Nellie Stone Johnson: The Life of an Activist

Johnson got her start as an activist at age 13 distributing Non-Partisan League literature on horseback. A member of the only black family in a Minnesota community settled largely by Scandinavian and Irish immigrants, her politics were shaped both by the African American newspapers that arrived in the mail and profoundly by her experiences growing up on the family farm. The message of her autobiography (told to Minnesota political journalist David Brauer) is this: "You don't have to be Superman or Superwoman to accomplish things. You can be a regular person just like everyone else." Still, the story related by the seamstress, social activist, labor organizer, and third-generation feminist overflows with the everyday heroics of a life spent pursuing equality for all. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)