Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria

I am very proud of both of my sisters. One of them, Kyra, published a children's book last year. This was her second book. Both focus on her passion for quilting. The children's book is based on a true story. It is called Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria.

Martha Ann is twelve years old when Papa finally saves enough money to purchase her freedom from slavery. In 1830, the family leaves east Tennessee to begin a new life in Liberia. On market days, Martha Ann watches the British navy patrolling the Liberian coast to stop slave catchers from kidnapping her family and friends and forcing them back into slavery. Martha Ann decides to thank Queen Victoria in person for sending the navy. But first, she must determine how to make the 3,500-mile voyage to England, find a suitable gift for the Queen, and withstand the ridicule of family and friends who learn of her impossible dream. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is the true story of Martha Ann Ricks, an ex-slave who spent fifty years saving spare coins to fulfill her dream of meeting the Queen of England.

Kyra is a quilter, just like Martha Ann. Kyra's quilts have appeared in more than thirty exhibits in the United States and abroad. She loves historical research and rediscovering the lives of quilters past. She is the author of Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook. Kyra lives in Arlington, Virginia, where she tends her colorful, fragrant rose garden. Visit her Web site at http://www.blackthreads.com/.

My sister recently created a teacher's guide for any educator that wants to use this children's book as part of the learning process. Click here for your copy of the 4-page teacher's guide.