An author of over 60 YA novels brings fine narrative skill to a sympathetic portrait of one of her greatest predecessors. Much has been added to the record since the 1933 publication of Meigs's well-researched but traditional biography, the Newbery-winning Invincible Louisa. Alcott's letters and journals, several collections of the ``thrillers'' that kept the family pot boiling, and a novel whose genesis was ruefully described in Little Women have been recently published; scholarly studies point out the extent to which the author's autobiographical fiction was an unrealistic reformulation of a difficult life and of a gifted but impossible family (especially her improvident philosopher father). Johnston, bless her, succeeds in reconciling the loving family in Little Women with the facts of Alcott's rich but extraordinarily demanding life. She posits that, though Bronson Alcott was indeed a remarkably innovative educator as well as an eminent scholar, it was her mother, Abba May Alcott, who most profoundly influenced Louisa. Pioneer social worker and sometimes, of necessity, family breadwinner, she was, like Louisa, an outstandingly courageous, independent, yet nurturing woman, deeply loved though not so unrealistically patient as ``Marmee.'' Good as it was, Meigs's book seemed colorless compared to Alcott's fiction. Johnston—by depicting the real life in all its complexity while showing the many links with the fiction—not only enriches understanding of Alcott's books but also paints a fascinating picture of her life. A must. Bibliography; photos and index not seen. (Biography. 12+)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-02-747705-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Four Winds/MacMillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A distinctly critical depiction of Lyndon Johnson as a man who reached the top through circumstance and consummate skill at deal- making but who, according to Eskow, was unsuited to the office. Complaining about the folklore that grew up around LBJ's early life, the author compares a variety of sources to come up with the most likely course of events, sketching a pushy man with a wild streak who rushed into marriage, craftily outmaneuvered campus politicians, and—once he got to Washington—``showed very little ethical sense as he ran in the corridors of power.'' The author suggests that Johnson was not above buying votes, but that he owed his success to important friends, a brilliant talent for back-room negotiation, and an ability to find untapped sources of support- -e.g., his early alignment with the Civil Rights Movement and, later, the groundbreaking Great Society legislation. However, because he was ``less a statesman than a politician,'' the Vietnam War slipped out of control, and he never enjoyed the respect of Congress, the people, or (so far) history. Eskow writes with clarity and candor (``Doris Kearns is...rumored to have been closer to [Johnson] than a biographer ought to get''), appending detailed source notes and an evaluative bibliography. His view will add depth to collections that already own the more superficial (if better illustrated) series biographies: Hargrove's (1987) or Falkof's (1989). Small section of b&w photos; index. (Biography. 12+)
Pub Date: May 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-531-13019-3
Page Count: 160
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1993
From her amateur debut at 16 (or possibly 14), Ella Fitzgerald has shown an ability to adapt to changes in fortune and musical taste, keeping her at or near the top of her profession for more than half a century. While this biography doesn't significantly update Kliment's (1988), it does draw on a wider range of sources, including previously unpublished material, and brings the singer's discography up to 1990's All That Jazz. Wyman also does a fine job of placing Fitzgerald in context, with a clear picture of the history of jazz in the 20's and 30's and the prejudicial treatment African-American artists received—at least until promoter Norman Grantz's insistence on integrated seating for his ongoing ``Jazz at the Philharmonic'' tours began to break down some barriers. Fitzgerald has always kept her private life to herself, but this respectful account of her career gives a good sense of her personality and singing style, as well as her place in American musical history. Source notes; discography; bibliography; index. (Biography. 12+)
Pub Date: May 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-531-13031-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1993
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