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Title details for Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah Bird - Available

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

A Novel

by Sarah Bird
Bahni Turpin
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author and is read by acclaimed narrator Bahni Turpin, whose voice listeners will recognize from The Hate U Give, Children of Blood and Bone, and The Underground Railroad.
From author Sarah Bird comes the compelling, hidden story of Cathy Williams, a former slave and the only woman to ever serve with the legendary Buffalo Soldiers.
"Here's the first thing you need to know about Miss Cathy Williams: I am the daughter of a daughter of a queen and my mama never let me forget it."
Though born into bondage on a "miserable tobacco farm" in Little Dixie, Missouri, Cathy Williams was never allowed to considered herself a slave. According to her mother, she was a captive, bound by her noble warrior blood to escape the enemy. Her means of deliverance is Union general Phillip Henry "Smash 'em Up" Sheridan, the outcast of West Point who takes the rawboned, prideful young woman into service. At war's end, having tasted freedom, Cathy refuses to return to servitude and makes the monumental decision to disguise herself as a man and join the Army's legendary Buffalo Soldiers.
Alone now in the ultimate man's world, Cathy must fight not only for her survival and freedom, but she vows to never give up on finding her mother, her little sister, and the love of the only man strong and noble enough to win her heart. Inspired by the stunning, true story of Private Williams, this American heroine
Praise for Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen:
"[A]n epic page-turner...unforgettable" — Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of A Piece of the World and Orphan Train
"Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen is Sarah Bird at her very best — witty, heartbreaking, and deeply honest. The carefully researched, richly imagined story of Cathy Williams is a beautiful reminder of a forgotten part of women's history." – Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 4, 2018

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781250299000
      • File size: 476138 KB
      • Duration: 16:31:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 9, 2018
      Bird’s rich historical novel (after Above the East China Sea) is a layered study of post-Civil War America from the imagined perspective of remarkable Buffalo Soldier Cathy/Cathay Williams, the first woman to serve in the legendary all-black cavalry and infantry. Mining the rich terrain of Civil War military history, the nation’s western expansion and clashes with Native Americans, and the fraught issues of gender and race relations, Bird frames an epic romantic tale around Williams. It tracks her life from the time she’s taken from her family as “contraband” by the Union Army in the waning days of the Civil War, to her service as a cook’s aide to Gen. Philip Sheridan, to her illicit enlistment in the Army—disguised as William Cathay—and service as a rifleman with the Buffalo Soldiers cavalry. Williams, as narrator, reveals a bravado fueled by her love of dashing Yankee soldier Wager Swayne, hero-worship of Sheridan, and pride in her heritage as the granddaughter of an African queen. Bird’s fast-paced, action-packed story is a bittersweet one—grand love and legacy ultimately eluded Williams—but this fearless, often heartbreaking account sheds a welcome light on an extraordinary American warrior.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Bahni Turpin beautifully performs this novel based on the real-life story of Cathy Williams, who was born into slavery and "freed" by Union General Philip Sheridan for the purpose of helping his camp cook during the Civil War. Afterwards, Williams became the first woman to serve in the U.S. Army during peacetime. Disguising herself as a man, she served in the cavalry as a Buffalo Soldier for almost two years. Turpin skillfully delivers every nuance of Cathy's emotions--the pain of being separated from her family, the tenderness of first love, the fear of rape, and the determination to pull her weight--as well as the immense cost of her choices. The audiobook includes an interview with the author, who discusses her research. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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