At Her Majesty's Request: African Princess in Victorian England
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher: Scholastic Inc, New York 1999
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical fiction
Themes: adoption, slavery, missions, royalty, travel,despair, death
Primary
Characters:Sarah Forbes Bonetta
Secondary Characters: Queen Victoria, Col. Forbes, Mrs. Schoen, Mrs. Phipps
Secondary Characters: Queen Victoria, Col. Forbes, Mrs. Schoen, Mrs. Phipps
Summary:
The story was comprised of actual letters found by Walter Myers. He was browsing the catalog of an old book shop and the collection caught his eye. Curious if the account was worth anything, he bought the collection and compared it to other historical documents. To Myers' surprise, the letters were indeed true and he found historical documents to support it. SO he told the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta to the best of his ability.
She was not always named Sarah Forbes Bonetta. She was an African princess from west Africa. Colonel Forbes discovered her on a mission trip to Dahomey. Her tribe had been attacked and she taken prisoner while the rest of the royal family was massacred. She was to be given as an offering to the Dahomian ancestors. The girl tore at Colonel Forbes heart and begged and bargained for the girl's life. Eventually, the African king gave in and gifted the girl to Forbes' Queen. This story chronicles Sarah's renaming and her journey as an African princess in Victorian England.
This is a great story when discussing non-fiction genres. It is also great to educate students on lifestyles, relationships, and historical events during this time. The story touches on slavery, the build of the American Civil War, and mentions famous historical idols. The book can be taken in many different direction.
She was not always named Sarah Forbes Bonetta. She was an African princess from west Africa. Colonel Forbes discovered her on a mission trip to Dahomey. Her tribe had been attacked and she taken prisoner while the rest of the royal family was massacred. She was to be given as an offering to the Dahomian ancestors. The girl tore at Colonel Forbes heart and begged and bargained for the girl's life. Eventually, the African king gave in and gifted the girl to Forbes' Queen. This story chronicles Sarah's renaming and her journey as an African princess in Victorian England.
This is a great story when discussing non-fiction genres. It is also great to educate students on lifestyles, relationships, and historical events during this time. The story touches on slavery, the build of the American Civil War, and mentions famous historical idols. The book can be taken in many different direction.
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