Wilma's Way Home

As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other, even when times were hard for everyone. But in 1956, the federal government uprooted her family and moved them to California, wrenching them from their home, friends, and traditions. Separated from her community and everything she knew, Wilma felt utterly lost until she found refuge in the Indian Center in San Francisco. There, she worked to build and develop the local Native community and championed Native political activists. She took her two children to visit tribal communities in the state, and as she introduced them to the traditions of their heritage, she felt a longing for home.

Returning to Oklahoma with her daughters, Wilma took part in Cherokee government. Despite many obstacles, from resistance to female leadership to a life-threatening accident, Wilma s courageous dedication to serving her people led to her election as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As leader and advocate, she reinvigorated her constituency by empowering them to identify and solve community problems.

This beautiful addition to the Big Words series will inspire future leaders to persevere in empathy and thoughtful problem-solving, reaching beyond themselves to help those around them. Moving prose by award-winning author Doreen Rappaport is interwoven with Wilma s own words in this expertly researched biography, illustrated with warmth and vivacity by Linda Kukuk.

“"Gives readers a sense of intimacy. A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through a family photo album."-- Kirkus Reviews”

"Employing her familiar pattern of accessible narration punctuated by the subject's direct quotations, Rappaport emphasizes not only the hurdle of overcoming poverty in a society that devalues Native culture but also twentieth-century intra-Cherokee resistance to women in an elevated leadership role. Artwork is friendly and accessible, with vivid details of settings both natural and human-engineered."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Rappaport has produced a thoroughly researched biography enhanced by Mankiller's own words.... Choctaw artist Kukuk's detailed scratchboard and watercolor illustrations provide visual balance. The combined effect gives readers a sense of intimacy. A solid resource for a classroom or school library about a phenomenal Cherokee woman that feels a bit like flipping through a family photo album."--Kirkus Reviews
"An important read for all libraries, this work highlights a strong woman who left a vital message for future leaders."--School Library Journal
"Mankiller's own words, woven throughout the text, makes this book soar. Hearing her voice gives us a sense of the real woman. When Mankiller says, 'Women can help turn the world right side up, ' her sincerity resonates, and we can't help nodding at the wisdom of her words."--The New York Times

Doreen Rappaport s nonfiction and historical fiction books have been acclaimed for their meticulous research and varied literary styles. She is the recipient of the Washington Post Children s Book Guild lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Among her many award-winning biographies are Martin s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Children s Book Award winner; and Abe s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Library of Virginia s Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award winner, a CCBC Best Book of the Year, and an IRA Teachers Choice. Doreen lives in upstate New York. Visit her at

A native of rural Oklahoma with Choctaw ancestry, Linda Kukuk specializes in both scratchboard art and watercolor painting. She is a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild and has received numerous awards for her work. Her art has been featured in the International Society of Scratchboard Artists Show, as well as the Festival of Arts in Oklahoma City, the OCCC Arts Festival Oklahoma, the Downtown Edmond Art Festival, the Red Earth Festival, the Cherokee Art Market in Tulsa, the Oklahoma Art Guild National Show, and the Kiamichi Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest Art Show. In addition to art, Linda enjoys travel, photography, gardening, cooking, and competing in 5K races. You can

As a child in Oklahoma, Wilma Mankiller experienced the Cherokee practice of Gadugi, helping each other, even when times were hard for everyone. But in 1956, the federal government uprooted her family and moved them to California, wrenching them from their home, friends, and traditions. Separated from her community and everything she knew, Wilma felt utterly lost until she found refuge in the Indian Center in San Francisco. There, she worked to build and develop the local Native community and championed Native political activists. She took her two children to visit tribal communities in the state, and as she introduced them to the traditions of their heritage, she felt a longing for home.Returning to Oklahoma with her daughters, Wilma took part in Cherokee government. Despite many obstacles, from resistance to female leadership to a life-threatening accident, Wilma s courageous dedication to serving her people led to her election as the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. As leader and advocate, she reinvigorated her constituency by empowering them to identify and solve community problems.This beautiful addition to the Big Words series will inspire future leaders to persevere in empathy and thoughtful problem-solving, reaching beyond themselves to help those around them. Moving prose by award-winning author Doreen Rappaport is interwoven with Wilma s own words in this expertly researched biography, illustrated with warmth and vivacity by Linda Kukuk.

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