Customer Reviews

His Eye Is On The Sparrow: An Autobiography (Quality Paperbacks Series)

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I once had a non religious friend ask how could the poor live in such squalor, and yet be "religious". We live on a cultural divide, where we live upright and logical lives, and don't see the squalor around us and dismiss such families as "dysfunctional". Ethel Waters clear eyed yet loving view of her family and her culture will be an eye opener to those who think this way. From her childhood in the slums of Philadelphia and Chester PA to her rise in Harlem to her life as a singer, she apologizes for nothing, and unapologetically defends her culture to those condenscending to her race. Put into the context of the early 50's, when she wrote this biography, it gives an insight into racial relations that angrier books lack. One wishes that this would be re released with a Forward explaining the context of those times so that those born after the civil rights struggle will better understand not only the racial divides that few questioned only 50 years ago, but also to help them understand the importance of the black church and religion in the lives of those times.

This book ranks in my list as the greatest of all entertainer autobiographies. It is honest, painful, humorous, and very informative about a life rarely talked about, the life of black entertainers from the 1910's to the 1950's. Waters was the greatest and best-loved black star in America for virtually this entire period, and her story is an important one. She tells it as she might speak to you in a concert, in a mixture of unusual candor and delightful humor, and one cannot put it down. For anyone interested in the roots of jazz and pop singing or simply in the early black experience in vaudeville, theater, records, films and television, this is essential reading, for Waters was a pioneer and star in all of these media. The changes in her career direction and public image are unmatched by any other performer, and the story of how and why her career changed as it did makes for fascinating reading. Charles Samuels did a masterful job of communicating Waters "voice" in the autobiography; there are only a couple of pages where the voice doesn't ring true. Waters childhood and later adult anecdotes of her life before stardom would be fascinating reading even if they were not followed by the story of her rise to fame. The story of her life in show business is, in my opinion, unequalled in its breadth and its candor. Admittedly she can be supercilious and condescending to other entertainers at times, but for the most part she tells it like it was, detailing not just her highs but her many lows. I've read this book from cover to cover many times over the twenty year period I've known about it, though I was able to get my own copy only about five years ago. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

Read this book and you will see why the incomparable Miss Waters was a force to be reckoned with in her day. The writing is honest and takes the reader into a show biz world that mirrored the complexities of the segregated and racialized society at large during the first half of the 20th century. Rather than a rags to riches, this is more of a from poverty to success to survival story. I laughed out loud more than once at her candor and sharp observations. As a fan of Ethel Water's singing - before I found her memoir - I felt privileged to also read her own words on the life she lived.

Whew, what an upbringing, what a life. Waters goes into great detail about her rearing in the slums of Philadelphia, her life as vaudevillian Sweet Mama Stringbean and finally the Ethel Waters of stage, screen, and records. I didn't really know much about Miss Waters other than her role in the movie Pinky, so this book provided great insight into her life. Pretty good. The conversational tone makes it easy to read.

This is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read. Ethel Waters was a great singer and reading this book is very inspirational! I found myself howling with laughter several times, her writing style is incredible! I couldn't put this book down and I devoured it within a day! I highly recommend this wonderful book!

When I was a kid, I knew Ethel Waters as that gray haired old lady that sang at the Billy Graham events on TV... In reading this autobiography I discovered the incredible legacy of her recordings and films.

"His Eye Is On the Sparrow" reads just like you're sitting in the room talking with this remarkable woman... The book not only shares the details of her fascinating career, but it is also an absorbing historical record of early 20th century show business and American society. Absolutely fascinating, warm, funny and poignant.

I've had the hardback 1951 copy of this book for some time, just picked it up to read last week. It is an astounding story of faith, determination, and strength;It is also an excellent insight into Black History pre-Martin Luther King. I hope the paperback version of this is being read. (and I wish Nikki Giovanni would read it as well).
Highly recommended.

Anyone who grew up in the 60's-70's should read this book ... it is very inspiring!

One need not be African-American to love this book. It is a deep insight into a tough time. She talks of things usual life
does not include, as the powerlessness of women doing full nude strip dancing when one or a few refused to have customers give them money in a particularly intrusive way--what awaited such women and what choices did they really have. Neitzsche called Evil, "All that which proceeds out of weakness." He could have had this book in mind. Yet Ethel Water's life has more than defeat.

If you are not moved by this book, you must have a large problem.

Extremely good book. Read it in small paperback about 30 years ago, and I was pleased to see that is still regarded as marketablr enough to have been rewritten in this high quality paperback. Delivery from Amazon was expedient and the price is certainly good,