Riding Freedom

Riding Freedom, written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, was originally published in 1998 and won several awards, including the 2000 California Young Reader Medal. This fictionalized biography of the real Charlotte Parkhurst, better known as One-eyed Charley, tells the story of the first female to vote in the United States. She became a famous stagecoach driver and a property owner. How she accomplished these things before women were granted suffrage is detailed in this fast-paced narrative geared toward young readers. It should be noted that the author shifted the narrative to the mid-1800s and elided certain events of Parkhurst’s life in consideration of her young audience. This study guide refers to the Scholastic Inc. edition with drawings by Brian Selznick, published in 2007.

Plot Summary

Charlotte Parkhurst loses her parents in a horse-drawn wagon crash when she is just two years old. She is sent to live in an orphanage in New Hampshire where she is the only girl. Growing up alongside boys, she doesn’t fit the mold of a typical girl. The cook, Mrs. Boyle, keeps her in the kitchen because she wants Charlotte to do her work for her. Mrs.