannie. I love deciding which pictures to show!
The presentation gives me a chance to use
pictures that didn't make the book.
This photo shows Fannie Mooneys Sellins' family on wash day. It hard to tell exactly what's going on, but everyone seems to be having a good time, including the guy relaxing while the women work! I've been told Fannie is the
woman on the right with the hat at a rakish angle. Fannie had two sisters and three brothers, but I have not been able to positively identify anyone in the picture. Also it isn't high quality enough for publication.
Launched Amid Rave Reviews |
Now, that is a headline I really enjoy writing! It's so thrilling how well received the book is, and I certainly don't take all the credit for that. It's hard not to be inspired by Fannie's courage and
compassion, plus, Abrams Books did an amazing job on the book design.
"Stitched blue-denim illustrations on the endpapers color coordinate with blue-tinted archival photographs of immigrant workers at sewing machines, in mines, and in
company towns. In a nod to Sellins’s work as a seamstress, images of buttons, gears, and stitching help frame each spread." -Publishers Weekly
I'll quote a few more of the reviews with links in case you want to read them. But first another picture, young box makers in Tampa, Florida, snapped by Lewis
Hine, January 28, 1909. It was in 1909 that Fannie first traveled the country and began to understand how
workers all over, in many varied industries suffered the same deprivations: long hours,
low pay, unhealthy conditions.
I was so honored to be featured on GirlTalk HQ. "This is the kind of book we need to see on every school shelf across America."
Haunted Orchid writes "While very informative, the book is written in a way that just pulls you in to this slice of history, so, definitely something I would recommend to all."
Alex Baugh, a teacher, and member of the Bank Street Children’s Book Council member at Randomly Reading writes, "Mary Cronk Farrell has written a clear, incisive biography..."
When
you think of the American Labor Movement, you probably don't think of Hawaii. One of the incidents that had to be trimmed from my books is known as the Hilo Massacre.
It happened in 1938 during a strike by longshoremen and warehouse men. Some 200, unarmed, peaceful demonstrators representing a number of unions marched to Hilo Harbor to meet a boat manned with strikebreakers.
Police commanded them to disperse, but instead they sat down on the pavement. Organizer Harry Lehua Kamoku had instructed the crowd
about passive resistance, and coached them about how to respond if they were hit with a billy club.
But police officers used tear gassed, water hoses, bayonets and finally fired their riot guns into a crowd of men, women and children. Fifty people were hospitalized, many with gunshot injuries, some with bayonet stab wounds. No one was ever charged or prosecuted. My timeline in Fannie Never Flinched includes a number of similar incidents spread over many decades.
Jody Cassella at On the Verge gave
me a chance to talk about my personal journey to publication, and why I believe Fannie's story is so relevant today. Jody writes, "The story is a timely, tragic, and ultimately inspiring must-read (for adults too!)"
On Goodreads newsletter subscriber M. Hunt writes, "In this era of extreme income inequality, Fannie Sellins' story could not be more relevant." Thank you, M!
Forgive me for
going on so long. Thank you for sharing in my excitement and for your continual support. In other news, IRENA'S CHILDREN is Book of the Month over at Worlds of Words at the University of
Arizona! Thanks, Marilyn Carpenter! WOW builds bridges across global cultures through children’s and adolescent literature. You can browse a list of resources
on the site.
Important dates coming up!
Tuesday, November 8, 2pm
Saturday, November 12, 1pm Pittsburgh Area Book Launch Party Allegheny-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum 224 East Seventh Avenue, Tarentum, PA.
Thursday, November 17,
7pm Spokane Area Book Launch Party Auntie's Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave.
Saturday, November 19, 6:30pm Educator Appreciation Night Featuring Inland NW
children's/YA authors' 2016 books Prize giveaways, discounts on purchases, appetizers & drinks
Until next week... Have you read a great book? Tell me about it. Have a burning question? Let me know.
If you know someone who might enjoy
my newsletter or books, please forward this e-mail. I will never spam you or sell your email address, you can unsubscribe below anytime with a single mouse click. To find out more about my books, how I help students, teacher and librarians, visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com. My best, Mary
Questions? Comments? Contact me at MaryCronkFarrell@gmail.com. Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. |
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