Suffer and Grow Strong: The Life of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1834-1907

This is the first full biography of the beautiful and intelligent Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas (1834-1907), the daughter of one of the richest families in Georgia before the Civil War, who was an early graduate of the first women's college in America, Wesleyan Female College, in 1851, and a prodigious diarist for 41 years. The Civil War brought financial devastation, hardship, and loss. Her diaries demonstrate her strategies for meeting the challenges of her life: starting a school in her home, turning her family home into a boarding house. She became an activist later in life for women's issues and temperance. Through her diaries, scrapbooks, court records, and interviews with descendants, Curry paints a portrait of the indomitable spirit of a Southern Lady, who weathered the misfortunates that came her way, including the loss of four of her 10 children. Ten chapters are organized chronologically. There are notes, bibliography, and illustrations. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)