jwinchell 's review for:

First Man: Reimagining Matthew Henson by Simon Schwartz

4.0

---

Fan of Simon Schwartz over here, and I'm also a newly awakened fan of fictionalized histories. I love how Schwartz shares his fascination with Henson's story and admits that he knew any attempt he would make with a nonfiction telling of it would fall short. The result, my friends, is genre blending, and it is a beautiful example of an author learning enough about a man to give a timeline and include some artifacts of his life (an appendix) but finding themes in his life to fictionalize and enhance to leave an overall impression. The art is lovely, and Schwartz beautifully navigates between polar expedition storytelling and Henson's modern life as a janitor. A unique and solid addition.