Alan Govenar spent fifteen years recording his conversations with Osceola Mays. The result is a powerful oral history composed of songs, poems, personal stories, and ancedotes detailing the life of this African-American woman born in the rural part of East Texas in the early 1900's.
Each chapter focuses on signficant aspects of Mays' life as well as special memories dear to her heart.
When I was a little girl, maybe three or four years old, there was an Indian man traveling through Waskom... And I told Mama, I wanted to be named for him...And I named myself Osceola. That was his name, and my name was after him.
Communicated through her own words, Mays provides pure and authentic images of her hometown of Waskom, Texas, the day of her baptism, slavery, as well as other recollections of her life experiences. Her language is clear, simple, and straightforward. Readers get the feeling they are being told stories from grandmother's lap.
The rich textured illustrations complement the text magnificently. Shane Evans provides readers with glowing illustrations of Ms. Mays as a girl and as she matures. Evans presents extremely vibrant and realistic visuals of events such as the Juneteenth picnic based on Mays' memories.
Osceola: Memories of a Sharecropper's Daughter is a charming powerful book that provides insight into a significant era in African American history. This book is valuable to historians who are fascinated with oral histories. In addition, parents and grandparents who wish to discuss early African-American history with children will treasure this book!
