Amy Hill Hearth, Author of "The Delany Sisters Reach High," "Having Our Say"
Basic Facts
Amy Hill Hearth, a New York Times Bestselling Author, is the author with the late Sarah and Elizabeth Delany of the much-loved oral history, "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" (Kodansha, 1993). In 2003, Ms. Hearth wrote a children's illustrated biography of the sisters called, "The Delany Sisters Reach High" (Abingdon Press), which received national attention and critical acclaim. Ms. Hearth, a journalist, discovered the reclusive sisters, the daughters of a man born into slavery, and wrote an article about them for the Sunday New York Times in 1991. She was asked by a book publisher who read her article to expand it into book form. The result was "Having Our Say," an enormously successful bestseller. It was on The New York Times bestseller list for a total of more than two years. The book was critically-acclaimed and won several prestigious awards, including an ABBY Honor Book (American Association of Booksellers) and a spot on the coveted American Library Association's "Best Books of the Year." The book was later dramatized for the stage (Broadway, 1995) and for television (CBS, 1999). Ms. Hearth served as Artistic Advisor on both the stage and film adaptations. The film starred Amy Madigan as Amy Hill Hearth and Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee as the centenarian Delany sisters. Ms. Hearth and the film's producers received Peabody Awards for their work on the film. Ms. Hearth is also the author with the late Sarah and Elizabeth Delany of the bestseller, "The Delany Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom" (Kodansha, 1994). She is also the author with the late Sarah Delany of "On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life Without Bessie," the critically acclaimed story of grief and recovery (Harper Collins, 1997). Ms. Hearth's fourth book is "In a World Gone Mad: A Heroic Story of Love, Faith, and Survival" (Abingdon Press, 2001, a true story of a couple who survived the Holocaust in Poland by masquerading as Catholics. Ms. Hearth is a member of the Authors Guild and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She is also a Board Member of the New Jersey Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
Summary of Books by Amy Hill Hearth
"THE DELANY SISTERS REACH HIGH" (Children's Nonfiction, age 6-12, Abingdon Press, 2003). Illustrated by Tim Ladwig.
"With this book, Hearth has added a significant title to the spectrum of children's literature."
- The Christian Science Monitor
"Delivers a striking history lesson."
- Publisher's Weekly
(Tim Ladwig's illustrations are) "sunlit, golden, paradisiacal." - The Washington Post.
"A window into life for African-American families in the early 20th century."
- School Library Journal.
"A wonderful biography (which) will delight readers with educational but fun information. (Reading it) can make you a better person."
- The Dallas Morning News. (Reviewed by a fifth grade girl).
"Hearth is an evocative writer with an appealing, direct style." - Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
"Inspiring reading for today's kids."
- The Orange County (Calif.) Register.
(ISBN for "The Delany Sisters Reach High" is:
0-687-03074-9)
"HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY SISTERS' FIRST 100 YEARS" (Adult Nonfiction, Kodansha, 1993). A candid and charming view of a century of American life from the perspective of two centenarian sisters, the daughters of a slave. This book has been added to the curriculum at several thousand high schools and colleges across the U.S.
"A proud, vivid oral history." -- Newsweek Magazine.
"The Delany Sisters are a national treasure." -- Julian Bond.
"Destined to become a classic!" -- Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
Hardcover published by Kodansha America, New York, 1993. (Hardcover ISBN# 1-56836-010-X).
Paperback published by Dell, NY, 1995.
(Paperback ISBN# 0-385-31252-0).
"Having Our Say" was dramatized for the Broadway stage in 1995 and for a CBS television film in 1999. Dr. Camille O. Cosby and Judith R. James, producers. (To order film, call 1-888-227-8881. Item CS1079.)
"THE DELANY SISTERS' BOOK OF EVERYDAY WISDOM" (Adult Nonfiction, Kodansha, 1994). The sensational centenarian Delany sisters share their time-honored philosophy of life and offer advice for living a long, contented life.
"Enchanting" -- The New York Times Book Review
Published by Kodansha America, New York, 1994.
ISBN number 1-56836-042-8 (hardcover)and 1-56836-1661 (paperback)
"ON MY OWN: REFLECTIONS ON LIFE WITHOUT BESSIE" (Adult Nonfiction, Harper Collins, 1997). Written after Bessie Delany's death in 1995, this book is a tenderly-written guide to recovering from the death of a cherished loved one. Illustrated by Brian M. Kotzky with watercolors of Bessie's favorite flowers from her garden.
"An inspiring testament of the power of love and the enduring bonds of family." -- Coretta Scott King.
Published by Harper Collins/HarperSanFrancisco, 1997. (ISBN# 0-06-251485-7.)
"IN A WORLD GONE MAD: A HEROIC STORY OF LOVE, FAITH, AND SURVIVAL" (Adult Nonfiction, Abingdon Press, 2001). A book which traces the friendship between Ms. Hearth, a Christian of German-American descent, and an elderly pair of Jewish Holocaust survivors who share with her their unusual story. Chosen for the New York Public Library's "Best Books for Young Adults 2002." ISBN 0-687-09610-3
How to Contact Amy Hill Hearth
For inquiries regarding "In a World Gone Mad" contact Daniel A. Strone, Trident Media Group, 488 Madison Avenue, 17th floor, NY, NY 10022.
For inquiries regarding "The Delany Sisters Reach high," "Having Our Say" and the other Delany-Hearth books, contact the office of Mel Berger, William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10019.
To order books:
These books are available from your local independant book store.
Or, you may order them from:
Barnes and Noble (bn.com)
Amazon.com
or
BookSense.com
ISBN numbers are listed in text above.
Other Amy Hill Hearth web page
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