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Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People
From the National Book Award–winning author of All That She Carried, an intimate and revelatory reckoning with the myth and the truth behind an American everyone knows and few really understandHarriet Tubman is, if surveys are to be trusted, one of the ten most famous Americans ever born and soon to be the face of the twenty-dollar bill. Yet often she’s a figure more out of myth than history, almost a comic-book superhero—the woman who, despite being barely five feet tall, illiterate, and suffering from a brain injury, managed to escape from her own enslavement, return again and again to lead others north to freedom without loss of life, speak out powerfully against slavery, and then become the first American woman in history to lead a military raid, freeing some 750 people. You could almost say she’s America’s Robin Hood, a miraculous vision, often rightly celebrated but seldom understood.Tiya Miles’s extraordinary Night Flyer changes all that. With her characteristic tenderness and imaginative genius, Miles explores beyond the stock historical grid to weave Tubman’s life into the fabric of her world. She probes the ecological reality of Tubman’s surroundings and examines her kinship with other enslaved women who similarly passed through a spiritual wilderness and recorded those travels in profound and moving memoirs. What emerges, uncannily, is a human being whose mysticism becomes the more palpable the more we understand it—a story that offers us powerful inspiration for our own time of troubles. Harriet Tubman traversed many boundaries, inner and outer. Now, thanks to Tiya Miles, she becomes an even clearer and sharper signal from the past, one that can help us to echolocate a more just and sustainable path.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Tiya Miles
18 books474 followersTiya Miles is from Ohio, "the heart of it all," though now she spends summers in her husband's native Montana. She is the author of All That She Carried (which won a National Book Award for nonfiction and more), and of three prize-winning works of history on the intersections of African American and Native American experience. Her forthcoming book, Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People, will be out in June 2024, right on the heels of her short but sweet exploration of childhoods in nature: Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation (September 2024). Her debut dual time period (historical-contemporary) novel based on her early career research, The Cherokee Rose: A Novel of Gardens and Ghosts, was revised with new scenes and released as a paperback original by Random House in June 2023; check out the new version! She has also published a study of haunted plantations and manor homes in the South that reads like a travel narrative. (And she is as surprised as you are that two of her books focus on ghosts!) Her newest book, just out from W. W. Norton, is Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation. Tiya's favorite activities are reading good books while her three teenaged kids write stories together in the background, spending time in old houses, walking along forest trails, and drinking hot chocolate. She is currently working on a history, a novel, and essays about climate change and historic sites. Check out her Substack: Carrying Capacity, for news and updates! https://tiyamiles.substack.com/
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 28, 2024
Historian Tiya Miles explores the faith and devotion of abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman. Night Flyer is not a cradle-to-grave biography of Tubman's life. It is an expedition of the physical and spiritual map of Tubman's path from a young enslaved girl to a Black holy woman, deliverer, and caretaker of freedom seekers. At the heart of Harriet Tubman's activism is her ever-abiding faith in God to watch over and guide her throughout her life and, in particular, six "troubles" or episodes that could have, would have sent her back into bondage.
As a young enslaved woman then named Araminta "Minty" Ross, Harriet Tubman suffered an extremely violent blow to the head when she attempted to intercede in the abuse of a fellow slave by their overseer. The long-term effects of the brutal impact included seizures and episodes of unconsciousness, as well as vivid dreams and visions that led to a spiritual awareness that would stay with her throughout her life.
Through this lens of faith, Miles explores the life of Harriet Tubman. Her deep devotion to God guided her as she traversed the terrain of the Underground Railroad as a conductor seeking freedom for others mired in bondage. Miles correlates Tubman's spirituality to other Black holy women of her time, namely Old Elizabeth, Jarena Lee, Zilpha Elaw, and Julia Foote. What drove these women to have such an abiding faith in God while struggling to obtain clarity in their physical and spiritual life? How did Harriet's devotion to a higher power put her on the trajectory of being a deliverer and caretaker of family and strangers? Miles also connects Tubman's life to the natural world through her beautiful prose, examining this theme of faith.
Instead of relying on primary documents, which she does include, Miles examines the earlier historiography of well-respected Tubman historians, including Kate Clifford Larson and Catherine Clinton. Miles' Pulitzer-worthy addition provides new insights through a unique lens that helps fill the gaps and stand beside the stellar works of her fellow historians.
As a young enslaved woman then named Araminta "Minty" Ross, Harriet Tubman suffered an extremely violent blow to the head when she attempted to intercede in the abuse of a fellow slave by their overseer. The long-term effects of the brutal impact included seizures and episodes of unconsciousness, as well as vivid dreams and visions that led to a spiritual awareness that would stay with her throughout her life.
Through this lens of faith, Miles explores the life of Harriet Tubman. Her deep devotion to God guided her as she traversed the terrain of the Underground Railroad as a conductor seeking freedom for others mired in bondage. Miles correlates Tubman's spirituality to other Black holy women of her time, namely Old Elizabeth, Jarena Lee, Zilpha Elaw, and Julia Foote. What drove these women to have such an abiding faith in God while struggling to obtain clarity in their physical and spiritual life? How did Harriet's devotion to a higher power put her on the trajectory of being a deliverer and caretaker of family and strangers? Miles also connects Tubman's life to the natural world through her beautiful prose, examining this theme of faith.
Instead of relying on primary documents, which she does include, Miles examines the earlier historiography of well-respected Tubman historians, including Kate Clifford Larson and Catherine Clinton. Miles' Pulitzer-worthy addition provides new insights through a unique lens that helps fill the gaps and stand beside the stellar works of her fellow historians.
