A Right Worthy Woman

Watson (Cranberry Winter) offers an illuminating if straightforward fictional biography of pioneering African American banker and entrepreneur Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934). The story begins in 1876 Richmond, Va., when Maggie’s father dies under suspicious circumstances and her mother suspects his killing was racially motivated. The Independent Order of St. Luke, a Black fraternal group in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood, helps the Mitchells pay for the funeral. The order’s commitment to the community so impresses Maggie that she becomes a member. After working as a schoolteacher for a few years, during which time she makes a point of educating young children about the value of money, Maggie meets Armstead Walker at one of the order’s meetings. In him, she finds a man who works equally as hard as she does and supports her endeavors. Through WWI, the 1918 flu, the Great Depression, and the passage of Jim Crow laws, Maggie makes Jackson Ward thrive, opening a bank and a department store that both cater to Black customers and earning the neighborhood the nickname “the Black Wall Street of the South.” Though the story is simplistic, Watson adds plenty of drama as Maggie perseveres in dangerous situations involving physical intimidation from white men. This appealing portrait would be perfect for a high school classroom. Agent: Marly Rusoff, Marly Rusoff Literary. (June)