Educating Sadie

by Alayne Smith

Educating Sadie follows one woman's struggle to help another woman rise above a life of poverty and abuse in nineteenth-century Alabama. Amanda Oglesby, a first-year teacher, meets Sadie Wiggins, a sharecropper's wife, on the night of the first open house at her new school. Childless, Sadie is drawn to the she's bright and wants to learn. The relationship develops when Amanda invites Sadie to attend daily school classes. Amanda, convinced of Sadie's intellect, is determined to offer Sadie an education despite the counterproductive efforts of Sadie's abusive husband. A benevolent school board chairman, a beloved boarding house owner, a midwife, a handsome plantation owner, and a misanthrope move in the background of Educating Sadie, a portrait of the American South at the turn of the century. Educating Sadie was a finalist in the William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

354 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2019

Reviews

[Donna Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! This is a delightful story with fully drawn characters you just have to root for. I just love Miss Sophie and Miss Maggie! I wish Amanda had been one of my teachers growing up in Alabama - the best teachers make learning fun so that you just want more and more! Don’t miss this one!

[Paula Everett-truppi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Alayne Smith captured perfectly the trials of education of females in the 1800s. Especially those who come from privilege and those who do not. This is one you will not want to miss!