Getting the real story Nellie Bly and Ida B. Wells

Gr. 6-10. A dual biography of two women who had much in common. Both lived during the same time period and fought for what they believed; both began life with little money, worked hard, and accomplished much; and both broke down barriers in the journalism profession. Yet their different races shaped their individual stories and made each woman's achievements distinct. Each biography begins with a chronology of major incidents in the woman's life, which are then expanded into chapters. The accounts are outlines at best, and Davidson acknowledges that, while "basic facts and main events are a true record," the text is fictionalized. What's missing in terms of fact is somewhat offset by the readability of the text. Consequently, the book will be of greatest use where reading ease is a factor and in libraries where other information on the women is also available. ~--Pat Braun

Gr 4-6-- Davidson offers disclaimers for the use of imaginary scenes, details, and incidents, calling her work an ``imaginative reconstruction of events.'' It is hoped that students will be able to separate fact from fiction by reading the ``Outline of Life Events'' that precedes each woman's tale. The readable and interesting stories focus on their personal and professional failures and achievements. For a more detailed, in-depth look at one of the subjects, select Elizabeth Ehrlich's Nellie Bly (Chelsea House, 1989). A brief biographical sketch of Wells is available in Dorothy : Sterling's Black Foremothers (Feminist Press, 1988). Davidson's work, although a good blending of fact and fiction, will be most useful as a smooth-flowing introduction to the lives of these two 19th-century crusaders. --April L. Judge, Thousand Oaks Lib . , CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.