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All About Madame C. J. Walker
"The life story of Madame C. J. Walker who was born on a southern plantation; the first in her family to be born free. Her parents, former slaves, could not afford to send her to school. That didn't stop her from becoming America's first female self-made millionaire. "
128 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
15 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
A'Lelia Bundles
8 books170 followersA’Lelia Bundles is the author of Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance (June 2025 Scribner), about her great-grandmother whose parties and arts patronage helped define the era.
She has written four nonfiction books about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother, including On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book, a BCALA Honor Book and a Hurston/Wright Finalist and recipient of the Association of Black Women Historians' 2001 Letitia Woods Brown Prize for the best book on Black women's history. This biography also inspired “Self Made,” the four-part Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer. A former network television news executive and producer at ABC News and NBC News, she is a former vice chairman of Columbia University’s Board of Trustees, a former chair of the National Archives Foundation board and on the advisory boards of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute, the March On Film Festival and Columbia Global Reports.
She has written four nonfiction books about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother, including On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book, a BCALA Honor Book and a Hurston/Wright Finalist and recipient of the Association of Black Women Historians' 2001 Letitia Woods Brown Prize for the best book on Black women's history. This biography also inspired “Self Made,” the four-part Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer. A former network television news executive and producer at ABC News and NBC News, she is a former vice chairman of Columbia University’s Board of Trustees, a former chair of the National Archives Foundation board and on the advisory boards of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute, the March On Film Festival and Columbia Global Reports.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 7, 2020
It was too short. I know it was aimed at younger readers, but since my library didn't have Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker I read this instead. Probably not a great substitute, but a very good book for the younger audiences. Read this after watching the Netflix series. I'd like to get a tour of the Madame Walker facilities here in Indy next.
December 29, 2017
Excellent book. This is geared toward 4th - 8th graders. I enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot about Madame C.J. Walker her business and her philanthropic interests. It contains a glossary, index, world timeline, personal timeline and quotes from Madame Walker.
"There is no royal, flower strewn road to success, and if there is I have not found it for whatever success I have obtained is the result of many sleepless nights and real hard work." Indianapolis Recorder March 15, 1919
"There is no royal, flower strewn road to success, and if there is I have not found it for whatever success I have obtained is the result of many sleepless nights and real hard work." Indianapolis Recorder March 15, 1919
June 1, 2022
Things I liked: written by a descendant of Madam CJ Walker. That is amazing. The story of Madam CJ Walker's life, in general, and the emphasis on her commitment to giving back to the community. She is a tremendous figure, and an astonishing woman.
Things I wasn't so sure about -- there's a lot of assumed emotion that is written into the book, and a lot of things that are glossed over. Example of the first -- the book talks about how joyfully her family celebrated her birth. Entirely possible! But how do we know that? It's followed shortly thereafter by the deaths of parents, with no death certificate, so the author goes out of the way to mention that we can't be sure how they died, but is perfectly comfortable attributing emotions to the family. This is a small weird thing, but it adds up throughout the book and begins to strike a false note.
On the whole, a fine book, but I didn't feel very engaged by it.
Liked it better on second reading.
Things I wasn't so sure about -- there's a lot of assumed emotion that is written into the book, and a lot of things that are glossed over. Example of the first -- the book talks about how joyfully her family celebrated her birth. Entirely possible! But how do we know that? It's followed shortly thereafter by the deaths of parents, with no death certificate, so the author goes out of the way to mention that we can't be sure how they died, but is perfectly comfortable attributing emotions to the family. This is a small weird thing, but it adds up throughout the book and begins to strike a false note.
On the whole, a fine book, but I didn't feel very engaged by it.
Liked it better on second reading.
July 7, 2022
This is a biography of Madam C. J. Walker. The book begins with a brief overview of her life before going in depth within the chapters. Madam Walker was a successful business woman who had started life as a sharecropper, married young, widowed early, and went on to provide a better life for her daughter and herself after creating her own line of hair care products. After creating the hair products, she was able to train others both in use and sales and create her own factory to produce her products. Madam Walker was also a philanthropist that supported her African American race through various charities and causes. This is a solid biography of a woman who was able to overcome many and varied challenges through her life. It would be a great book to offer during Black History month discussing a success story and telling of difficulties in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century. I would encourage the purchase of this book for those libraries that need more biographies of successful women for the middle school grades.
May 22, 2020
Madam C. J. Walker Inspirational
I loved the book from beginning to end. The illustrations were wonderful. What a wonderful person and hard working women. I hope everyone gets to read her life story. She is a good example to all of how much she cared for justice, equal rights, and freedom for all.
I loved the book from beginning to end. The illustrations were wonderful. What a wonderful person and hard working women. I hope everyone gets to read her life story. She is a good example to all of how much she cared for justice, equal rights, and freedom for all.
June 25, 2023
A pesar de que no es la edición que leí, considero que es una historia que vale totalmente la pena leer, la historia de Madame C J Walker es una historia de resilencia, de crecimiento y de autosuperación, una historia que vale totalmente la pena.
February 2, 2023
A true inspiration!
I loved learning about this amazing woman. Grandmother to two African American women, I pray they will be inspired by this truly amazing woman’s life.
I loved learning about this amazing woman. Grandmother to two African American women, I pray they will be inspired by this truly amazing woman’s life.
October 12, 2024
Her life was "the clearest demonstration I know of Negro women's ability recorded in history," wrote her good friend, Mary Bethune. Her work shall live as an inspiration to not only her race but to the world."
It is given to few persons to transform a people in a generation, "W.E.B Du Bois noted in his Crisis obituary. "Yet this was done by the late Madam C.J. Walker. She made and deserved a fortune and gave much of it away generously."
Sarah Breedlove was born two years after slavery. The first in her family to be born free. In her short life time she raises to the prominence as the first self-made woman millionaire in America. She transformed the beauty industry with her manufacturing company and sales agents to inspire millions and millions of women to be your own boss. We all salute and bow to Madame C.J. Walker. A book for all ages.
Quotes:
Slave owners were afraid they would make plans to escape if they were literate.
Black women were wanted only for menial, poorly paid housekeeping tasks.
In April 1906, Sarah made a bold business move by introducing her own product and a bold branding move by calling herself " Madam C.J. Walker."
From her own experience as a widow and single mother, she knew that many black women had no choice but to work.
"There is no royal, flower strewn road to success, and if there is I have not found it for whatever success I have obtained is the result of many sleepless nights and real hard work." Madame C.J. Walker
It is given to few persons to transform a people in a generation, "W.E.B Du Bois noted in his Crisis obituary. "Yet this was done by the late Madam C.J. Walker. She made and deserved a fortune and gave much of it away generously."
Sarah Breedlove was born two years after slavery. The first in her family to be born free. In her short life time she raises to the prominence as the first self-made woman millionaire in America. She transformed the beauty industry with her manufacturing company and sales agents to inspire millions and millions of women to be your own boss. We all salute and bow to Madame C.J. Walker. A book for all ages.
Quotes:
Slave owners were afraid they would make plans to escape if they were literate.
Black women were wanted only for menial, poorly paid housekeeping tasks.
In April 1906, Sarah made a bold business move by introducing her own product and a bold branding move by calling herself " Madam C.J. Walker."
From her own experience as a widow and single mother, she knew that many black women had no choice but to work.
"There is no royal, flower strewn road to success, and if there is I have not found it for whatever success I have obtained is the result of many sleepless nights and real hard work." Madame C.J. Walker
January 3, 2022
This is why kids don’t like biographies. So drab.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews