Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDF
Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South
What They Said About This Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book (Reviews):
Vicki
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFIn Truevine, Virginia in 1899, two albino African American boys from a sharecropper family were stolen from the tobacco fields where they were working and put to work as circus freaks. It took their mother 28 years to finally get them back. Intrigued by this almost mythological tale, journalist Beth Macy spent years researching, conducting interviews and trying to piece together the whole story. Her research places the Muse brothers' story into context as she weaves historical details about turn-of-the-century circuses and race relations in the Jim Crow South into the narrative. A fascinating story that will resonate with readers today.
Mimi
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFAnother writer would have written a teleplay about the Muse brothers' journey from (literally) dirt-poor beginnings, through involuntary, indentured servitude, and on to their interesting lives as freaks in a myriad of 20th century circuses. But Beth Macy is a journalist, and Truevine is a story that took decades to get to the bottom of. Further, she cares deeply about the people and places in this book. Who should read this book? Part One should be read by every Southerner, descendant of the South, descendants of carpetbaggers, and transplants to the South. The daily venom and institutionalized insults that African-Americans suffered -- and they did suffer -- cannot be guessed. It must be told, and it must be read. So much more insidious than separate water fountains, Macy conveys the scope of the pervasive, poisonous hate and innate/outright meanness that was the Jim Crow era. Anyone who is unable to utter the three words "black lives matter" without qualifying it in some way needs to read about how little they did matter to anyone. As interviewee A.J. Reeves asks Macy in this section, "Are you SURE you want the truth?" More than anything we all need this truth, and Macy delivers, unflinchingly. Part Two brings circus and freak aficionados the world the Muse brothers were thrust into; a world of sideshows, fellow freaks, and people who could be "bought" by "talent scouts" and traded like Pokémon cards among "managers". Step right up, folks, and get your look at the machinations and subterfuge used in packaging oddities of our species. Partially chronicled through photographs, Macy's research magnifies the clothes, expressions, and body language to get a feel for the path the brothers weaved in and through the insulated circus community. As a former reporter, Macy is equally adept at poking family sore spots and dodging verbal slings and arrows as she learns more of the story, questions a tightly-knit family's lore, and presents evidence suggesting other probabilities. A fiercely tenacious writer, Macy is an equally ferocious mother, and in Part 3 she paints the portrait of Harriet Muse, the mother who waited (and hustled while waiting) and through sheer force of will snatched her children back from the circus. The legal chess game that ensued was played across decades. Wherever Harriet Muse got those smarts from, the gift was not wasted. Those who enjoy legal yarns and unlikely heroes tilting poles at windmills will not be disappointed. In a book rich with injustices, a victorious underdog prevails. Part four provides much food for thought as the circus and sideshows travel to entertain societies overseas. Especially interesting is the effect that the war wounded have on England, where seeing firsthand the ravages of war in deformed, injured soldiers makes looking at sideshow freaks for entertainment feel inappropriate. It's a sobering contrast to the antics Macy chronicles in the peculiarities of the performers themselves. The scope of Truevine, like the well worn circus travel routes, eventually ends at a resting place after its exploration of a century of change in these interesting and unusual chapters. That resting place is the loving, protective and attentive care of the family in Roanoke, Virginia. Macy's town. My town. A place where the darkest chapters of history were perpetrated by the real freaks -- the local Ku Klux Klan, and the institution of racism in a very shocking past. Several times, the brothers' caretaker relative reminds us that the brothers came out on top in the end. However this war ended for them, the casualties of that very uncivil war are still among us. This book will have your mind "Musing" on all these aspects and more as you continue to digest its story and scope long after the pleasure of the read is completed.
Andrew
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFThere are so many good things going on in this book. A century-old mystery. A mother's search for her sons. A big-top circus.Two young African American boys disappear from their Virginian town to resurface as Ambassadors From Mars or Ecuadorian Cannibals in a twentieth-century circus sideshow. Fast forward to today when a reporter pieces together what happened, where they went, and a mother's tireless fight to bring her boys back home.And in a strange coincidence, in a book perfect for fans of , the two boys come from the same small town as Henrietta!
