From Publishers Weekly
In this newest addition to the Unsung Americans series, Yates draws on a variety of sources to examine the life of Woody Guthrie (1912-1967), perhaps best known today for writing "This Land Is Your Land" and for inspiring a generation of musicians including Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. While much of the book is devoted to Guthrie's role as a champion of the oppressed and underprivileged, the picture that ultimately emerges is of a troubled and immature dreamer who, in his quest for self-fulfillment, avoided his responsibilities to his family (three wives left him) and his employers. Emphasizing her subject's sensitivity to the political and social issues of his times, Yates discusses the changing climate of the country, explaining how these changes are reflected in Guthrie's music. Especially useful are her overviews of the growth of labor movements and the backlash against Communist organizers, the creation of social programs to counteract the Depression, and the effects of WWII on American society. Photos not seen by PW. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up?American history is vividly and candidly portrayed in this biography of one of our country's foremost balladeers. Woody Guthrie's story is at once a tale of personal tragedy, survival, and the turmoil created by poverty and natural disaster. Much of his life was played out against the devastating effect of his sister's death when he was six, poverty bred of the dust storms of 1935, and the Great Depression. The hardships faced as his family left Oklahoma for California where they became migrant farm workers is reminiscent of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. These experiences shaped Guthrie's social conscience and political outlook. Throughout his life, music was a constant, however, and the songwriter used the sounds around him and his concerns for the downtrodden as inspiration. In addition to being a wonderful historical account of American folk music and the times in which the subject lived, this book is also an absorbing read. A crisp style brings to life Guthrie's constant struggle against poverty and social injustice and his final fight against Huntington's chorea, a genetically linked disease. A few archival photographs are included. A fine addition.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
