She Found Her Voice: The Life of Nancy Evans Roles, Artist and Advocate

THE ART OF BECOMING tantalizes all who spend time in reflection. As a young woman coming of age in early twentieth-century America, Nancy Evans Roles documented faithfully her keen observations and rich experiences. Her reflections helped form the person she would become as she built a life of purpose and consequence.

Born in the rural South in 1908, in her twenties Nancy was introduced to the work of John Dewey, a champion of the progressive education movement. The philosophy that education must prepare students for active participation in their world would be an enduring touchstone for her. Indefatigable as a community leader, Nancy was a formidable advocate for social justice and an important voice in civic debate. She also found later success as a prolific plein air artist, all while forging a fulfilling personal life.

In She Found Her Voice, Barbara Roles McKinnon chronicles her mother’s life through exploration of her papers and artifacts, and interviews with her and her contemporaries. This biography offers insight into the imagination, vision, and complexities of a woman whose life spanned a century marked by seismic transformation and whose body of work reflected a holistic, mature ethic and a deep appreciation of the natural world.

BARBARA MCKINNON's career in social justice and ministry spans more than forty years and began with involvement in community mental health programs. Through her leadership in committee work, fundraising, and direct ministry, her advocacy has supported social services programs for cancer patients as well as people experiencing domestic violence and/or homelessness. She earned her undergraduate degree in history at Randolph-Macon Woman's College and her master of divinity at General Theological Seminary.