{"product_id":"the-other-madisons-the-lost-history-of-a-presidents-black-family-9780358505006","title":"The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President's Black Family","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\"A \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoots \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003efor a new generation, rich in storytelling and steeped in history.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e, \u003c\/em\u003e starred review\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"A compelling saga that gives a voice to those that history tried to erase . . . Poignant and eye-opening, this is a must-read.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBooklist \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Other Madisons\u003c\/em\u003e, Bettye Kearse--a descendant of an enslaved cook and, according to oral tradition, President James Madison--shares her family story and explores the issues of legacy, race, and the powerful consequences of telling the whole truth. \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For thousands of years, West African \u003cem\u003egriots\u003c\/em\u003e (men) and \u003cem\u003egriottes\u003c\/em\u003e (women) have recited the stories of their people. Without this tradition Bettye Kearse would not have known that she is a descendant of President James Madison and his slave, and half-sister, Coreen. In 1990, Bettye became the eighth-generation \u003cem\u003egriotte\u003c\/em\u003e for her family. Their credo--\"\u003cem\u003eAlways remember--you're a Madison. You come from African slaves and a president\u003c\/em\u003e\"--was intended to be a source of pride, but for her, it echoed with abuses of slavery, including rape and incest. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Confronting those abuses, Bettye embarked on a journey of discovery--of her ancestors, the nation, and herself. She learned that wherever African slaves walked, recorded history silenced their voices and buried their footsteps: beside a slave-holding fortress in Ghana; below a federal building in New York City; and under a brick walkway at James Madison's Virginia plantation. When Bettye tried to confirm the information her ancestors had passed down, she encountered obstacles at every turn. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Part personal quest, part testimony, part historical correction, \u003cem\u003eThe Other Madisons \u003c\/em\u003eis the saga of an extraordinary American family told by a \u003cem\u003egriotte\u003c\/em\u003e in search of the whole story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBETTYE KEARSE is a writer and retired pediatrician. Her writing has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Magazine, \u003c\/i\u003ethe \u003ci\u003eBoston Herald, TIME Magazine, River Teeth, Zora, \u003c\/i\u003e and the anthology \u003ci\u003eBlack Lives Have Always Mattered\u003c\/i\u003e, among other places. \u003ci\u003eThe Other Madisons \u003c\/i\u003ereceived the International Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Book Award for Nonfiction, Autobiography. Her research for \u003ci\u003eThe Other Madisons\u003c\/i\u003e was covered in the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post. \u003c\/i\u003eShe lives in New Mexico.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50440406073618,"sku":"9780358505006","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_dd0e33f2-8af3-49ab-9822-501238edf7e7.jpg?v=1729660315","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-other-madisons-the-lost-history-of-a-presidents-black-family-9780358505006","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}