4 out of 4 stars
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From Hill Town to Strieby by Margo Lee Williams is a beautiful and inspiring story set in Strieby (formerly known as Hilltown), Randolph County in North Carolina. The narrative majorly revolves around the members of the Hill family starting with Edward Hill and his wife, Priscilla Mahockly. Another family largely featured in the book is the Lassiter family descended from Miles Lassiter, who was born a slave, and his wife Healy Phillips Lassiter.
One of the people who graces the pages of the book, From Hill Town to Strieby, is Rev. Islay Walden, an ambitious and undeterred man. The book showcases his selflessness and undivided determination to change the state of his community. He leaves his home and comes back years later educated and ready to implement long-lasting and invaluable changes to Strieby.
The author, Margo Lee Williams, masterfully presents the backdrop of Strieby and the circumstances surrounding Rev. Islay Walden’s life and the community he was serving at the time. Behind his gracious and determined efforts, Rev. Islay Walden did not impact the community by himself; rather he was also aided by others before him and those who offered him their help.
One of the best aspects of the book, From Hill Town to Strieby, to me, was that it contains inspiring and informative information on how both the Church and education played significant roles in the development of rural African American communities. Margo Lee Williams points out how the American Missionary Association (AMA) brought education to African Americans in the South. The Association was of great help to the Strieby community and also advanced Rev. Islay’s hope of seeing his people educated.
Another great aspect of the book is the rich history that it contains starting from the 1700s and moving along generational lines to the Strieby community now. Margo Lee Williams shows how the town has changed and what deliberate efforts were made to change the state of affairs. She keenly focuses on education, Church and family and how all these have changed from a time of great adversity and impoverishment to a point of significant liberty and development.
From Hill Town to Strieby is also very well researched, organized and written. It contains close to no grammatical errors and I could not help admiring the meticulousness of Margo Lee Williams. The various historical records and images that were also included in the book built interest in me to keep reading the book and helped me understand the information contained even more deeply. They also ignited my imagination. I found the book really inspirational and therefore rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
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From Hill Town to Strieby
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