Jamie
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDF"Truevine" by Beth Macy is incredible. An unbelievable true story of African American albino brothers stolen by the circus in the early 1900s. Macy's investigative journalism is brilliant as she captures an elusive story of racism, post-emancipation slavery, early America circus life and the story of a strong woman who defied it all. A highly recommended read.
Elizabeth Jamison
Writes about Reading Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South BookIn her previous book, , Beth Macy tells a distinctly American story by tracing the history of a small, family-owned furniture manufacturer in southwest Virginia and by documenting their fight to survive in the twenty-first century global marketplace. With , Macy has again unearthed a rich, complicated, and troubling history from southwest Virginia that reveals important truths about the American past and present at the complicated intersection of race, class, labor, and region. Macy's journalist roots shine as she weaves a gripping story that keeps you riveted through shock, sadness, amusement, and grim curiosity as you reckon with the implications of this American true story. weaves its way through the black and white, small town world of lower and working-class, twentieth-century America, who came together at the circus. Ostensibly, is about two, young Albino African-American brothers plucked from the tobacco fields (in Truevine, Virginia) and who would become famous for their performances in the Freak Shows popular with circuses of the era. Simultaneously, is about their mother, who defeated all odds to bring them back home. The twists and turns of this story will keep you agape and constantly make you wonder, "how could this possibly have happened?" However, Macy's carefully and deeply researched work leaves you no doubt of its authenticity. Macy has expertly woven the threads of this tale from past to present with such detail that if you walk the streets of Roanoke, Virginia today, the physical vestiges of the not so distant past are evident everywhere. With this proof in hand, you will be left to wrestle what to do with Macy’s account of how the segregated and racialized U.S. past continues to haunt the American present. Those who have read , by Rececca Skoot, will recognize this feeling.This story is many things. This is a story about the circus. This is a story about a mother's courage. This is a story about family. This is a story about betrayal. This is a story about race and gender in small, southern locales. This is a story about love. This story is about the complication of a category that doesn't "fit," even when at home. This is a story about "then," but it is also a story about "now." This is a story originating in Truevine, Virginia, but it is also a story about Anywhere, America. is time well spent. And, like all great stories, you will spend time with it even after you are finished reading.
Katherine Grimes
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFBeth Macy combines thorough reporting with empathy and insight better than any other writer I've ever read. She is able to teach us about the history of the Muse family, the tiny Virginia village of Truevine, the city of Roanoke, the circus, and the African American experience from the late 1890s through the twentieth century, all the while recreating characters whose lives matter to us. She finds the truth if it can be found and tells us when it can't or when the people who tell the stories remember different versions of the truth. The notes at the end of the book show the thoroughness of Beth Macy's research, especially primary research--combing through archives and interviewing as many people as she could find who had known Willie and George Muse. The text and the photographs bring the people to life. In the end, I love this book for almost the opposite reason that I love Factory Man: because my mother worked for Bassett Furniture and I also worked there one summer, I could relate to much of Factory Man. But I can relate to almost nothing in Truevine, except for location (I live in Franklin County about 45 minutes from the Truevine community), and the novelty was enthralling. People interested in history, psychology, racial justice, and even the law should read this book. Readers who admire great reporting and great people, like the Muse brothers' mother and her attorney, should find this book inspiring.
Debra Komar
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFThis is a case of very deceptive advertising. Despite the subtitle, this book is not about the Muse brothers, "kidnapped" by a circus. That portion of the story makes up less than 20% of the book. It seems as though Macy secured a book contract based on a prior article, and then did enough research to realize that what is in the article was all there was to find. And so she pads out the story with endless tangents about freak shows - in case you didn't know what one was - the segregated south, lynching and every other dark bit of Southern history. She only makes it worse by crow-barring in a reference to the brothers in each chapter, reminding the reader that the story we thought we were getting is no where to be found. The book opens so strong, I thought I was in for a hell of a ride. I soon discovered that was all we were going to get about the Muse brothers. After that, it lapses into a "here's what I did" account, which has sadly become the go-to approach for journalism these days. I thought the point of journalism was to take yourself out of the story, not make yourself the focus. The writing is strong and I would be interested in reading other books by Macy, hopefully about subjects that actually warrant a full book. This is, at best, a magazine piece inflated to book length with filler. So disappointing.
