Section 2: An Anthology of Women’s Autobiographies
The six full-text books are included in this anthology of women’s autobiography are:
- Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands (Publication Date: 1857; author Mary Seacole, 1805 – 1881)
Mary Jane Seacole (1805 – 1881), the daughter of a Scottish father and a black African mother, is best remembered for her work as a nurse to sick and wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Her autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands is her colorfully written account of her life as an adventurer and a compassionate healer.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
https://librivox.org/wonderful-adventures-of-mrs-seacole-in-many-lands-by-mary-seacole/
.. - Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself (Publication Date: 1861; Harriet Jacobs, 1813 -1897)
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself is one of only a few existing American slave narratives written by a woman. Harriet Jacobs (1813 -1897) is uncompromising in describing how, through acts of great courage and determination, she escaped the bonds of a cruel slave master and ultimately found freedom and became reunited with her children.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
https://librivox.org/incidents-in-the-life-of-a-slave-girl-by-harriet-jacobs/
.. - The Autobiography of Mother Jones (Publication Date: 1925; author Mary G. Harris Jones, 1837 <baptized> – 1930)
Mary Harris Jones (~1837 – 1930), known as Mother Jones, rallied American coal miners and other workers in their struggle for labor rights. She fearlessly challenged oppressive business leaders, championed the establishment of unions, and emboldened workers to fight in solidarity for better conditions and salaries. Her spirited autobiography chronicles her non-stop campaigns for the dignity and well-being of workers across America.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
https://librivox.org/the-autobiography-of-mother-jones-by-mary-harris-jones/
.. - The Story of a Soul (Publication Date: 1898; author St. Therese of Lisieux, 1873 – 1897)
St. Therese (1873 – 1897) entered the Carmelite Monastery of Lisieux, France at the age of fifteen. When in her early twenties, and already ill from the tuberculosis that would eventually take her life she was asked by her Mother Prioress to write the story of her trials of faith and of her efforts to serve God in all things. Her autobiography has become a devotional work treasured by many Catholics. St. Therese died at age 24. Pope Pius XI was canonized as a saint in 1925.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
https://librivox.org/the-story-of-a-soul-by-saint-therese-of-lisieux/
.. - A Daughter of the Samurai (Publication Date: 1925; author Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto, 1874 – 1950)
Blending together intimate family stories, Japanese history and folktales, accounts of traditional Buddhist and Shinto customs, Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto (1874 – 1950) introduces Western readers into the traditional world of the Samurai. She describes her strict classical Japanese education, her life as a wife and mother, her husband’s death and the cultural consequences for her of becoming a widow. The story of her life unfolds throughout different regions of Japan, then in America, and eventually, again, in Japan. She reveals the emotional challenges, both for her and her children. of living within two fundamentally different culture.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
Yuja, an audio and video management platform
.. - The Story of My Life (Publication Date: 1902; author Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968)
An illness left the nineteen-month old Helen Keller (1880 – 1968), deaf and blind. From the age of seven onward, she was attended to by the gifted teacher Anne Sullivan. Owing to her intelligence and unrelenting desire to learn, Keller graduated college, became and advocate for social causes, lectured to admiring audiences around the world, and wrote several books, including her tender, evocative autobiography, The Story of My Life.
Listen to a free audio-version of this book at:
https://librivox.org/the-story-of-my-life-by-helen-keller/
