From New York Times bestselling author Helen Rappaport comes a revealing biography of Mary Seacole that is testament to her remarkable achievements and corrective to the myths around her. Her reputation for nursing—and for her compassion—became almost legendary. Known as 'Mother Seacole', she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation. The fruit of almost twenty years of research, this book reveals the truth about Seacole's personal life, her "rivalry" with Florence Nightingale, and other misconceptions.