   | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 02/01/2012 This accessible biography introduces Zora Neale Hurston’s remarkable life and work to a new generation of readers. As a child in Eatonville, Florida, self-confident Hurston “believed the moon followed her.” Organized chronologically, the Fradins’ book follows Hurston’s bumpy yet fascinating career as she moves from Florida to NYC and into the exciting world of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston wandered for the majority of her life, including a long stint traveling through the South collecting “lies” (folktales). In spite of her struggles with poverty, she was determined to become a successful writer—but she never saw fortune in her lifetime. When she died, in 1960, her books were out of print; Hurston’s works were rediscovered in the late 1970s, and Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) is now considered a seminal work of African American literature. Clearly written text and period photos paint a picture of a larger-than-life, spirited woman and the times in which she lived. Two of Hurston’s collected “lies,” along with a time line, source notes, bibliography, and index, round out this portrait of an American luminary. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 10/01/2012 Zora Neale Hurston is a lively subject for a biography but also a challenging one. As a collector of folk stories and “lies,” she herself often played fast and loose with the truth, regularly changing her age to suit her purposes and lying to her friend and coworker Langston Hughes on multiple occasions. The Fradins parse truth from fiction carefully here, and they don’t shy away from reporting on the mistakes, fits of temper, plagiarism, and other shady dealings that peppered Zora’s fascinating and varied career. They introduce readers to her exuberant and fanciful childhood in the all-black community of Eatonville, Florida, a childhood that was shattered by the death of her beloved and supportive mother. Her father’s remarriage proved disastrous to the cohesion of the family, with Zora and her stepmother even coming to physical blows at one point, resulting in Zora leaving her father’s home forever. Zora possessed a keen intelligence and an unfailing confidence in herself; while she worked at various jobs throughout her life, she never gave up the idea that she was destined to be a famous writer. The Fradins trace her academic and writing careers during the heady days of the Harlem Renaissance, providing child-friendly explanations for why her work went largely unrecognized by the general public until after her death, and they explore in detail why an award-winning author found herself working as a housekeeper in her fifties. The biography thus features the humor and heartache of the life of a brilliant but largely underappreciated writer who only became really well known after her death. Two folktales that Hurston collected, a timeline, source notes, bibliography, and index are included. KC - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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