Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women
by Christine McDonnell (Author) Victoria Tentler-Krylov (Illustrator)
Before Kip Tiernan came along, the US had no shelters for women. Here is the inspirational story of a singular woman and what her vision and compassion have brought to life.
"Justice is not three hots and a cot. Justice is having your own key." --Kip Tiernan
When Kip Tiernan was growing up during the Great Depression, she'd help her granny feed the men who came to their door asking for help. As Kip grew older, and as she continued to serve food to hungry people, she noticed something peculiar: huddled at the back of serving lines were women dressed as men. At the time, it was believed that there were no women experiencing homelessness. And yet Kip would see women sleeping on park benches and searching for food in trash cans. Kip decided to open the first shelter for women--a shelter with no questions asked, no required chores, just good meals and warm beds. With persistence, Kip took on the city of Boston in her quest to open Rosie's Place, our nation's first shelter for women.
Christine McDonnell, a former educator at Rosie's Place, and illustrator Victoria Tentler-Krylov bring warmth to Kip Tiernan's story of humanity and tenacity, showing readers how one person's dream can make a huge difference, and small acts of kindness can lead to great things.
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Publishers Weekly
McDonnell, a former educator at Boston's Rosie's Place, the first women's shelter in the U.S., spotlights Mary Jane "Kip" Tiernan (1926-2011), raised during the Great Depression by her grandmother, whose selflessness inspired Tiernan to care deeply about addressing housing insecurity. Interspersed with quotes, the book tracks Tiernan's feats in brisk prose that uses outmoded language: "Just as her grandmother had helped people during the Depression, Kip was determined to help these homeless women.... Again and again, she heard this answer: homelessness isn't a women's problem." Tiernan's frustration with the lack of resources would eventually lead her to open Rosie's Place in 1974, as well as help found many of Boston's aid programs. Tentler-Krylov contributes fluid, atmospheric illustrations, rendered in watercolor and digital media, that portray figures of varying ability, age, skin tone, and size, underscoring Tiernan's mission to help all in this compassionate narrative about the ambitious, accomplished social activist. Back matter includes more about Kip Tiernan and the Great Depression. Ages 7-10. (Mar.)
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—Publishers Weekly
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
JNF071000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Activism & Volunteering
