Sonia Daugherty
Sonia Daugherty, born Sonia Medvedeva in 1893 in Moscow, Russia, was a notable American author and playwright who immigrated to the United States at the age of ten. She spent part of her early career in Chicago, where she collaborated with Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams at Hull House, aiding newly arrived immigrants. Daugherty gained recognition for her biographies aimed at young adults, including her acclaimed works, "Ten Brave Men: Makers of the American Way" (1951) and its sequel, "Ten Brave Women" (1953), which highlighted significant figures in American history. In addition to her nonfiction, she wrote children's fiction, contributing to a trilogy that includes "Mashinka's Secret" (1932) and "The Broken Song" (1934). Daugherty was also a playwright, with her biblical drama "Esther" winning the Drama League's Longmans Green Prize in 1930. Married to author and illustrator James Daugherty in 1913, the couple collaborated on numerous projects until her passing in 1971 in Bedford Hills, New York. Through her diverse body of work, Daugherty made significant contributions to American literature, particularly in educating young readers about history and important societal figures.
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Sonia Daugherty
Writer
- Born: 1893
- Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
- Died: May 4, 1971
- Place of death: Bedford Hills, New York
Biography
Sonia Daugherty was born Sonia Medvedeva in 1893 in Moscow, Russia, and immigrated to the United States when she was ten years old. She lived in Chicago, where she worked closely with Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams at Addams’s Hull House, assisting recently arrived immigrants. She later moved to New York City.
Daugherty wrote biographies for young adults and was best known for her work Ten Brave Men: Makers of the American Way (1951). This biography chronicled the lives of William Bradford, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and other notable Americans. She later wrote a sequel, Ten Brave Women: Anne Hutchinson, Abigal Adams, Dolly Madison, Narcissa Whitman, Julia Ward Howe, Susan B. Anthony, Dorothea Lynde Dix, Mary Lyon, Ida M. Tarbel, Eleanor Roosevelt (1953).
In addition to her nonfiction works, she wrote children’s fiction, including a trilogy consisting of Mashinka’s Secret (1932), The Broken Song (1934), and All Things New (1936). She contributed to various periodicals, including The New Yorker and the Christian Science Monitor. A playwright as well, Daughtery’s biblical drama, Esther: A Drama in Three Acts, won the Drama League’s Longmans Green Prize in 1930.
Daugherty married American author and illustrator James Daugherty in 1913. The couple lived in Connecticut, for many years, where she worked as an author with her husband illustrating many of her works, including Ten Brave Men and Ten Brave Women. The couple’s son, Charles Michael Daugherty, also became an author. Sonia Daugherty died in 1971 at her home in Bedford Hills, New York.