A Woman Called Moses (novel)

A Woman Called Moses is the 1976 debut novel of American author Marcy Heidish. It is a fictionalized presentation of the early life of black American

Two years after the American Civil War, Harriet Tubman recalls her life in slavery in the pre-war Southern United States, her escape from bondage, and her subsequent efforts to free other enslaved people.

Reception

The novel received positive responses from reviewers. A review in The Boston Globe called it "vivid and dramatic".^[1] The reviewer for The Tennessean said it was "full of compelling storytelling".^[2] Other reviews called it "evocative",^[3] "enjoyable and enlightening reading",^[4] and "a novel of superior quality".^[5]

Some historians were more critical of the book, saying its portrayal of Tubman was not accurate. James A. McGowan, the editor of the Harriet Tubman Journal, called the novel a "deliberate distortion". McGowan and others were especially critical of Heidish's portrayal of the very religious Tubman drinking, swearing, and engaging in pre-marital sex.^[6]

Adaptation

In 1978 the novel was adapted into a two-part television miniseries, also titled A Woman Called Moses. The adaptation aired on NBC on December 11 and 12. Cicely Tyson starred as Tubman.^[7]

References