It took me a long time to read this book (and even longer to write the report) it started out s.l.o.w. and I got hooked on The Office in the mean time and had to catch up on four seasons in my spare time.
There are almost no records or details of Ada's life. She was born a slave and therefore did not exist by name on any official records or census. There are no records of her parents or her schooling or how and why she made it to New York. When she left the South she left it for good and passed on no written or verbal stories to her children about her time there.
It's a great history lesson and a recommended read. Just don't expect a romance novel.
Summary: The preeminent geologist of the nineteenth century and first director of the US Geological Survey lives a double life, portraying himself has a light skinned (black) Pullman Porter to marry a former slave and poorly paid domestic worker. He hid his family life and wife from his friends and colleagues and he hid his work life, career and top level government friends from his wife.
Details: Because he was white and well to do and a Yale educated high level government worker there is enough info on Clarence King to write volumes. The first half of the book documents his family life, education and work travels in great detail. No offense to my friend Scott but the minute details of geologists' travels and rock discoveries just aren't that exciting.
There are almost no records or details of Ada's life. She was born a slave and therefore did not exist by name on any official records or census. There are no records of her parents or her schooling or how and why she made it to New York. When she left the South she left it for good and passed on no written or verbal stories to her children about her time there.
It's a sad story because he really lived in a time when he had to hide his interracial marriage to save his career and doubly sad because he LIED to the woman he loved and mother of his children.
In this 21st century peace, love and equal rights era I can't help but think that he could have told her the truth and then asked her help in hiding it. It would have saved both a great deal of heartache.
As it was he disappeared for months at a time, on the pretense of working on the trains, to do his work and then would disappear from work life to reappear at home for a few weeks at a time.
They had five children - none who ended up doing anything spectacular or even great. Only one grandchild by blood who married white and then chose to adopt white children rather than pass on any possible black traits.
I found it a sad story. Although my mom was quick to remind me that Ada was born a slave, then freed, escaped the deep south, and then married an intelligent, well to do man who provided for her and her children a comfortable house and servants of her own. More than she would ever have imagined, I'm sure. He ended up dying young and she was widowed for sixty years.
It's a great history lesson and a recommended read. Just don't expect a romance novel.
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