Janet Butler Haugaard’s historical nonfiction book weaves together the stories of pioneering educators Adele France and John LaFarge and their efforts to bring education and racial equality to Southern Maryland in the early 20th century.

Through meticulous research drawing from archival records, personal letters, and period publications, Haugaard paints a richly detailed portrait of a critical juncture in St. Mary’s County history and the forces that shaped the work of these individuals. The narrative alternates focus between France, who transformed St. Mary’s Female Seminary into Maryland’s first junior college for women, and LaFarge, a Jesuit priest who established groundbreaking schools for black children despite immense cultural resistance.

Supported by copious primary sources, Haugaard’s narrative contextualizes their personal journeys against the broader backdrop of religious persecution, slavery, women’s suffrage, and racial segregation. For example, Haugaard notes that the Seminary’s founding in 1840 was a direct response to the long history of religious bias that had plagued the region, noting that the school “would try, once again, to bring to fruition Lord Baltimore’s hope for religious tolerance.” Putting France’s struggles into context, he details women’s scant rights at the time: “The sole responsibility of a married woman was domestic, within the home. As [researcher and writer] Alfred Gough so well put it—tongue in cheek— ‘after marriage there was to be no frittering around the library reading books.’”

Haugaard’s writing shines brightest when offering vivid glimpses into France and LaFarge’s personalities, which help balance the book’s denser academic passages. LaFarge’s epiphany on the power of human connection, for instance—sparked by his horse Morgan’s frequent, sudden stops to engage passersby—provides an endearing character moment: “What he was learning, at long last, was personal outreach. And to ‘half the countryside’ at that. Thanks in part to Morgan.”

Historical Tapestry is an extensively researched microhistory that deserves a prominent place in the historiography of Maryland, civil rights, and education.

BlueInk Heads Up: Maryland libraries will want to consider acquiring this inspiring portrait of two unsung local heroes, which offers insights into the state’s social history.