1 January 2025
Storytime
It was such a pleasure to read Charlene Bell Dietz's, The Spinster, the Rebel and the Governor, published by Artemesia Publishing. This historical biographical novel centers around the life of Margaret Brent, a 17th century woman who made her mark.
Storytime for those who love American history (everyone else carry on;):
Educated in part by Maryland public schools, I learned about Margaret Brent in about fourth grade and was amazed by her achievement: the first woman lawyer in America in the 1600s based in my own home state, Maryland. The women’s liberation movement (WLM) was going full force at that time period and this was a suitable piece to teach kids.
A fun fact add-on was that my Aunt Pat on my paternal side claimed our family was related to Margaret Brent and that her aptitude in law was passed down to her father/my grandfather (a lawyer). (But no one really believed her.)
Flash-forward to present day:
I have three kids educated in the Maryland public school system. They never heard of Margaret Brent. If it is taught, it did not impress. But I have to wonder if it was even mentioned in their history classes.
Re: the fun fact. Because the internet is continually populated with information, I recently discovered an obit of my 3x great grandmother. It mentions she was related to the Brent family of Maryland and Virginia. (Sorry, Aunt Pat!)
If you are still with me, this is all to say that I was excited to read Charlene's treatment of Margaret. I am completely humbled by the level of painstaking research she undertook to do so. She has brought forward in an accessible way the life of a very important woman who was way before her time. The unsung heroine, Margaret Brent.
My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7108231210.