ALICE FAYE DUNCAN AT NOVEL: CORETTA’S JOURNEY & TRAVELING SHOES
Novel is thrilled to welcome ALICE FAYE DUNCAN Saturday, November 11 at 2:00 PM to celebrate her new books CORETTA’S JOURNEY: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CORETTA SCOTT KING and TRAVELING SHOES: THE STORY OF WILLYE WHITE, US OLYMPIAN AND LONG JUMP CHAMPION
ABOUT TRAVELING SHOES:
Untold until now, here is the story of Black sprinter and long-jumper Willye B. White, who went from picking cotton as a child in Mississippi to competing and winning in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics.
Future Olympian Willye B. White was born in 1939 in Money, Mississippi–but money was exactly what she didn’t have. Abandoned by both her parents, she worked alongside her grandparents in the cotton fields. Willye had big dreams, though. So when her cousin noticed she was the fastest runner around, Willye jumped at the chance to put on her traveling shoes and run her way to better opportunities. And run Willye did, first for the Tennessee State Tigerbelles and then for the US Olympic team. Her struggles weren’t over though–time and again, Willye had to remind herself, “I believe in me,” whether she was running and jumping or witnessing the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement.
Through Alice Faye Duncan’s signature combination of poetry and prose and Keith Mallett’s lifelike illustrations, readers will be inspired by Willye White’s persistence and will learn how she contributed to Black progress with muscle and grit.
ABOUT CORETTA’S JOURNEY:
From the award-winning author/illustrator team behind Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop
Who was Coretta Scott King? Her black-veiled image at the funeral of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was moving and iconic. This book introduces readers to the woman behind the veil–a girl full of spunk and pluck, bravery and grit.
“Corrie, you are a brave soldier. I don’t know what I would do without you.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Much more than just a wife, Coretta Scott King was Martin’s partner in the fight for justice. It wasn’t always easy. From an early age, she stood strong against white violence toward her family in the South, and against discrimination as a music student in the North. Coretta found her voice as a classical singer, but she struggled mightily to speak out as an activist in the face of men who thought she should be seen and not heard. But she never wavered. When Martin died, it was Coretta who carried on the struggle, and preserved his legacy so that his voice would be heard by future generations. This important story, told in poetry and prose, is a riveting introduction to an important and instrumental figure in the history of activism and civil rights.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alice Faye Duncan is the author of multiple children’s books, including Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop, which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and five starred reviews, and Just Like Mama, which was nominated for the NAACP Image Award. Her most recent books include Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free, Evicted!, and Yellow Dog Blues.
