Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary: From Her Roots in Ghana to Her Legacy on the Eastern Shore

by Jean Marie Wiesen, Rita Daniels, Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely (foreword)

A fresh biography of this iconic American—and the first involving a Tubman family member since Harriet herself was interviewed in 1886.

For all Harriet Tubman’s accomplishments and the myriad books written about her, many gaps, errors, and misconceptions of her life persist. One such fallacy is that Sarah H. (Hopkins) Bradford is to blame for having omitted information in Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her Peopleand ending the second book too soon. It is the family's opinion that, due to Tubman’s physical disability resulting from a head injury she incurred as a child, she was unable to complete the necessary lengthy interview process with Sarah and properly flesh out the work.

Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionarysets out to rectify these omissions. The time is long overdue as recognition and fervor over Tubman’s remarkable contributions to American history and civil liberty continues to escalate with hundreds of statues and tributes appearing each year in her honor around the nation. New York State celebrates Harriet Tubman Day on March 10—since she was born on an unknown date in this month and died on this day—and Maryland honors her on September 17, which has become known as Emancipation Day. Not only has Tubman’s likeness appeared on U.S. stamps, but her visage has appeared on currency and wshe will be the first woman and person of color to appear on printed paper currency in this country.

But just who was this remarkable woman? We might know the outlines of her story, but the deep research of Jean Marie Wiesen and rich family memory of Rita Daniels combine to form a nuanced and vibrant portrait of a histoic figure we all thought we knew. Ranging Harriet's ancestry in Ghana to the efforts over generations to preserve and project her legacy, Harriet Tubman is an inspiring and illuminating portrait of a key figure in history.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

In her "Final Thoughts" section, Jean Marie Wiesen writes about how "Collaboration is rarely easy," after mentioning the several abolitionists that Harriet Tubman had to trust in order to bring people to safety.

That word "collaboration" is so important because it epitomizes the entire nature of this book. While Wiesen collaborated with a relative of Tubman's (Rita Daniels) and was able to get Dr. Delois Blakely to write the foreward, it seems that Wiesen forgot to collaborate with a good editor.

Please let me elaborate. Wiesen, according to the biography on the inside back cover, is a "noted investigative author and mystery crime writer" who attended ArtCenter College of Design, and "continued polishing her writing craft under the tutelage of British author Robert Pollock."

Here's the catch. This book is horribly written, needs several rounds of editing, has very few complex sentences (the few that are in this volume are published in other books), and would not be suitable to turn in as a final thematic paper in an undergraduate level history class. It also has several historical errors when discussing parts of history other than Harriet Tubman.

Here's what she gets correct - a decent description of life on the Eastern Shore when Harriet lived there, and she is correct when pointing out the assistance of Quakers in the Underground Railroad. Her proper inclusion of the Quakers is the only reason I'm giving this a two-star rating as a lot of historians writing about the Underground Railroad miss that important fact. Without the Quakers on the Eastern Shore, in Pennsylvania and New York, Tubman would not have advanced as far as she did, if at all, as a Conductor on the Underground Railroad. At least Weisen recognizes this.

Otherwise, it isn't much different than what you would find in Tubman's Wikipedia page. This book had a lot of potential, and I was cheering for the author to give us some really good substance with decent writing, but sadly, she failed to deliver.

I don't say this often, but this is one of those books that you can skip. There have got to be better books on Harriet Tubman out there (at least I hope there is, as this is the only one I've read to date), and if there isn't, there's always Wikipedia. Save yourself from the disappointment of a poor read that is neither well researched (sources cited were scant) nor well written.

[Halley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harriet Tubman was an amazing woman! The details and information in this book were wonderful and interesting.

However, this book needs a serious editor. The writing was so rough it made sections hard to follow. Overall this was a struggle to get through despite the topic and details presented being fascinating and so important to our history.

