MOTHER MARY’S GLORY
Her face has appeared on postage stamps; a 2004 online poll ranked her as the greatest black Briton ever; a statue was erected in her honour at London’s Saint Thomas’ Hospital, and in 2016 the internet service provider Google celebrated her life and achievements with a Doodle graphic. More than a hundred and forty years after her death Mary Seacole, a mixed-race Jamaican herbalist and contemporary of Florence Nightingale, continues to fascinate the public. Can her Glory Ever Fade? by the British writer Jay Margrave is an engaging account of a remarkable Victorian life.
Told in the first person by her loyal servant Horatia, the story traces Seacole’s journey from the Caribbean basin to England and later the Crimea where her “British hotel” distributed food, traditional herbal remedies, and much needed comfort to soldiers fighting the Russian enemy. “Mother Seacole” as she was affectionately known, was hugely admired and when she was declared bankrupt on returning to England well-wishers, former soldiers, and aristocratic friends raised money on her behalf. This delightful, well written book is a fitting tribute to a woman who conquered prejudice with generosity, kindness, and dignity.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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Why not buy a copy of Jay Margrave’s Jane Austen inspired novel Love and Loyalty
