Customer Reviews

Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila (Palgrave Studies in Oral History)

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If you've ever wondered whether "just one person" could have an impact on history, read the story of Julia Ruuttila. Her lifelong activism shaped and changed the lives of many people in the Pacific Northwest and her personal courage in the face of hardship is truly inspiring. The author lets Julia's voice speak out from the pages, while also offering the reader helpful background information to understand the context of each situation. This is a truly fascinating book.

Julia Ruuttila was never scared of "Sticking to the Union". She lived her life sticking up for the underdog and protesting what she saw wrong in the system. Small, spunky Julia told her own version of events. Sandy Polishuk carefully and respectfully corrects the stories. "The transcript of the interview [with the FBI] reveals that Julia's responses during the interview were less heroic than her recollection." Ms. Polishuk offers enlightening context, real knowledge of radicals and clear, concise writing. This book is a fascinating account of a radical woman willing to protest. What a wonderful way for a reader to learn history. I highly recommend "Sticking to the Union".

Author Sandy Polishuk reflects the determined efforts of her subject Julia Ruuttila - people who fight for their beliefs with little reward but the satisfaction gained from doing something right. The plight of working people is keenly felt as Ruuttila recounts the suffering at the hands of mill owners and indifferent public officials. Some things don't change. Whether you're a logger whose job is gone because companies decided to overcut forests, a tech employee whose job has gone overseas, or a retiree whose lost savings filled the pockets of self-serving CEOs, we all have lessons to learn from Polishuk's book and Ruuttila's story. It's a startling insight into our past, and a sober vision of our future. This is oral history at its best and most respectful.

Sticking to the Union is a delight! Ms. Polishuk definitely has a gift for making Julia Ruuttila's words sing, and I very much appreciate her journalistic attention to detail with respect to the places where the oral history diverges from recorded history. Viewing the immensely important Pacific Northwest labor movement through Julia's eyes with Sandy Polishuk as a guide is like a well-crafted gourmet meal. Delicious, satisfying, nourishing, and extremely educational!

Julia Ruuttila's life was amazing! And Sandy Polishuk has done a great job bringing her life to the page. The best part is the book is it's totally engaging and then you realize you've learned a ton of history about twentieth century activism (peace, labor, civil rights, birth control, women's rights etc.)at the same time.
While this book was written for adults, my teenage son read it too and loved it! He couldn't resist it because I was raving about it almost from the first page.