Awkward attempts to improve on an inherently interesting topic undermine this otherwise fine account
A creative approach, strong on vivid details and words that appeal to the senses, animates this biography of Typhoid Mary.
It opens like a novel, with a scene in 1906 of a wealthy woman firing her cook. In “a terrible fix” to find a new one, she hires an Irish immigrant named Mary Mallon, who, unknowingly, turns out to be a typhoid-fever carrier later dubbed Typhoid Mary. The chapter’s title, “In Which Mrs. Warren Has a Servant Problem,” and its final one-sentence cliffhanger, “Mary’s life was about to change forever,” reflect literary techniques typically found in fiction, while art nouveau typeface for chapter titles and a closing “Photo Album” create an old-fashioned tone. The chronological narrative quotes from such primary sources as contemporary newspapers and books and incorporates information about the disease and the fight to eliminate it. In trying to supplement limited personal sources about Mallon, Bartoletti bogs down her writing with language like “perhaps,” “most likely,” “must have,” and “may have.” Responsible though such introductions to supposition are, the result is a narrative that feels uncertain and may have readers wondering about unvoiced alternative scenarios. One section, meant to tie the past to the present, misinterprets a Gallup poll, incorrectly stating that most Americans don’t trust their local governments.
Awkward attempts to improve on an inherently interesting topic undermine this otherwise fine account . (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-31367-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
An interesting but not especially compelling account of a monstrous villain who continues to fascinate.
As a detailed chronicle of the crimes attributed to one of history’s most infamous serial killers, this otherwise episodic account of Jack the Ripper is effective.
In a few months in 1888, the killer dubbed Jack the Ripper by the press preyed on women in the dark, foggy streets of London’s Whitechapel district, leaving no witnesses or clues to his identity. Sensational newspaper accounts of the gruesome murders and relentless speculations on the killer’s identity enthralled and terrorized Londoners. Burgan vividly recounts the crimes attributed to Jack the Ripper in grisly detail. He also discusses the many names put forward as suspects—some reasonable and some, such as Lewis Carroll and a grandson of Queen Victoria, quite outlandish. One curious detail Burgan reveals is the role anti-Semitism played in identifying possible perpetrators, a factor often missing from other accounts. Since Jack the Ripper was never caught or identified, he continues to fascinate, and his continuing prominence in popular culture is discussed, as is the work of “Ripperologists,” amateur detectives devoted to finding out the murderer’s true identity. Although full of fascinating information, the lack of a cohesive narrative can make for toilsome reading.
An interesting but not especially compelling account of a monstrous villain who continues to fascinate. (source notes, glossary, bibliography, further reading) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7944-8
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pinch hitter, at best, behind a strong lineup of competitors.
A tribute to a man who spoke out forthrightly against racial injustice—until, on a larger stage, he let his deeds do the talking.
Beginning with a childhood exchange with a neighbor (she hurls the N-word at him thrice; he responds with “cracker”), Rappaport focuses on her subject’s refusal to stay silent in the face of prejudicial treatment in youth and during his military career. This has the effect of underscoring the strength of character he displayed in controlling his reactions to the vicious provocations of fans and fellow players once he broke professional baseball’s color line, setting readers up for a nicely contextualized understanding of his career. Unfortunately, she ends her account with the 1947 World Series and in a cursory summation barely mentions the rest of Robinson’s achievements in baseball and after. This, along with the lack of photos or even a stat box in the backmatter, gives the profile a sketchy feel next to Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America, by his daughter, Sharon Robinson (2004)—a title that is included in the perfunctory list of suggested further reading—or any of the several more complete, better packaged appreciations of his life, times, and legacy available.
A pinch hitter, at best, behind a strong lineup of competitors. (timeline, endnotes, index) (Biography. 10-13)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7624-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
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