Christie W
Writes about Reading Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South BookThis deeply researched book is a Southern time-machine truth detector. For anyone who may have wished to go back in time to discover how things "really were," be careful what you wish for. I'm changed by "Truevine": I thought I had an honest sense of how grossly we romanticize notions of The South but this book opened my eyes even more.Beth Macy's choice to write this book in the first person and include her own admissions and assumptions on race was a brave one, and is an example of the kind of honesty and humility we should all bring to these conversations. Her previous book, "Factory Man," gave readers a heroic narrative, a rallying cry that all Americans could unite behind. This book is painful and more ambiguous, and in its honesty, just as important to inform our national sense of ourselves.
Fran
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFIn the early 20th Century, circus popularity was in its heyday. Bounty hunters known as freak hunters scoured the country including the backwoods looking for "curiosities" to transform into side show attractions. In 1899, George and Willie Muse, 9 years and 6 years respectively were working from daylight to dusk removing bugs from tobacco leaves in Truevine,Virginia. The Muse family were sharecroppers on a tobacco farm in the Jim Crow South. Enter Candy Shelton, bounty hunter. George and Willie, black albino brothers living in poverty, were kidnapped and spent years as side show attractions.Sharecroppers were seldom able to experience success, respect or dignity. After all, "croppers only received a portion of the money they earned minus the cost of seed and family necessities. Taking out a loan from a store, a family would incur interest rates of 21% to 53% and thus sink deeper in debt.Author Beth Macy spent two decades winning the trust of Muse descendants while trying to piece together the kidnapping of George and Willie Muse by Candy Shelton .But, was it actually a kidnapping or unclear communication? Irregardless, illiterate mother and black domestic worker Harriett Muse challenged the white-owned circus company for the return of her sons. Often the boys performed under different names for different circuses and travelling shows mostly without monetary compensation. They performed for food, circus housing and meager clothing. With the advent of radio and television the number of travelling shows was greatly diminished.Ms. Macy discusses many issues in her well researched tome. She describes the Jim Crow South where whites felt threatened by blacks who were no longer beholden to them. She describes Truevine, Virginia as a place where being kidnapped could seem like an opportunity for the albino African Americans who did not match the physical norms of society. The realities of circus life including how side show performers with disabilities were displayed for profit is explored as well."Truevine" by Beth Macy takes us on a journey back in time. Entertainment has changed. Circuses no longer have the stature of old. Poverty,however, has not been eliminated. Societal inequality still prevails. Ms. Macy provides a timely reminder that all lives matter.Thank you Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Truevine".
Julie
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFMy first introduction to Truevine came from several local folks who knew that I was a blogger. Each commented that they hadn’t read the new release but were curious as to what people in the area thought about the writing. Since the Muse descendants still live here in Franklin County - how accurate would the book actually be? Could someone pen a book about something as touchy as what happened to the Muse brothers and still stay ‘true’ to the area. So - at the urging of a local librarian who didn’t have the time to read the book….I set out to discover what secrets the author uncovered about the Muse brothers that was not known to people in our area of the county. Truevine is a community - not a town as stated in the book - in Franklin County that lies between Glade Hill and Snow Creek. If you blink while driving through the area, you will miss it!! It’s that small of a community. Having lived in the Snow Creek area all of my life, I am familiar with Truevine. In fact - it’s a short drive from my house…..10 minutes actually. So - I decided to dig into this supposed sordid tale and see what mysteries the author uncovered. The anticipation of the unknown secrets that the author hinted at were killing me. I couldn’t wait to discover what secrets were lying around the corner in regards to the Muse brothers kidnapping and life in the circus. However - I soon found myself disappointed. Why? Well - the longer I read the more I realized that this book was more about segregation and less about the secrets surrounding Willie and George Muse. It was a story filled with