[Sarah Minnear · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A gallant band of black soldiers, under the guidance of a black woman, dashed into the enemy's country, struck a bold and effective blow, destroying millions of dollars' worth of commissary stores, cotton, and lordly dwellings, and striking terror into the heart of rebeldom... without losing a man or receiving a scratch. It was a glorious consummation."

In our uncertain times, this is a history book that will inspire you to rise above and get to work. Harriett Tubman's tenacity, unwavering faith, and brilliance throughout her entire life is amazing to behold and is a light to guide us through the dark treacherous waters of today.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the story of Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross, called Minty, written by her third great niece. Her grandmother was kidnapped from Ghana as a young woman and named Modesty by her enslaver. Minty took the name of her Mother, Harriet, when she escaped to Philadelphia to freedom.
Harriet was married to a man whose last name was Tubman, but they did not have children. Harriet guided people to freedom year round for 8 years, through the most difficult conditions, with slave hunters chasing them. She gave many speeches to earn money. She brought her parents and brothers to safety all the way to Canada, and eventually moved them to New York where she was able to buy a house. Harriet was a spy and nurse for the Union during the Civil War. She was friends with many abolitionists including Sojourner Truth, William Seward, John Brown, Lucretia Mott and Frederick Douglass.

[Dale Bentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

While containing valuable information and an important message, as other reviewers have pointed out, this book is in serious need of a careful and comprehensive editing. While one can hope that Harriet on the $20 bill comes to pass one day, I fear that it will be an uphill battle in the present era.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. The writing reminds me of books written on the genealogy of one’s family by an interested family member who is clearly not a writer. The book meanders back and forth (and back) between topics, repeats numerous statements in different ways (Harriet’s ability to navigate via the stars - her father taught her), and contains plenty of grammar issues. The reader can’t tell if something is fact, surmised from data sources or family lore, or is just what the authors suspects. It was difficult to know what was newly shared information that was gleaned from family versus what is already known about Ms Tubman.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harriet Tubman has been a hero of mine since I first learned about her when I was in first grade. Her story is fascinating, but this book would benefit from extensive editing.

[Erin Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who may feel small and helpless against a seemingly impossible blockade of powerful people, the lessons from Harriet Tubman's life provide a truthful account of the immense power of one single person, one step at a time, beginning with nothing and ending with a truly heroic legacy of positive change. Through her lifelong mission for freedom and equal rights, her example of persistence, positive collaboration, and strategic intelligence is unmatched by any other figure in our nation's history.

This book is relatively quick to consume and short in length but packed with a rich history as orally passed down through Tubman's own descendants as well as factual history that is rarely taught through public education beyond her leadership in the Underground Railroad. Beginning with her own family's roots tracing back to the Middle Passage from Ghana over into enslavement in Maryland, the generational trauma and injustice Harriet was born into and the impossible conditions of her escape to freedom are remarkable itself, but her personal mission to rescue, heal, and help others to safety makes her story one that should be more known to all.

Her spy service with the military, healing knowledge of medicinal cures from African traditions, ability to communicate plans through song and music, and ability to gain trust of abolitionists across multiple countries are explored and expounded, along with her drive to help better the health conditions of the elderly and women's suffrage activism that all provide so many layers to Harriet's life. While such little recognition for all of Tubman's achievements, successes, and contributions to progress were truly provided through national recognition during her living years, this book provides a succinct but thorough appreciation for all that she has provided for us to learn from.

Highly recommended for genre fans of American history, feminism, social justice, and nonfiction stories of radical change. From trusted sources from her own family, the stories provided are surprising in multiple ways, will enhance your historical knowledge, and provide well-earned praise to such a unique figure of our history that truly made the impossible possible.


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Favorite Quotes:


"The only form of communication between enslaved people that masters ignored was singing. They could insert various words in their songs to safely pass messages that only the enslaved people could interpret. As with the Ashanti culture, music was a central theme among the enslaved. They sang hymns and created songs with spiritual themes about their labor to get them through their day.
She was taught that it was a significant part of her Ashanti heritage with a dual purpose: a form of spiritual expression and a way to exchange coded messages."



