Rick Ramseyer

Girl Without a Country (eBook, ePUB)

The Untold Story of a Landmark Fight for U.S. Citizenship

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Should willingness to kill be a requirement for U.S. citizenship? Girl Without a Country tells the compelling, confounding story of Martha Graber-a Mennonite, registered nurse, and conscientious objector who in 1929 was twice denied citizenship because she refused to say she would take up arms to defend the United States. The unexpected denials, which came despite Martha's pledge to give her life for her adopted country, caught the attention of a diverse group of peace advocates, religious leaders, lawyers, and politicians, setting up a climactic third court appearance.

Martha's nineteen-month fight for citizenship made national news, featuring dramatic testimony, historical insights, and interesting backstories that stretched from Alsace-Lorraine in western Europe to America's heartland. Elegantly written by Martha's maternal grandson with never-before-published details and closely connected with a controversial Supreme Court decision, Girl Without a Country surfaces an array of topical issues, ranging from immigration and naturalization to conscientious objection and patriotism. Perhaps most importantly, Martha's story considers what it truly means to be an American.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Purdue University Press
• Seitenzahl: 184
• Erscheinungstermin: 15. August 2026
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781626712621
• Artikelnr.: 74941305

Autorenporträt

A former newspaper reporter and magazine staff writer, Rick Ramseyer has been researching and writing the story of Martha Graber for the past decade. His interest in her remarkable citizenship quest extends well beyond documenting an important aspect of U.S. history: Martha was his maternal grandmother. Rick has a bachelor's degree in communication from Bluffton University and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. In 2018 and 2019, he was awarded writing residencies at the Hewnoaks Artist Residency, where Girl Without a Country took shape.