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Marcy Bowser, a Colorado native and longtime Ohioan, has always loved history. Her grandmother was a cousin to Annie Taylor and the first person to tell her Annie's story. Whenever Marcy visited her father in Buffalo, New York, he would take her to stunning, scenic Niagara Falls; those visits sparked this book. Marcy enjoys poetry and cowrote the children's book "The Puppy Chronicles" with her son Richard. Marcy and her husband Sam enjoy camping, hiking, and traveling.
Reviewed by Natalie Soine for Readers' Favorite
The Dedicated Dancer by Marcy Bowser tells the amazing story of Annie Taylor (nee Edson) who grew up in Auburn, New York. Annie attended a city school in winter and worked on a farm in summer where she also attended a district school. Annie’s father was a farmer and her mother took care of the home and children. When her parents died, the children were sent to a seminary school for orphans but Annie was sent away to a different school. At the age of 18, Annie married Samuel D. Taylor. After their baby passed away in 1863, Samuel enlisted in The Union Army but was shot and killed. Annie became a school teacher, traveled extensively, and met Calvin who became her companion. Annie became a dance instructor, constantly moving from town to town. Being a strong and courageous woman, Annie decided to conquer Niagara Falls in a specially designed barrel that would protect her. She was depending on this stunt and her manager, Frank M. Russell, to pull her out of debt and into a more profitable and comfortable lifestyle. After surviving the falls, Annie was invited to speaking engagements and lectures to share her incredible story.
The Dedicated Dancer is a beautiful story of one woman’s courage and determination. Author Marcy Bowser captures the life of Annie through all her travels and experiences. Her personality and character shine through; Annie was absolutely a force to be reckoned with. I especially enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the various scenes and locations in the towns and cities that Annie lived in and visited. The story is smooth flowing and comfortable to read with a few surprises along the way. This story also shows how well Annie dealt with discrimination and a lack of empathy from people who did not know her history. She was too trusting of strangers, a difficult lesson to learn. All-round, a great story that is highly recommended to adults and children.
