A review by jwinchell
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man by Tonya Bolden

4.0

Having not ever read much about Frederick Douglass, I was inspired to read this compact, photo-filled biography written for young people. I learned so much about this monumental man. Told in chronological order, the book takes us through Douglass’ first 25 years in slavery, to his early years as a speaker and writer, to his heyday of making bank speaking and writing. His life was not without trial and tribulations: a fire, frustration with children who never flew the nest, public outrage when his second wife was white, insane politics that would not progress the cause of black emancipation and civil rights. I found it slow reading, mostly because it took time for me to assimilate dates and events into my mental timeline of American history. There are also at least 3 typos- the editor’s error, but it made for a jarring read in spots. What a solid read about an inspiringly monumental man.