An often charming family saga.
Goodwyn tells the story of an African American family in this debut blend of history and memoir.
The author lost his mother to kidney disease in 1970, when he was a high school freshman in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Soon afterward, he was involved in a car accident that put him in the hospital for six weeks. The shock of these events instilled in him a great desire to find out where he came from: “Sometimes Mama would talk about her ancestors,” he remembers. “Mama’s great grandmother was a slave until she was twelve, when her father bought her freedom.” Goodwyn set off on a decadeslong genealogical journey to discover the story of his forbears, and this book is an account of that search and a presentation of its results. It includes the stories of Levin Huston and Esther Polk Huston, married slaves who lived on a Maryland plantation; their son, Solomon Huston, who was born in bondage and died as the founder of a bank; and the author’s great-grandfather Samuel Garnett Thomas, who, like the author’s father, eventually served as a high school principal. Goodwyn’s prose is conversational in tone and possesses a cheerful buoyancy, as in a discussion of the Hustons’ children: “For whatever reason, Hester and her family never knew what happened to Levin Delans Huston. But 158 years after Levin D. sent his niece, Willie, that jade necklace, I now know what became of him.” It’s a long read at more than 500 pages, and it feels more like two books in one; the first half is essentially a memoir of Goodwyn’s life, and the second is a series of profiles of his ancestors. None of the individual stories are particularly compelling, but the overall family history—and the account of Goodwyn’s rediscovery of it—gives readers a touching portrait of an American family. The book, which includes occasional photos of family members, also effectively shows how ancestry-research websites have helped many black Americans reconnect to their pasts. Goodwyn is an empathetic guide, and although some sections are more interesting than others, he manages to lend emotional weight to the project as a whole.
An often charming family saga.Pub Date: May 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-950724-07-9
Page Count: 510
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Journalist Dannen (Hit Men, not reviewed) and Hong Kong film maven and collector Long take a look at one of the world's most vital cinemas, one that's facing an uncertain future under its new Chinese rulers. The Hong Kong cinema is one of the world's most prolific and energetic. Recently, two of its most majestic figures, actor-director Jackie Chan and director John Woo, have successfully made the transition to working in the West. Many others—actor Chow Yun-Fat, directors Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark—are following in their footsteps, filled with hope. Dannen went to Hong Kong for a New Yorker article to see how the industry was facing up to this summer's handover to China of the former British colony. The result was a typical New Yorker piece, which is also the first section of this book: exhaustively reported and handsomely written but somehow superficial, delivering rather less than promised and geared for a readership of tourist-voyeurs. The remainder of the book consists of very brief interviews by Dannen, with numerous directors, producers, and actors, accompanied by filmographies; capsule descriptions by Long of some 300 key Hong Kong films; and recommendations from a dozen critics. Dannen's essay touches briefly on a number of issues worth exploring in greater depth: onerous working conditions, low budgets, and shoddy production values; the huge market for Hong Kong films throughout Asia; the language problem (Mandarin versus Cantonese), which is only going to get worse now that the Mandarin-speaking mainlanders are in charge; the role of underworld figures whose presence permeates the film industry. Neither Dannen nor Long is able to convey the energy and inventiveness that make the best Hong Kong films so entertaining. Producer Peter Chan tells Dannen, ``We don't have a clue why you Americans like [our films] so much.'' This book won't tell you, either. (50 b&w photos)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-7868-6267-X
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1997
Attractive photographs highlight a succinct, no-nonsense resort guide.
This eloquent photographic guide from Resorts Magazine editor Ovidio Guaita includes reviews of 100 of the best resorts on the planet.
Palatial surroundings, warm beaches and natural habitats set the tone for this 2009 guide, which begins at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada, and ends at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and Spa in French Polynesia. Each resort runs the gamut of luxury and relaxation, from the oasis setting of the Amanbagh resort in India to the natural qualities of Bali’s Amandari. International regions are assigned elementary color codes, lending to the book’s overall simplicity. This lack of complexity is evident throughout the guide, which is an appropriately relaxed read. Richly illustrated with photographs, the book offers readers a pleasing glimpse of splendor with each listing. While some photographs capture a mood, such as one of a cozy stilt cabin captured after sunset, others merely hint at what can be found within a retreat–the book offers only an exterior shot of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. Unlike other travel guides, which can often overwhelm with verbiage yet lack quality photographs, Top 100 lets the images speak for themselves. Brief descriptions keep the book elegantly spare and offer insight that a camera can’t capture. Each locale is judged from a distinct set of criteria, including design, environment, health, rooms, service, cuisine and spa accommodations. While the last element is part of the overall rating system, some resorts offer very little in the area of spa treatments and are rated accordingly. Resorts such as the Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru and the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi are ranked highest, while others like Chief’s Camp (Okawango Delta) and the Kichwa Tembo Bateleur Camp (Masai Mara) are rated far lower, due primarily to their lack of spa amenities. Those seeking rejuvenation, light cuisine and spa treatments, no matter the cost, need look no further for a handbook.
Attractive photographs highlight a succinct, no-nonsense resort guide.Pub Date: March 17, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4392-3136-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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