Overview
āKirkus Reviews, starred review
āA compelling saga that gives a voice to those that history tried to erase . . . Poignant and eye-opening, this is a must-read.ā
āBooklist
InĀ The Other Madisons, Bettye Kearseāa descendant of an enslaved cook and, according to oral tradition, President James Madisonāshares her family story and explores the issues of legacy, race, and the powerful consequences of telling the whole truth.Ā Ā
For thousands of years, West African griots (men) and griottes (women) have recited the stories of their people. Without this traditionĀ Bettye Kearse would notĀ have known that she isĀ a descendant of President James Madison and his slave, and half-sister, Coreen.Ā In 1990, Bettye became the eighth-generation griotte for her family. Their credoāāAlways rememberāyouāre a Madison. You come from African slaves and a presidentāāwas intended to be a source of pride, but for her, it echoed with abuses of slavery, including rape and incest.Ā
Confronting those abuses, Bettye embarked on a journey of discoveryāof herĀ ancestors, the nation, and herself. She learned that wherever African slaves walked, recorded history silenced their voices and buried their footsteps: beside a slave-holding fortress in Ghana;Ā below a federal building in New York City; and under a brick walkway atĀ James Madisonās Virginia plantation. When BettyeĀ tried to confirm the information her ancestorsĀ had passed down, sheĀ encountered obstacles at every turn.Ā
Part personal quest, part testimony, part historical correction,Ā The Other MadisonsĀ is the saga of an extraordinary American family told by aĀ griotteĀ in search of the wholeĀ story.
This book title, The Other Madisons (The Lost History of a President's Black Family) - 9780358505006, ISBN: 9780358505006, by Bettye Kearse, published by HMH Books (March 23, 2021) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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