Q&A with Traci Sorell

What was the most interesting fact about Wilma Mankiller that you learned in your research?

There are so many interesting facts about Wilma Mankiller. I love that she created skits for her daughters to act out when they were younger, played her guitar, and wrote poems. As busy as she was, she sounds like a fun mom.

What is the biggest lesson you hope young readers take away from the book?

I hope readers realize they don’t have to be the best student, from the wealthiest family, or even famous to make a difference. Wilma came from humble beginnings and yet helped so many people worldwide because she cared about others.

How did you do the research for this biography?

I’ve known about Wilma Mankiller since I was a child. When she first became the Deputy Chief of my tribe, the Cherokee Nation and later elected our Principal Chief. I had read her autobiography and even written a paper about her when I was in college. But for this book, I enjoyed watching her talks and interviews online and visiting with her daughters. I also found wonderful details about her childhood and transcripts of interviews that she had done for her autobiography.

What question would you ask Wilma Mankiller if you had the chance to meet her?

Her family’s relocation to California was very difficult for Wilma. But it also led to her gaining skills and experiences that helped her move home and lead the Cherokee Nation. I’d love to know what she thought she might have done with her life if she and her daughters had stayed in the San Francisco Bay area. I believe it would have been an equally important life, given who Wilma was.

What does the Persisterhood mean to you?

To me, the Persisterhood provides examples of women who have made a tremendous difference in some way by overcoming obstacles, helping others, and being true to themselves, regardless of what those around them say or expect of them. They are women to be admired because they serve as role models for all of us.