Ellen's Broom

Ellen's Broom
By KELLY STARLING LYONS
Illustrated by DANIEL MINTER

ABOUT ELLEN’S BROOM

Ellen always knew the broom resting above the hearth was special. Before it was legal for her mother and father to officially be married, the broom was what made them a family anyway. But now all former slaves who had already been married in their hearts could register as lawful husband and wife.

When Ellen and her family make the long trip to the courthouse dressed in their best, she brings the broom her parents had jumped so many years before. Even though freedom has come, Ellen knows the old traditions are important too. After Mama and Papa’s names are recorded in the register, Ellen nearly bursts with pride as her parents jump the broom once again.

Ellen’s Broom is a sweet yet powerful story about a young girl who learns the significance of a so-called broom wedding. Slavery has ended and Reconstruction just begun. This means that the marriages of formerly enslaved people, like Ellen’s parents, can be formally recognized and considered legal. Award-winning North Carolina author, Kelly Starling Lyons, was inspired to write Ellen’s Broom after researching her own family history and discovering a document, the 1866 Cohabitation List of Henry County, Virginia. Slaveholders kept such lists because marriages of formerly enslaved people were not protected by the law.

In this fictional story, Ellen’s mother explains the importance of a broom that hangs on the wall of their cabin. Enslaved people were not allowed to be married so the tradition was to have a ‘broom wedding’ where a couple would jump over a broom into a new life together. Since Ellen’s Broom takes place during Reconstruction, her parents can now go to a Freedman’s Bureau to have their marriage legally recognized. Their marriage certificate marks the progress of Reconstruction; yet, the dark history of slavery is not forgotten as symbolized by the enduring presence of the broom. It’s a poignant story with vibrant block print illustrations created by Daniel Minter.

Published 2012; Hardcover, 32 pages; Reading level 5-8 years