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
With the goal of boosting interest in George Washington, in 2005 Mount Vernon commissioned three life-size reproductions of him at ages 19, 45 and 57. Enthusiastic prose and informative photographs convey in considerable detail the work on this project by a variety of experts, including sculptors, archaeologists, historians, dentists, painters, taxidermists and more. The process entailed extensive research, up-to-date technology such as laser scanners and age-old techniques of leatherwork and hand-sewing to form and clothe the lifelike figures now on display. Even one of his horses, Blueskin, was meticulously re-created. Chapters on the reconstruction alternate with biographical chapters about the corresponding years in Washington’s life, when he was a young surveyor and soldier, Revolutionary general presiding over early battles and Valley Forge and incoming president. Quotations from Washington and his contemporaries add a personal note, while reproductions of portraits, statues and artifacts supply visual interest. Color photographs show some of the steps in the reconstruction. The narrow focus makes this handsome volume likely to appeal to visitors to Mount Vernon or those with a special interest in Washington or in such reconstructions. Suggestions for further age-appropriate reading supplement an extensive bibliography. (timeline, source notes, websites, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5608-0
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
Young people with entrepreneurial ambitions will find Walton’s life inspiring, instructive and, perhaps, cautionary.
When he died in 1992, Sam Walton left behind a multibillion-dollar retail empire that today comprises over 9,000 stores in 15 countries; Blumenthal chronicles Walton’s remarkable rise from humble beginnings to becoming the founder of Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer.
Walton’s childhood was not wholly the stuff of Horatio Alger stories. His family managed to scrape by through the worst of economic times. Young Sam earned extra money selling magazine subscriptions, delivering newspapers and raising pigeons and rabbits. Walton learned about retail by working for J.C. Penney and managing a Ben Franklin 5-and-10 before establishing his first store in 1962. By 1989, Walton had over 1,500 stores, grossing $26 billion in sales. What will most surprise readers is Walton’s lack of interest in money, which he called “just paper.” Even after becoming a billionaire, Walton maintained a frugal lifestyle. Beating the competition always mattered most to him, a goal he ruthlessly pursued. Making the life of a man who devoted nearly every moment of his adult life to expanding his company an interesting story could be tough, but Blumenthal succeeds in bringing Walton’s driven personality and obsession with winning to life. (The author addresses the mostly posthumous controversies surrounding Wal-Mart in an epilogue.)
Young people with entrepreneurial ambitions will find Walton’s life inspiring, instructive and, perhaps, cautionary. (notes, bibliography) (Biography. 10-14)Pub Date: July 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-670-01177-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
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