Mammy Pleasant

by Helen Holdredge

"San Francisco has always been noted for its colorful characters, but it is doubtful if even that marvelous city has ever produced another as bizarre as Mary Ellen Pleasant, born a slave in Georgia, who passed as a white. As Mammy Pleasant she became one of San Francisco's legendary figures. Immune to the law, she controlled finances and politics, and exercised enormous influence over many of the city's most eminent citizens. Whether she was a saint risking her life and fortune to free slaves - or sinner, running the nefarious House of Evil on Octavia Street, has long been debated."

"The question is definitely settled in Helen Holdredge's fine book. This is an extraordinary account of the career of an incredible woman."

- The Saturday Review

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Jenet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating history of a freed slave and her rise to power as a Madam in San Francisco. The book was written by Helen Holdredge in 1953. My Grandmother received a large wax doll of Mammy at the 1954 International Doll Convention. I had the doll in my possession until two years ago when she went to auction.
As far as I know from my research this is a true and accurate history.
I hope many of you can find a copy and enjoy the story...what a great movie this would make!!

[Loren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is unfortunately very dated. Mary Ellen Pleasant was a fascinating woman who rose from slavery to own property in San Francisco. She married well and often, and saw her "proteges" married well also. I would love to know more about her, but slogging through the prose in this book was impossible.

[Alvin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mary Ellen Pleasant is one of the most interesting characters in all of American history, but this book does not do justice to her story. It's horrifically retrograde in its blindness about racism and bogged down by both a verbosely gothic prose style and an absurd over-attention to minutia.