Neighbour, Mary E. 1957–

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Neighbour, Mary E. 1957–

PERSONAL: Born 1957, in NJ; daughter of Clark and Eileen Edsel; married Andrew Neighbor (a scientist, painter, and photographer), 1991. Education: City University of New York, baccalaureate degree.

ADDRESSES: Home—Santa Fe, NM. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Toby Press, P.O. Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531. E-mail—author@speakrighton.com.

CAREER: Writer.

AWARDS, HONORS: Has received awards from the Sacramento Public Library, ByLine Magazine, Mid-American Review, the Alligator Juniper, the Whidbey Island Writers' Association, and the Pacific Northwest Writers' group.

WRITINGS:

Speak Right On: Dred Scott, a Novel, Toby Press (New Milford, CT), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: In her first novel, Speak Right On: Dred Scott, a Novel, Mary E. Neighbour provides a fictionalized account of the exploits of the famed slave Dred Scott. Just prior to the Civil War, Scott was the center of a court case to declare slavery illegal and set him free. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Scott in 1857, a decision that helped set off the Civil War. In her novel, Neighbour follows Scott's life from his birth until his death in 1858; he died a free man despite the court's ruling. Scott's journey begins with a master and family in Virginia, with whom he travels to Alabama and Missouri. He is eventually sold to an army surgeon. After the surgeon dies, Scott and his wife petition for their freedom, resulting in the court case. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that the author "lavishes most of her invention on Scott's early life." In a review for Booklist, Vanessa Bush called the novel "an absorbing look at the relationships … as well as the nuances of slavery."