Molly Brown from Hannibal, Missouri: Her Life in the Gilded Age

by Ken Marks, Lisa Marks

In the film version of the life of the "Unsinkable Molly Brown," she is rescued from the Colorado River and raised in the Rocky Mountains, but the actual Margaret Tobin Brown was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri. Her formative years took place in the town's Gilded Age; the railroad brought in lumber barons, and as the wealth of Hannibal grew, so too did the dreams of young Margaret. Even though her future career as a philanthropist and socialite would span continents and she would become famous for surviving the sinking of the "Titanic," Molly Brown was always proud to be from Hannibal.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2013

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently visited Hannibal, Missouri and my interest in Molly Brown increased after visiting the home of her birth, now a quaint, but thorough museum. Prior to the trip, my knowledge of her was from the musical and of her being a surviving passenger on the ill fated Titanic steam liner. After spending close to two hours in the small museum it was clear Margaret Tobin Brown was much more than an East Coast social elitist.

It is evident much research went into the writing of this short collective biography of Brown. The book reveals not only the peaks and valleys in Brown’s life but also provides a solid representation of Hannibal’s geographical landscape, political atmosphere, and economic environment during her lifetime. These are aspects of a biography that add flavor and nuance. Also, having recently been in the small town it was easy to visualize Cardiff Hill, Main Street, Broadway, Fifth Street, Millionaire’s Row, Lover’s Leap, and Denkler’s Alley. If I close my eyes I can easily picture a young Margaret running up Cardiff Hill to watch a large paddle wheel boat, see her running to the river’s edge to catch frogs, or enjoying a picnic in Central Park.

I enjoyed learning more about her relentless social justice activism for worker’s rights, women’s rights, and (Titanic) survivor’s rights. She was certainly a woman ahead of her time and today’s generation owes her our gratitude for her early efforts.

I prefer biographies to be written in linear fashion and did not enjoy the flip flopping of the narrative from Titanic to birth, to married to young adult. At one point her husband’s death in recounted in a chapter preceding one about their courtship and marriage. This was at times confusing and took away from the overall reading experience.

If you are looking for more information about a poverty born Irish lass who rises to fame this is a good place to start.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[TRISHA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this book was disjointed, i would’ve like to have read this from the Titanic to her passing. Not so much about her parents, I confess I skimmed those parts.

[Kelly Kittens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad Molly Brown was a Missouri girl. A great life lived, the book had a few dry parts, but overall it is a history of very specific pieces of Molly's life.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about Margaret and her life. She did a lot of good with her money and kindness.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn’t know a lot about Margaret Tobin Brown when I picked up this book. And it was a great introduction – mostly to Brown’s hometown of Hannibal, MO. That worked quite well for me given I picked up the book because I’m researching Missouri history in the early twentieth century. It was a well-researched book. I did find some of the back-and-forth nature of the narrative a little disconcerting. There was definitely the assumption that the reader would be familiar with Brown. But, still, it was a lot of fun to read and very informative. Part of the appeal for me is that it was all about Brown’s life except for her voyage on the Titanic, and it did a really nice job of situating her historically and politically.

[radchick in Hercules · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Unsinkable Molly Btown

I liked how the book flowed. It is a great history of early America. I am shocked at how little I knew of life in the late 1800's. It was quite different than now with no Social l Security, or Assistance by the Government. There really had a Poor House! She was a wonderful person who helped so many.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. It talks about her whole life, not just about the Titanic. It is a short book, but very informative.