Desert Rose

“Desert Rose is a masterfully conceived, carefully crafted, and richly insightful work. The perspective it provides on Coretta Scott King is rather unique, quite necessary, and helpful.”
—Journal of Southern Religion

“Beginning at slavery, Bagley travels through time, chronicling not only her sister’s story, but the story of an entire race. This book traces a journey that’s spans from the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to the signing of the legislation for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. Coretta Scott King served as an unwavering partner and supporter to her husband during the Civil Rights movement.”
—Afro American Newspaper

“Lovingly written by her older sister, [readers of] Coretta Scott King’s biography . . . get to know a graceful, strong woman who greatly appreciated the arts . . . Essential.”
—Choice

"King, a woman of promise and great distinction, comes alive in her sister’s words. Further education would be my opportunity to continue to fight for social justice, through awareness, affirmation and action—to develop a program that empowers youth with multicultural competency and insights as they try to shape their worldview, just as Coretta Scott King empowered me.”
—National Catholic Reporter

“Desert Rose is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about the first family of the Civil Rights Movement. This book offers an insightful look at the life of Coretta Scott King, and by default the life of Dr. King, from a unique and rare perspective. It provides an excellent ground-level view of African American life in Perry County and in Alabama’s Black Belt.”
—Hasan Kwame Jeffries, author of Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt

“Coretta Scott King, like so many women during the Civil Rights Movement, has never gotten her just due other than being Mrs. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But her work and leadership was just as instrumental in advancing the cause of Black folk. Desert Rose puts the light on Coretta and her family, and allows us to revel in the courageous work of a remarkable family, and definitely a strong and fearless woman like Coretta Scott King.”
—Roland S. Martin, nationally syndicated columnist and author of Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America

“Desert Rose provides a useful window into the lives of Edythe Scott Bagley and her sister, Coretta Scott King. Illuminating African American middle-class life in Black Belt Alabama at the turn of twentieth century, the author takes us behind the scenes where readers can see the toll civil rights activism took on the King family, both immediate and extended.”—Andrew Manis, author of A Fire You Can’t Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham’s Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth

“It is difficult to think of a person more qualified to write a biography of Coretta Scott King than her older sister, Edythe S. Bagley. An accomplished scholar and writer, Bagley creates in Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King, a portrait not just of her younger sister who grew up to play a large role in the nation’s history, but of the family that produced and nurtured Coretta and sent her proudly out into the world to assume her rightful place. As scholars and historians begin to do the necessary work on the life of Mrs. King and her unique individual contributions to progressive movements in this country—both before and after the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—they will find in Desert Rose a loving portrait, filled with anecdotes, family stories, historical footnotes, and memories only a sister could provide. For those who want a closer look at an extraordinary woman, Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King will provide that intimate glance with great affection, deep understanding, and amazing grace.”
—Pearl Cleage, author of Till You Hear From Me and the play A Song for Coretta