A Woman Called Moses
AuthorMarcy Heidish
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction
PublisherHoughton Mifflin
Publication date
1976
Media typePrint
Pages308
ISBN978-0-395-21535-7

A Woman Called Moses is the 1976 debut novel of American author Marcy Heidish. It is a fictionalized presentation of the early life of black American abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The novel received positive reviews, but was criticized by some academics as historically inaccurate. In 1978 it was adapted as a two-part miniseries, also titled A Woman Called Moses.

Synopsis

Two years after the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman recalls her life in slavery in the pre-war Southern United States, her escape from bondage, and her subsequent efforts to free other enslaved people.

Reception

The novel received positive responses from reviewers. A review in The Boston Globe called it "vivid and dramatic".[1] The reviewer for The Tennessean said it was "full of compelling storytelling".[2] Other reviews called it "evocative",[3] "enjoyable and enlightening reading",[4] and "a novel of superior quality".[5]

Some historians were more critical of the book, saying its portrayal of Tubman was not accurate. James A. McGowan, the editor of the Harriet Tubman Journal, called the novel a "deliberate distortion". McGowan and others were especially critical of Heidish's portrayal of the very religious Tubman drinking, swearing, and engaging in pre-marital sex.[6]

Adaptation

In 1978 the novel was adapted into a two-part television miniseries, also titled A Woman Called Moses. The adaptation aired on NBC on December 11 and 12. Cicely Tyson starred as Tubman.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Sturgis, Susanna (February 15, 1976). "Harriet Tubman's Magnificent Strength". The Boston Globe. p. F13 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Collins, L. M. (October 31, 1976). "Moses: A Woman of Valor". The Tennessean. p. 10F – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Notable". Time. February 23, 1976. p. 64.
  4. ↑ O'Neil, Dee (May 23, 1976). "Historical Novel Illumines Slave Leader Harriet Tubman". San Angelo Standard-Times. p. 10E – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Brett, Peggy (August 22, 1976). "A Woman Called Moses Novel of Superior Quality". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 13E – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Sernett, Milton C. (2007). Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History. Durham: Duke University Press. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-0-8223-4073-7.
  7. ↑ Sernett, Milton C. (2007). Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History. Durham: Duke University Press. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-8223-4073-7.
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