Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

By: Sarah Bird

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author and is read by acclaimed narrator Bahni Turpin, whose voice listeners will recognize from The Hate U Give, Children of Blood and Bone, and The Underground Railroad.

From Sarah Bird comes the compelling, hidden story of Cathy Williams, a former slave and the first woman to ever serve in the US Army 

“Here's the first thing you need to know about Miss Cathy Williams: I am the daughter of a daughter of a queen and my Mama never let me forget it." 

Missouri, 1864 - Powerful, epic, and compelling, Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen shines light on a nearly forgotten figure in history. Cathy Williams was born and lived a slave - until the Union army comes and destroys the only world she’s known. Separated from her family, she makes the impossible decision - to fight in the army disguised as a man with the Buffalo Soldiers. 

With courage and wit, Cathy must not only fight for her survival and freedom in the ultimate man’s world, but never give up on her mission to find her family, and the man she loves. Beautiful, strong, and impactful, Cathy’s story is one that illustrates the force of hidden history come to light, the strength of women, and the power of love.  

©2018 Sarah Bird (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"[A]n epic page-turner...unforgettable." (Christina Baker Kline, New York Times best-selling author of A Piece of the World and Orphan Train)

"Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen is Sarah Bird at her very best - witty, heartbreaking, and deeply honest. The carefully researched, richly imagined story of Cathy Williams is a beautiful reminder of a forgotten part of women's history. You'll be swept away by the passion and power of this remarkable, trailblazing woman who risked everything to follow her own heart." (Kristin Hannah, number one New York Times best-selling author)

A WONDERFUL BOOK !!!

I hope this becomes a movie
A wonderfully written book, comical ... oh the shade!
Filled with black pride
Woman pride
American pride
Again very well written
The narrator is amazing , so much ranch in her voice

13 people found this helpful

Best book I've read or listened to in years!

Beautifully written and told story of the only known woman Buffalo Soldier, Cathy Williams. I had the remarkable pleasure of meeting the woman who portrays Cathy Williams for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Then a co-worker told me about this book. I was thrilled to learn that Cathy Williams story was being told. I also had the honor to meet the author and hear her tell her story of how she learned about Cathy Williams--not to give anything away, but she does give an interview at the end of the audible version that you won't want to miss! It is a remarkable read, full of action, hardship, sorrow, and laughter--it is life, Cathy's life.

10 people found this helpful

Exceptional

Beautiful. HistorIcal. An inspiring true story of “Cafeé “ Cathy Williams a freed slave that disguised as a man that joined the Buffalo soldiers for two years. Timeless story that depicts a woman in history that should be considered a national hero. This book should be required reading for high school students of American history. Bonnie Turpin is by far one of of the best reader of any of the audiobooks I have listened to and does this amazing book justice.
Do it hesitate to listen and share this story.

8 people found this helpful

Wonderful!

This was an awesome story and well read. Suspenseful, emotional, and a sobering testimony to those brave men and women who served in the military in the 19th century.

5 people found this helpful

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!!

Great story!!!!!!! I enjoyed every moment of this book. I need a nap! No sleep listening to this story.

4 people found this helpful

A Missed Opportunity

I would not have finished this book except I am in a book club and I wanted to be able to discuss it with the group. I did not feel it was adequately researched for a historical fiction book. The author made Cathy out to be a weak woman by having her always fawning after a man. I bet the real Cathy wanted nothing of the sort in the Infantry. The author makes Cathy out to be the best marksman in the unit, even gets a medal for it, but never describes a situation where Cathy kills anyone to deserve that medal. That is because it would be politically incorrect because the Buffalo Soldiers were killing native American Indians and 4 million bison (to starve the Indians). She gave Cathy a modern day attitude that didn't fit the 1800's story. It could be a good middle school book, but it has an unnecessary female gay sex scene that comes out of no where, and talk of soldiers masturbating etc. I hope another author picks up this story and does Cathy justice, writing a more factual, true to the day narrative.

10 people found this helpful

Black Girls Rock

LOVED IT!!!!
Cathay Williams is just one of the women who's shoulders black and brown girls stand on; allowing us to soar like eagles.

2 people found this helpful

UNORIGINAL CLAPTRAP

COMMERCIALIZED NONSENSE MARKETED AS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION. My overall rating is based on the excellent performance of the voice actor, Bahni Turpin. However, this is a mostly negative interpretation of an American historical figure for whom there is little to no written history. I don't believe the "spirit of Cathy Williams" wants the world to remember her as she is depicted in this UNINSPIRED, mid-century American TV Western. A cowboys and Indians story peppered with a weak version of black history (and very little of that), overuse of the "N Word" and a DISMAL FICTIONAL ENDING for a real life American soldier. I cannot recommend this book as a means of learning about or celebrating the African American experience.

1 person found this helpful

repetitive story line

What can I say? I wanted to like this book. I had heard the author speak in person about the journey to write it, it sounded like a fascinating story. But it was just too long. How many times can you be entertained by -- "oh another close call -- they almost figured out I was a woman!" I only made it 2/3 of the way through.

Bahni Turpin did a reasonably good job as narrator but I am always shocked when a professional voice artist mispronounces a word. Yes "victuals" is an obscure word nowadays but 150 years ago it was common enough to occur at least 7 times in this text. The rarity of it now is all the more reason to look it up. "Vittles" is the correct pronunciation.

1 person found this helpful

HORRIBLE!! Just plain bad. Don’t waste your credits!!

This is probably one of the worst books that I’ve ever listened to and I’ve listened to some bad books.
Where do I start??? First.. boring. When I thought sections in the book were going to pick up..it didn’t. Instead lead to more boring too much descriptive gobbledygook.

Second... the weird descriptions of the land, people, words, etc made it clear that this book was not written from the perspective of a slave.

Third... that ending was lackluster. I wanted to just stop listening, but at that point I was already invested 14 hours.

Fourth... the names of the characters are super weird!

What saved the book was the narrator except for the voice of “Vickers”

No just no! Absolutely not! Don’t waste your credit or money!

2 people found this helpful