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A review by crystalisreading
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man by Tonya Bolden
5.0
I'd read Frederick Douglass' memoirs before, but no books about him by another author. I'm totally mesmerized not just by his story (as many white people of his time were), but by the man himself. He sounds like an amazing person, and I've been working up to reading one of his many giant biographies when I saw this book pass through the library, I snapped it up right away, of course, and I'm so glad I did.
Our library classified it as YA, although I didn't feel like the writing was dumbed down. I learned things about Douglass I didn't know before, such as the alleged affair between himself and the woman who translated his works into German and was "close friends" and a frequent house guest with the Douglass family. or about the fact that Frederick addressed environmental issues in his first publication, among the many other issues he cared about. I also didn't realize the extent of the wealth Frederick accumulated by the time he died. I also appreciated more information about both of his wives, who Frederick barely mentioned in his books. There's still not enough information about them in this book for my taste, but this is a book about Frederick, not them, and had limited space to tell his vast story, so I guess I can deal.
I enjoyed the formatting. The parchment colored pages were easier on my eyes than bleached white, and I enjoyed the quotations strewn throughout the narrative, often by contemporaries of Douglass or newspapers of his time. There were also more photographs of Douglass than I'd seen before, and photos of many other important people in his life. The visuals and the echoes of the voices of those around Frederick were not only fascinating, but helped gain an even greater sense of the man Frederick Douglass.
I'll be adding this book to my collection of books by/ about Frederick Douglass, and I highly recommend this book to anyone--the storytelling and formatting are engaging enough for even teens, but the content, including less common photos of Frederick, is worthwhile reading for any adult as well, for an easy and engaging primer on the life of a great American. I think everyone should know more about his life, and this is an easy place to start.
Also, I've been saying this for years, but WHEN are we going to get a movie about Frederick Douglass? If ever an American historical figure deserved one, you think it'd be him.
Our library classified it as YA, although I didn't feel like the writing was dumbed down. I learned things about Douglass I didn't know before, such as the alleged affair between himself and the woman who translated his works into German and was "close friends" and a frequent house guest with the Douglass family. or about the fact that Frederick addressed environmental issues in his first publication, among the many other issues he cared about. I also didn't realize the extent of the wealth Frederick accumulated by the time he died. I also appreciated more information about both of his wives, who Frederick barely mentioned in his books. There's still not enough information about them in this book for my taste, but this is a book about Frederick, not them, and had limited space to tell his vast story, so I guess I can deal.
I enjoyed the formatting. The parchment colored pages were easier on my eyes than bleached white, and I enjoyed the quotations strewn throughout the narrative, often by contemporaries of Douglass or newspapers of his time. There were also more photographs of Douglass than I'd seen before, and photos of many other important people in his life. The visuals and the echoes of the voices of those around Frederick were not only fascinating, but helped gain an even greater sense of the man Frederick Douglass.
I'll be adding this book to my collection of books by/ about Frederick Douglass, and I highly recommend this book to anyone--the storytelling and formatting are engaging enough for even teens, but the content, including less common photos of Frederick, is worthwhile reading for any adult as well, for an easy and engaging primer on the life of a great American. I think everyone should know more about his life, and this is an easy place to start.
Also, I've been saying this for years, but WHEN are we going to get a movie about Frederick Douglass? If ever an American historical figure deserved one, you think it'd be him.