Momentum: Montessori, A Life in Motion by E. G. Slade

 

About:

Momentum is a captivating historical fiction novel about Dr. Maria Montessori, who was born in Chiaravalle, Italy, and grew up in a time when girls went uneducated. From an early age, Maria defied societal norms, becoming one of the first female doctors in Italy and going on to revolutionize education with a method that has spread around the world. 

Taking its bones from a real diary written by Dr. Montessori in 1913 chronicling her first voyage to America, Momentum is a fictionalized retelling of that same voyage. Told from Maria’s perspective and written directly to her son, Mario, the novel illuminates their complicated relationship and how he came to be raised by others while she focused on her work.

Dr. Montessori’s own telling of events barely written about in biographies reveals what led to the decisions she made and her feelings about those choices, and provides an inspiring portrait of a woman who overcame countless obstacles to reform education and brings recognition to the unlimited potential of every child. 

 About the author

Elizabeth G. Slade is the author of Rest Stops, a coming-of-age novel that won the Next Generation Indie Book Award in 2012. In 2021, she published the nonfiction book, Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Schools with John Wiley & Sons. Elizabeth has also worked with others to create books such as Women Period. and How to Raise a Peaceful Child in a Violent World. Her latest book, Momentum: Montessori, a Life in Motion is a work of historical fiction exploring the life of Maria Montessori.

In addition to writing, Elizabeth serves as the Executive Director of Public Montessori in Action International, an organization committed to ensuring fully-implemented Montessori education for children, families, and educators of the global majority. Elizabeth earned her AMI Elementary Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute, her AMS Administrative Credential at the Center for Contemporary Montessori Studies, and her Master of Fine Arts in writing from Spalding University.

Praise:
“Simply brilliant--no, complexly brilliant. I have never read a more absorbing, unflinching, intense embodiment of biographical fiction.” 
- Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife

"E.G. Slade has added a profound new book to the literature around Dr. Maria Montessori's life that takes readers on a first-person historical fiction narrative that embraces Montessori's personal life, her journey into motherhood, and ultimately, her humanity as the person behind this incredible movement."
- Mariana Bissonnette, author of Babies Build Toddlers

Website: https://www.egslade.com/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.g.slade/