LOUDMOUTH

When 16-year-old Emma Goldman, who was born into a Jewish family in present-day Lithuania, emigrated in 1885, she couldn’t have imagined that by her 20s, newspapers would dub her the “Queen of the Anarchists.”

Settling in Rochester, New York, she faced prejudice, low pay, and crowded factory conditions. She had a history of speaking out against injustice, but it was the 1886 Haymarket incident, in which eight Chicago anarchists were framed for a riot that killed labor strikers and police officers, that set her on the path to anarchism. Goldman argued that injustices should be addressed through equality and community rather than hierarchical power structures. Relocating to New York City, she joined a group of radical thinkers. Despite terrible stage fright, she was a gifted speaker, drawing crowds in the thousands. Whether speaking on police brutality, birth control, gender inequality within marriage, or conscription, she encouraged people to challenge the status quo. The passion Goldman brought to her speeches and essays carried over into her personal life: She loved dancing and believed in free love, enjoying relationships with many different men. While most of Goldman’s circles seem to have been white, Heiligman weaves in mention of some racial issues of the time. This well-researched and comprehensive but slightly dense account of a fascinating and courageous woman’s life will feel relevant to contemporary teens.

Vividly portrays the life of a champion who stood up—loudly—to injustice.