From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. With a dignity well suited to the subject, this simply written biography presents the basic facts and humanizing details of Marian Anderson's life. Beginning with the singer's turn-of-the-century childhood, Ferris discusses the great contralto's early church-sponsored music lessons in Philadelphia, her triumphs in Europe, and the groundbreaking performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, as well as her watershed appearances at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1950s. While emphasizing Anderson's pioneering role in breaking down racial barriers, this profile is also important for showing how the hardworking artist never took her prodigious talent for granted. While it may be unfair to criticize a book for what it is not, it still would have been interesting to learn how Anderson's relationship with her maternal Jewish grandfather and her part Native American grandmother influenced her own racial attitudes. A handful of relevant endnotes, a good selection of black-and-white photographs, and a bibliography are appended. Julie Corsaro
From Kirkus Reviews
The African-American whose career precipitated several watershed events in the civil rights movement is eloquently portrayed in a Trailblazer biography. The first to appear for young people since the singer's death, it updates and corrects such older books as Ann Tedards's Marian Anderson (1988) with a recently discovered birth date (1897, not 1903) and a more accurate description of the opening moments of the famous Lincoln Memorial concert on Easter Sunday, 1939. With many anecdotes from the singer's own recollections, meticulously researched, and told in moving but unsentimental prose, the narrative is augmented by high-quality, captioned photos. The pain of prejudice and disgrace of Jim Crow laws are contrasted with the tolerance Anderson experienced on two visits to Europe. Personal defeats, particularly a disastrous Town Hall concert in NYC early in her career, are described in the context of their importance to her character development and stand as an inspiration to readers. Notes; bibliography; index. (Biography. 9-11) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
