The Great Triumph: A Memoir of Courage & Devotion

“Behind every movement northward was a family making a leap of faith. What makes The Great Triumph – A Memoir of Courage & Devotion - especially meaningful is how it captures the devotion that held families together through uncertainty. By recounting her mother’s story, Saddler reminds us that the Great Migration was not only a historical event – it was a series of deeply personal journeys shaped by courage, hope and an unwavering belief that the next generation deserved a better life.”

"In The Great Triumph, journalist Jeanne E. Saddler writes a perceptive, evocative reconstruction of a century of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. Through her mother’s exciting, funny, and sometimes bittersweet stories, Saddler captures the strength passed down through generations of a family navigating a changing political and cultural landscape. A particularly poignant chapter outlines the extraordinary measures, including hush-hush subterfuge, she took that would alter her son’s fate forever. This is an all-American story. " 

“In this tender memoir, Jeanne Saddler honors her remarkable mother, Thelma, whose family left the harsh realities of sharecropping life in the South, settling in Detroit wen she was a young girl. Later in life, she was buoyed by the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, navigating the challenges of her time as a wife and mother. With grace and intimacy, Saddler brings Thelma’s story to life – her brilliance, resilience, determination and her deep commitment to her children and

their futures. Through one woman’s journey, she offers a moving portrait of a generation of Black Americans set on claiming a place in an American Dream long denied. It’s a story that lingers, grounded in love, strength, and a life fully

lived.”

“As a young girl, 'Toot' comes ripping through the red dirt of McCormick County, South Carolina into our hearts and continues to be an unstoppable force as a woman in Detroit, Michigan. Her strength and successes shine through the pages of her life in The Great Triumph – A Memoir of Courage & Devotion.