Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/15/2017 *Starred Review* What a great idea for a book! Activism, architecture, history, and a glamorous First Lady all come together in this historical vignette with the underlying theme that landmarks are to be saved for the people, not destroyed for profit. Wing begins by smartly showcasing Jackie Kennedy’s refurbishing of the White House and how she turned a “dreary mansion” into a source of pride. The book then forwards to a two-page spread of Grand Central Terminal, explaining its history. “After her time in Washington,” Wing writes, Jackie returns to New York and fights to wrest the future of the station from the current owners, who want to build a skyscraper in its place. Although the legal cases were protracted, the story moves with alacrity, focusing on Kennedy’s words and actions, yes, but also those of the legion of supporters who signed petitions, marched, and rode a train to D.C. for the ultimate Supreme Court hearing. After the successful court battle, Kennedy became involved in restoring Grand Central. Boiger’s watercolor, gouache, and ink artwork has a whimsical and energetic feel that lightens the more procedural aspects of the text. The final spread of the renovated Grand Central does not quite capture its grandeur, but the endpapers featuring the constellation-filled ceiling mitigate this slight shortcoming. In sum, an offering as charming as it is informative. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.