Soldiers In Petticoats, the latest book by guild member Betty Jamerson Reed, is a powerful look at three Appalachian women educators who were brave soldiers in the fight for equal rights, literacy, and justice. Although none of the women who are the subjects of this book were originally from Appalachia, they all came to these mountains for a similar cause and this book highlights their struggles and courage.
Betty was kind enough to spend some time answering a few questions about this book and her work and we greatly appreciate the question and answer session.
Q: What inspired you to write Soldiers in Petticoats?
A: I came across information about Emily Prudden while doing information for graduate studies at Western Carolina University and was amazed at the schools she founded for white and black mountain children, but was unable to locate much information about her. Then I discovered Sophia Sawyer while researching the history of schools for the Cherokee. Each founded a school which either physically or influentially exists in the twenty-first century. So, I looked for another female who had founded a school in the Southern Appalachians and decided Martha Berry would do, even though she was a Southerner.
Q: Given the deep subject material, was there a particular woman that you highlight in the book that served as inspiration?
A: I highlight the three women mentioned above and identified in the book’s sub-title. Living in a time when women were restricted in their means of making a living and in their access to an education, these three amazed me that they were able to provide schools for mountain white, black, and Indian children. Each one amazed me; how could they accomplish so much and what led them to do that? I set out to find the answers and decided to share that information with twenty-first century readers. Their accomplishments should not be forgotten.
Q: What was the research process like for this book?
A: I have spent my retirement doing research. It’s is an addictive process, and I am an addict. I sat in cold basement rooms, read ancient newspapers in a secluded vault fearing I would forget to lodge something against the steel door to prevent my being locked in and forgotten for days, found space to read school board minutes in isolated conference rooms, and browsed the internet for hours and hours—but I enjoyed it, and now I feel I KNOW these three women and admire each one. Each hoped to live a useful life, and each accomplished that.
This intriguing book, Soldiers In Petticoats, can be found online at Amazon for your Kindle device and paperback and hardcover.
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