A Fire in Her Bones: The Story of Mary Lyon

Traces the life of Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke College, and describes the hardships she endured to get an education

Grade 4-6-The subject of several adult volumes and often cited in collected biographies for children, Lyon is an important figure for anyone interested in American educators or women's rights. Rosen presents her subject's story in an easy-to-understand, straightforward manner that emphasizes Lyon's earnest and persevering drive to establish the first college for women in America. The author acknowledges the limitations women faced in the early 1800s and describes the attitudes and economic realities that stood between them and the possibility of becoming educated. The text is augmented with many period black-and-white reproductions. Notes that clarify and expand on certain aspects of the text are provided; unfortunately, they aren't included in the running text, so readers might overlook them. Nevertheless, the book will be useful for reports, general interest, and pleasure reading.
Melissa Gross, Beverly Hills Public Library, La Canada, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5^-7. The story of Mary Lyon, a farm girl who loved education and went on to start Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, is concisely and interestingly told in this biography. There are no moments of great drama, but readers will get a sense of the difficulty of nineteenth-century life, especially for women--and even more so for women with ambition. Lots of historical pictures and engravings help break up the pages; an afterword details how Lyon's foray into education helped establish the right of less-affluent women to an education. Notes; bibliography. Ilene Cooper