June 18, 2024
Book Review: "Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" by Tiya Miles
"Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" by Tiya Miles is a phenomenal work that delves deeply into the spiritual journey and indomitable spirit of Harriet Tubman, known affectionately as Minty Ross. I would like to extend my gratitude to Penguin Random House for providing an advance copy of this extraordinary book.
Reading this book felt incredibly timely and poignant. It aligns beautifully with a recent Bible study I attended, where I shared passages from Psalms 91:14-16 and related them to Minty Ross’s unwavering trust in God. Tiya Miles paints a vivid picture of Black woman’s spirituality, demonstrating how faith becomes a beacon of hope in times of despair and grief. This resonated deeply with me, and I appreciated how Miles captured the essence of Minty’s spiritual resilience.
One of the most remarkable aspects of "Night Flyer" is the new perspective it offers on Harriet Tubman. Tiya Miles presents her not just as a freedom fighter but as the first female ecologist and environmentalist, who also had an astute understanding of astronomy. This lens enriches the narrative, showing us the multifaceted genius of Minty Ross and her deep connection to the natural world.
Miles’s portrayal of Minty Ross’s endurance is both powerful and humanizing. The author breathes life into her story, making her struggles and triumphs feel palpable and real. I have always been aware of Harriet Tubman, but this book allowed me to truly connect with her story in a way I hadn’t before. Initially, I didn’t see myself reflected in her heroism, but Tiya Miles has changed that for me. There’s a little Minty in me, and I believe there’s a little Harriet in all of us.
I am excited to discuss this book with the members of my mommies group, on the first Saturday of July. The timing couldn't be more perfect, as we focus on themes of trust, faith, and salvation, especially with Juneteenth upon us. This is a story that needs to be told, heard, and cherished.
"Night Flyer" is a book that every reader should have on their shelves. It’s a 5-star read, and if there were a ten-star rating in the literary world, it would undoubtedly earn that too. I urge everyone to read this book – it’s a masterpiece that will leave a lasting impact on your heart and soul.
Shonda Moore
Moderator, This Browne Girl Reads
"Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" by Tiya Miles is a phenomenal work that delves deeply into the spiritual journey and indomitable spirit of Harriet Tubman, known affectionately as Minty Ross. I would like to extend my gratitude to Penguin Random House for providing an advance copy of this extraordinary book.
Reading this book felt incredibly timely and poignant. It aligns beautifully with a recent Bible study I attended, where I shared passages from Psalms 91:14-16 and related them to Minty Ross’s unwavering trust in God. Tiya Miles paints a vivid picture of Black woman’s spirituality, demonstrating how faith becomes a beacon of hope in times of despair and grief. This resonated deeply with me, and I appreciated how Miles captured the essence of Minty’s spiritual resilience.
One of the most remarkable aspects of "Night Flyer" is the new perspective it offers on Harriet Tubman. Tiya Miles presents her not just as a freedom fighter but as the first female ecologist and environmentalist, who also had an astute understanding of astronomy. This lens enriches the narrative, showing us the multifaceted genius of Minty Ross and her deep connection to the natural world.
Miles’s portrayal of Minty Ross’s endurance is both powerful and humanizing. The author breathes life into her story, making her struggles and triumphs feel palpable and real. I have always been aware of Harriet Tubman, but this book allowed me to truly connect with her story in a way I hadn’t before. Initially, I didn’t see myself reflected in her heroism, but Tiya Miles has changed that for me. There’s a little Minty in me, and I believe there’s a little Harriet in all of us.
I am excited to discuss this book with the members of my mommies group, on the first Saturday of July. The timing couldn't be more perfect, as we focus on themes of trust, faith, and salvation, especially with Juneteenth upon us. This is a story that needs to be told, heard, and cherished.
"Night Flyer" is a book that every reader should have on their shelves. It’s a 5-star read, and if there were a ten-star rating in the literary world, it would undoubtedly earn that too. I urge everyone to read this book – it’s a masterpiece that will leave a lasting impact on your heart and soul.
Shonda Moore
Moderator, This Browne Girl Reads
July 5, 2024
If I spent the whole day in a museum dedicated to Harriet Tubman, and I had exclusive access to the most knowledgeable docent, I may have received 50 percent of the information Tiya Miles presents in this nonfiction book. “The thematic focus of this book has been Tubman‘a worldview – meaning her religious faith, her thoughts and ideas, her environmental consciousness, and her holistic application of these aspects in life practice.” Miles writes that she “relies more on a close reading of narrative text than on an assembling of original documents.” With 42 pages of end notes and index, Miles presents a detailed document about Harriet Tubman and the different elements that made up a whole person. This is a very intelligent work, not a historical fiction. Full disclosure: I started this book months ago and could not finish. With this read, I finished it in two days.
March 23, 2024
Deeply grateful for this ARC that is set to be published June 18, 2024. Tiya Miles is among my favorite historians, intellectuals, and authors of non-fiction. “Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People,” is a work of intellectual genius, telling the story of Harriet Tubman through the lens of her deep-rooted faith and spirituality. Miles traces the life of Tubman and her extraordinary journeys in a non-linear fashion, instead weaving biographical scholarship with Black women’s Christian spiritual traditions, folk art, African Spirituals, ecology and womanist philosophy. This is unlike any other biography of Tubman and certainly my personal favorite.
April 15, 2024
I was grateful to receive this arc through a Goodreads giveaway. I’ve always been fascinated by Harriet Tubman This author does an amazing job at detailing her life so much more than what history books or movies have show us. Teachers should be using this book in schools.
June 23, 2024
I learned so much about this amazing woman from this book.
July 8, 2024
Well researched and well written, this should be required reading.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews