This story is based on the life of Carrie Elba Sherburne, who began life severely handicapped by polio but overcame that and other burdens, such as losing her job because of her marital status. To this day, the case of Elba Sheldon vs Hopedale School Committee (1931) is often cited and studied in the field of Educational Law. It is through such study that many doctoral students in educational administration become familiar with the laws underlying the power to hire and fire and to set school policy.
When Carrie Elba is 40 and out of work, she is called upon by Dr. Miriam Van Waters, a nationally-recognized figure in the fields of Social Work and Prison Reform. Van Waters is the Superintendent of the Massachusetts Reformatory for Women during a time when it was common for young women, particularly those who were poor, unemployed, children of textile mill workers with little or no schooling or health care, or otherwise struggling to survive, to find themselves incarcerated as social offenders.
Carrie Elba spends the next 23 years working at the Massachusetts Reformatory for Women, helping women with social skills, education, and career counseling. Upon retiring, Carrie Elba continues graciously offering her time and resources with her friends and family until her death in 1982.
