One State / One Story: All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
Join us to engage with this year’s Indiana One State / One Story read, All That She Carried by Tiya Miles. We’ll be holding discussions and workshops in February and March to talk about this poignant story of resilience and what light a piece of art can shed on our history. Starting January 8th, free copies of the book (yours to keep!) will be available at New Albany Central Library’s upper level Customer Service Desk for patrons who register for one of our book discussions.
About the book:
In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose faced a crisis, the imminent sale of her daughter Ashley. Thinking quickly, she packed a cotton bag with a few precious items as a token of love and to try to ensure Ashley’s survival. Soon after, the nine-year-old girl was separated from her mother and sold.
Decades later, Ashley’s granddaughter Ruth embroidered this family history on the bag in spare yet haunting language—including Rose’s wish that “It be filled with my Love always.” Ruth’s sewn words, the reason we remember Ashley’s sack today, evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. Now, in this illuminating, deeply moving new book inspired by Rose’s gift to Ashley, historian Tiya Miles carefully unearths these women’s faint presence in archival records to follow the paths of their lives— and the lives of so many women like them—to write a singular and revelatory history of the experience of slavery, and the uncertain freedom afterward, in the United States.
One State / One Story: All That She Carried/Freedom Over Me is presented by Indiana Humanities in partnership with the Indiana Center for the Book and the Indiana State Library as part of Indiana Humanities’ Advancing Racial Equity Project, supported by Lilly Endowment.
Upcoming Events
A More Perfect Union Book Discussion:
All That She Carried Part 1
Monday, February 12th
6 PM – 7:30 PM
New Albany Central Library
180 W Spring St, New Albany, IN
Join our A More Perfect Union Book Discussion! February’s book pick is “All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake” by Tiya Miles. This will be part one of a two part book discussion. Free copies of the book (yours to keep) will be available at Central Library’s Upper Level Customer Service Desk for registered participants starting January 8th. The audiobook is also available on Libby through the Indiana Digital Library.
A More Perfect Union Book Discussion:
All That She Carried Part 2
Monday, March 11th
6 PM – 7:30 PM
New Albany Central Library
180 W Spring St, New Albany, IN
Join our A More Perfect Union Book Discussion! March’s book pick is “All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake” by Tiya Miles. This will be part two of a two part book discussion. Free copies of the book (yours to keep) will be available at Central Library’s Upper Level Customer Service Desk for registered participants starting January 8th. The audiobook is also available on Libby through the Indiana Digital Library.
Guest leader Dr. Elizabeth Gritter, Associate Professor of History at Indiana University Southeast, will be leading the March 11 book discussion.
Embroidery Workshop
Thursday, February 1st from 5 PM – 7 PM
Cultural Arts Center
Teen Scene: Embroidery Craft
Thursday, February 15th from 6 PM – 7:30 PM
The Floyd County Library
All teens (ages 12-18 years old) are invited to join us for a fun embroidery craft inspired by this year’s One State / One Story book. All materials will be provided, plus free snacks. No registration is required. Just drop by!
One State / One Story Book Discussion at Town Clock Church
Saturday, March 2nd
2 PM – 4 PM
Town Clock Church
300 E. Main St., New Albany, IN
Join us at Town Clock Church for a book discussion of “All That She Carried” by Tiya Miles. Dr. Erica Lawrence will lead the discussion. A tour of the historic church will follow the discussion. Refreshments will be provided.
Free copies of the book (yours to keep!) are available now at New Albany Central Library’s upper level Customer Service Desk for patrons who register for one of our book discussions.