accounts from others that weren’t connected to the Muse family other than to live in Roanoke during the time they were ‘missing’ or came back home. There were less facts from family members or documents and more details about the life and times of those affected by segregation in Roanoke (and elsewhere). Then there were several inconsistencies that nagged at me. The first and biggest would be the discussion that Truevine Elementary School closed at the end of segregation and a factory then took over the school. Well - this is about as far from the truth as I can imagine. You see - I was in 5th grade when the county decided to consolidate Truevine Elementary and close its doors. My recollection would be quite accurate considering Truevine Elementary students were moved to Snow Creek Elementary - where I was a student. It was as far away from the time of segregation as you could imagine. I am only 44 (gasp…I actually admitted it) and that was a LONG time after schools were integrated. Truevine Elementary was closed due to student enrollment between the two schools, and many other budgeting factors. Once it was closed - Doyle Enterprises began operating out of the facility. Due to NAFTA and many other factors - Doyle Enterprises is no longer in the facility and the building sits vacant. I also found ‘pause’ when the author references Martinsville. The book states ‘One year, her biological grandparents in Henry County , near Martinsville….’. Well - I guess no one decided to look at a map. Martinsville is located WITHIN Henry County. Also the statement - ‘Truevine and neighboring Sontag, Penhook, and Snow Creek: these close-knit Franklin County enclaves are memories now more than working communities….’. So - when did these neighborhoods vanish? Snow Creek, Sontag and Penhook are all alive and well. Snow Creek and Sontag Elementary schools are thriving with increased enrollment. Penhook (also the mailing address for Snow Creek School) is always thriving due to Smith Mountain Lake. Farms still exist. My neighbors are dairy farmers, tobacco farmers, blue collar workers, white collar workers, educators, etc. all within the confines of these locals. So - those statements are inflated at the very least. Then there are references to the fact the author believes Roanoke was such a dangerous place to be for an African American person ‘back in the day’. That was true anywhere that practiced slavery. Time and again I would reread passages to make certain what I was reading…..even reading aloud to my husband what the paragraphs were detailing. Slavery was a dark time in history. There is no doubt about that. However - the way this story reads, you would think Roanoke was the MOST dangerous place for African Americans in history. That isn’t quite how history was written. There are so many stories that weren’t written in this country, but one thing is certain. ANYWHERE there was slavery in the states…times were dangerous and difficult. Some states the further south you traveled were much more dangerous than Roanoke, VA. So - it puzzled me as to why Roanoke seemed to be portrayed as the worst place for ‘people of color’ to live. As I pushed onward through the book I did find many interesting facts about the circus life for so many people. It was fascinating from that aspect. However - during the midst of reading - I found so many ‘I think’ or ‘maybes’ during the lingo. If you are talking about history….it needs to be purely facts that you write about. Not what one would think. Inserting what one ‘thinks’ can change how history was written. So in reality - there were very little FACTS about the Muse brothers, but a whole lot of ‘guesses’ about how they may have lived their lives within the circus during their time on the road. The relationship that Nancy had with her uncle was definitely a highlight of the book, but she did not give up as much information as you would have believed from the title and cover of the book!If I am looking at the book without pertaining any thoughts related to my life in this area, I would say the book contains more ‘fluff’ than plot. The information contained within chapters jumps from person to thing even if none of the details had to do with one another. Also - there was a lot of ‘repeated’ statements or phrases peppered within TONS of run-on sentences. Something that drives me batty since I edit and beta for several authors. Overall - there were so many details about segregation in the south. Which the author references constantly with the term ‘Jim Crow South’. Does this give us more insight into Truevine or a mothers deep dark secrets about her children that were ‘taken’ from the circus? No - not really. It is a great glimpse into the legal aspects that the Muse family went through during that era. However - I found the significance of the title as related to the material contained between the covers to be far from what one would expect when reading the title or synopsis.
