Book Summary and Reviews of Searching for Sarah Rector by Tonya Bolden

Searching for Sarah Rector by Tonya Bolden

Searching for Sarah Rector

The Richest Black Girl in America

by Tonya Bolden

  • Published:
  • Jan 2014, 80 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Sarah Rector was once famously hailed as"the richest black girl in America." Set against the backdrop of American history, her tale encompasses the creation of Indian Territory, the making of Oklahoma, and the establishment of black towns and oil-rich boomtowns.

Rector acquired her fortune at the age of eleven. This is both her story and that of children just like her: one filled with ups and downs amid bizarre goings-on and crimes perpetrated by greedy and corrupt adults. From a trove of primary documents, including court and census records and interviews with family members, author Tonya Bolden painstakingly pieces together the events of Sarah's life and the lives of those around her.

The book includes a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. This handsome volume with its many photographs is carefully sourced and has a helpful glossary, illustration credits and index. Bolden admirably tells a complex story while modeling outstanding research strategy, as her insightful author's note attests." - Kirkus

This information about Searching for Sarah Rector was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Tonya Bolden

Tonya Bolden has written a number of books about the African American experience. Her work has garnered much praise, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, James Madison Book Award, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, YALSA Best Book of the Year, and CCBC Best Book of the Year. She lives in New York City.

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