Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans Kadir Nelson
Much like his We Are the Ship Nelson again goes for the everyman (this time, everywoman) narrator and focuses on the very long, broad story of the African American experience.
The narrator's story-telling voice draws readers in as she tells of her great-grandfather Pap, a slave taken from Africa who fights for the North during the war, becomes a Buffalo soldier out West, and moves to Chicago during the Great Migration. She tells of her uncles and cousins who were Southern share-croppers, of her brothers who fought in WWII, and of how she (somehow back South) marched with Dr. King for Civil Rights and eventually case her ballot for Obama. The way her family touches on so many keystone events is a bit Forrest Gump, but is based on Nelson's own family stories.
Nelson beautiful, full-page paintings appear frequently and there are several 2-page spreads.
Readers will enjoy the narrative and artwork.
My only question is-- why is this nonfiction? It's full of made-up dialogue and made-up characters. In order to keep an authentic voice, historical fact is obscured, like when the narrator says that when Roosevelt declared war on Japan "every person in America was behind him." No, they weren't. The war had vast popular support, but not every person in America was for it. The brevity of the book and that it's all family stories, doesn't give a good sense of the timeline involved and how long some of these events were. Also, the way some social trends are covered in the narrative messes up the timeline. She talks about jazz when discussing the summer before the end of WWI. In her discussion, she mentions many of the big names including Ella Fitzgerald, making it sound like Fitzgerald was a popular jazz singer during WWI. But she wasn't born until 1917.
Many of my frustrations with We Are the Ship are double for Heart and Soul. It's a beautiful book that kids will really enjoy reading and they'll learn a lot from it but... it's a horrible example of nonfiction. Some minor edits and this would be a WONDERFUL work of historical fiction. Frustrating all around.
Today's Nonfiction Monday round up is over at The Swimmer Writer.
Book Provided by... my local library
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