Julie
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFThis is investigative journalism at its best and Macy provides a thoroughly comprehensive look at the lives of George and Willie Muse, albino brothers who joined the carnival circuit in 1914. The big debate presented is whether they were kidnapped from the fields (as Willie put it many years later, “stolen”) or whether their mother contracted them out. Either way, Harriet completely lost touch with her sons for the next two decades, then spent another chunk of her life waging legal battles to ensure their compensation.This is not only a biography of George and Willie themselves; it is a multifaceted history of the United States in the early half of the 20th century. There a good deal about the evolution of carnival/circus life and the freak shows that George and Willie were a part of. Also, the socioeconomic climate in the Roanoke region is explored along with all of the racism that permeated the south and can still be felt to this day.Macy delivers a lot of information in a very approachable manor. I can’t even fathom the amount of research she did to compile this incredible book. She acknowledges that it took her 25 years to ingratiate herself with George and Willie’s family to get the full story, but that it was worthwhile in giving the Muse’s the credit they deserve. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
Evalyn Chapman
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFA rating of five stars seems insufficient for this outstanding book. I was mesmerized from the first paragraph, and often moved to tears as I learned the details of this heartbreaking true story of race, prejudice, and poverty in America. It was fascinating to read of the back-lot shenanigans of the American circus, and riveting as well as uncomfortable to face the truth of how easily and shamelessly some take advantage of those whose differences make them a marketable commodity. However, the best part of the story is the finale, proving that truth is indeed more incredible than fiction. Second offerings are sometimes a disappointment, with authors who never quite match the level of excellence of their initial writings. I found TRUEVINE to be the exception, as it is even better than Macy's best seller FACTORY MAN. I read TRUEVINE four times, and found it as moving the last time as it was the first. I rank it on par with my favorite works of fiction, A TIME TO KILL and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. The fact that this is a true story makes it all the more remarkable. It will be my go-to gift for family and friends this holiday season.
Marilyn Smith
Writes about Reading Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South BookMacy digs into the story of two albino African American boys stolen away and billed as circus curiosities with traveling shows in the late 19th century. The circus changes their origin of birth often getting more exotic over time; their actual story is far more interesting and disturbing. The family has fiercely protected the brothers lives in their later years, forbidding interviews with the men. Macy earns the right to interview the niece who cared for the men in the elder years.Truevine is a primer that all Americans should read about about race inequality
Tom Landon
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFBased on the description, it's almost hard to believe this is non-fiction. Deeply researched and thoughtfully written, this book takes you into not only the world of the circus in the early 20th century, but into a racial climate rarely talked about today. A page turner that arrives at just the right time as Americans grapple with race issues a century after the events portrayed in the book.
Sue Lindsey
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFBeth Macy is a master reporter, and her thorough research makes her exploration of the disappearance of two brothers in tiny Truevine, Va., a page-turner that is not to be missed.
Nancy
Writes about Reading Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South BookTruevine is the remarkable story of George and Willie Muse, born to a sharecropper in a part of the country that had hardly changed since slave days. And they were born albino African Americans, with white skin, pale hair in dreadlocks, and blue eyes unable to focus or stand light. The boys faced a brutal life in the tobacco fields of Virginia.The brothers were six and nine when they were stolen from their home in Truvine to be exhibited in circuses, told their mother was dead. Called Eko and Iko, Ambassadors from Mars, or the Sheep-headed freaks, or touted as cannibals, they performed across America and in Europe. Uneducated, told to talk in mumbo jumbo and to act wild, they also learned any instrument by ear and loved to sing It's a Long Way to Tipperary.Their heartbroken mother spent twenty-eight years trying to reunite with her sons.When the circus arrived in the brother's home town their mother was in the audience and was recognized by her sons She went to court to seek justice for her sons: remuneration, better living conditions, correspondence with their family, a retirement savings account. Her sons, after all, were one of the biggest draws in the sideshow.In Roanoke, VA, African Americans lynch mobs dealt out 'justice' and the descendants of slaves were considered genetically inferior. The Muse brother's mother took on one of the biggest entertainment businesses in a courageous act that could have brought fatal repercussions.Not that the battle was fought once and for all. The boys contracted to return to the circus, this time with a salary. But they were handed off to a new manager who took off for another venue and kept all the proceeds for himself. The brothers spent 28 years exploited, in virtual slavery.I was reluctant to read a book about 'freaks' until I saw the reviews. Macy considers the Muse brothers' story in context of African American history from slavery through Jim Crow laws, the eugenics movement the early 20th c., and cultural and political changes including urban renewal.The author spent 25 years building a relationship with the woman who cared for the last Muse brother in old age. Truevine is impressive