On Her Own Ground

The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker

By: A'Lelia Bundles

Narrated by: A'Lelia Bundles

Now a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, Self Made (formerly titled On Her Own Ground) is the first full-scale biography of “one of the great success stories of American history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker—the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist—by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles.

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Sarah Breedlove—who would become known as Madam C. J. Walker—was orphaned at seven, married at fourteen, and widowed at twenty. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then—with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women—everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds: building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women, and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington.

tedious telling

I wish this incredible story was told in a less stilted and tedious way. I persisted in listening because the historical details were important and interesting, but so disappointed with the telling.
I actually listened at 1.25 speed, and that made it more bearable

Loved it!

I loved how in depth it went. We only learn about the top layer of Madam C. J. Walker's life but this book gives you more. I could see everything that she was saying. How could you not root for Madam C. J. Walker!

Great content & well researched subject matter

Excellent story! In depth and well written. Nothing like the Netflix movie which was very “Disney” like. This is the real, true story of a phenomenal human being. My only wish is that the Author had hired a professional narrator. Her reading was OK but entirely too dramatic. Emphasis on random words/phrases made it border on a comical reading. Still, I highly recommend it.

Much better than the mini series.

Enjoyed listening to the history of a lesser known American or at least one that didn't show up in my history books as a child. Too bad the movie from this title didn't stay true to her life story which was way more interesting.

Well Written History.

I throughly enjoyed reading Bundles’s work. It is a must read for anyone interested in a scholarly, yet entertaining account of the life and times of Madam Walker. The author does her ancestor much justice in demonstrating her role as major player in early 20th century race leadership and uplift.