"She assured them they were going to their very own home, one that she, Harriet Tubman, owned - an escaped slave woman who now had a piece of property as opposed to being property."


"It became apparent to everyone who met Harriet that her intelligence was far above the average intelligence level of either men or women, and she had a tremendous breadth of knowledge even without having received a formal education."


"I was the conductor of The Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say - I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger."

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an academic book. Sources for the information in it aren't cited for those who want to refer back, but there is a bibliography, nearly all of its listings web sites. There's also a helpful timeline, a listing of names of people mentioned in the narrative, and a family tree. I'd have loved to see the sources for the earlier parts of that because it's the kind of thing not easy to research. The rest of the book is a nicely written account of Tubman's life, with many illustrations, some of which are probably unique to this book (photos not sourced, unfortunately). Enough background is given to set the story, but not so much as to bog down the narrative, which happens in other books. Most of us by the time we are adults have at least heard of the Underground Railroad; this covers much more, especially about Tubman's life after the Underground Railroad. The style, and contributions by Daniels and Blakely, keep it upbeat in spite of the "grave injustices" Tubman experienced, along with those she helped to "keep going".

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not terrible and it’s a pretty quick read. I was thinking reading this that this would be ideal for YA readers because the information is surface level (similar to Wikipedia). But as I read on the writing was not great. By looking at the bibliography it looks like 90% of the sources are from websites and secondary sources. I think when you are covering a figure like Harriet Tubman I think you need to utilize primary sources and sources not found online. Would be a 3 star read because it’s not terrible and I did learn some new things about Harriet Tubman. I just feel uneasy about the books sources so it’s a 2 for me.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to DNF this unfortunately. Despite the fascinating subject matter, the writing was so distracting it made it difficult to read. It reads a bit like an essay written for a class and feels as though it would have benefited for another few rounds of thorough editing to clean it up. It’s difficult to tell which pieces of information and story come from historical fact, from oral history from the family, or assumptions the authors are making.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read my first Harriet Tubman when I was about 10 yrs old. I have read more and have seen the movie of her heroic life. Her life story has fascinated and awed me.

This book gave information that was new to me. Definitely worth the read.

I would love to have met her and hear her tell her story

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciated the facts and intimate details shared in the book, I feel it would have been a more impactful story and tribute to Harriet Tubman had the author incorporated “how” the stories were passed down through tbe family. Weaving in more of how Harriet’s spirit was kept alive in Rita Daniels’ life would have made a much more meaningful read for me.

[Layla Todd · Rating 1 out of 5]

Flatulent. Boring. Uninspired. The author claims to fill the gaps in Harriet’s inspiring history but really imparts no new information at all and slaps a few related big names on the cover to have you on.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book, the authors were through Harriet's Great-great-great-grand nieces, Rita Daniels. They worked hard to get this book published. Harriet's good friend Jean Marie Wiesen wrote an earlier book..

[Garret Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief and insightful, albeit the last third was a bit unorganized.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

the absolute best biography of Harriet tubman, complete with every detail

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew the name Harriet Tubman as the leader of the Underground Railroad. I learned that she was so much more than that. This is an interesting read on the life of a key woman in American history.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this short book would have benefited from a good editor, I learned many things about Tubman that I hadn't previously known.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Harriet Tubman...Unfortunately, not the best written book. No new news to tell.

[Veronica Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

is it possible to take a woman's life filled with danger and excitement and turn it into the most boring prose you've ever read? yes. this book was so poorly written. it felt like each chapter was an essay assigned to a different student in a class and then thrown together without taking the time to make this a linear or cohesive work. there was a lot of repetition with very poor grammar and writing style. some dates didn't line up so it put into question the accuracy of the rest of the book. all the photos added to enhance the book were too small, dark, and grainy to even tell what they were. if you're looking to get more in-depth information about the life of Harriet Tubman you would be better off reading a Wikipedia entry.