Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People

“In this country, Harriet Tubman is practically a pop culture icon at this point. She was an escaped slave who very bravely turned around and became a key part of the Underground Railroad, rescuing as many as 80 slaves and getting them to the North or to Canada. Many books have been written about her, from books for children to full-fledged biographies. Miles was interested in something different; she’s interested in Tubman’s spirituality. It’s not a fully-fledged biography; to me it reads more like an extended essay on the faith that these women had, how it sustained them. Miles’s deep reservoir of knowledge really carries it along.” Read more...

The Best Biographies: The 2025 NBCC Shortlist

Mary Ann Gwinn, Journalist