in it's scope, exploring human trafficking, the heyday of the circus, the racial history of Roanoke, VA, and offers sympathetic, human portraits of the Muse family.There is question about how the brothers came to be discovered by the circus and if the circus life was better than the lives they would have had, especially as they developed blindness. What is not under question is the love and respect given the aging Willie who lived to be 108; his tombstone reads, "God is good to me."As I read this book I remembered the elementary school boy with a hook for a hand. And I realized the white haired, white skinned boy with dark glasses in my high school had albinism. Differences were something I took in stride growing up, for as my mother used to say, in another day and economic status, she would have been a circus freak.Mom suffered from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. At times 90% of her body was covered by psoriasis. Her nails were thick, yellow, and bumpy. She took long soaking baths and applied creams to loosen the dead skin, leaving her with red patches of new skin. Arthritis too mobility in her neck, hands, and major joints. Her treatments included mercury salves, cortisone that caused weight gain and thin skin that easy tore open, application of smelly tar ointments followed by body wrapping in saran wrap, applications of olive oil on her scalp (which I helped apply with cotton balls), Ultra Violet light treatment that caused pre-cancerous growths, and finally Methotrexate which allowed her a quality of life she had not experienced in decades.Mom figured she would have been touted as a scaly Fish Lady.To me, Mom was pretty, smart, and generous, a loyal friend, an incessant reader. Yes, she needed help with her personal care, and had trouble opening jars or lifting heavy things. But I was not ashamed of her, as she feared, nor did I feel the need to explain or hide Mom's autoimmune disease.The Muse brothers didn't have what Mom enjoyed: a loving mother and father who provided for their children, a loving husband, a community that supported her, affordable medical care. The Muse brothers did have a mother who never gave up wanting the best for her sons."One of my advisers, a sociology professor, says that black people really want people to know that they have survived something – emotionally, physically, spiritually – that would have killed most people," Macy says. "That's the heart of this book." I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Yaaresse
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFAfter some thought and discussions about this book with others who read it, I'm bumping this up to five stars based on the quality of the research and how well the Muse brothers story was put in context to the larger story of time/place. I still think the title is sensationalist and not great, but that could have been the publisher's doing. ________________________4 1/2 stars. Two African American brothers with albinism disappeared from their small Virginia community around 1899. The family story handed down for generations was that they had been lured from the tobacco fields by a white man offering them candy and kidnapped to perform in circus freak shows. What is known for certain is that George and Willie Muse had a long career spanning decades and continents performing with major circuses. Also known is that their mother eventually located them, then successfully sued The Greatest Show on Earth. It was a real David versus Goliath case. The key to her win was in tactics that were creative but hardly legal itself. The Muse brothers, who usually performed under the names Iko and Eko, were billed as everything from Ecuadorian cannibal savages to The Ambassadors from Mars. Was it by force or voluntarily...or did a family member enter a contract with the shows that turned into peonage? Were the brothers of inferior intelligence as some claimed or were as capable intellectually as they were musically (both were gifted musicians.) Beth Macy, a former Roanoke news reporter, spent many years trying to piece together the story. She interviewed family, neighbors, legal experts and geneticists. She combed through circus archives, newspapers, old films, and collectors' stashes of circus paraphernalia. Nothing happens in a vacuum. In order to tell the story of George and Willie Muse, Macy also had to tackle the larger stories of segregation and discrimination in the Jim Crow South and the rise and fall of freak shows. She also had to provide context by educating the reader on the genetics of albinism and broach the very tricky question of whether sideshows actually provided a better option for those who were part of them than they would have had trying to survive in "normal" society. (And before sputtering out an indignant and PC "of course such shows were exploitative and horrible," ask yourself what other opportunities existed in the 19th and early 20th centuries for cojoined twins, 26-inch tall men, bearded women, people born with no lower torso or legs, or, for that matter, people with albinism. It only takes a little digging through the records of asylums, poorhouses, orphanages, and such to come up with the answer as "none." As with her first book, Macy does put herself in the story. That usually annoys me in non-fiction, but Macy seems to know when to step aside and when her POV is needed to avoid stating something as fact that is her opinion. There were some passages that suddenly swtiched to present tense for reasons I couldn't fathom and found jarring, but that seems to be rampant these days. (I'm going to start a Society for the Preservation of Past Tense.) There are numerous photographs and ample citations of Macy's research. What keeps me from giving this book five stars is the disconnect between the title and the content. There's something sensationalist and...well... about the title. The whole "A Mother's Quest" thing rings a bit hollow to me. Harriet Muse certainly showed pluck to take on suing Ringling Brothers, but I remain dubious about her motivations and skeptical about the initial kidnapping claim. I think it more likely she agreed to some temporary arrangement that went south into something she never would have agreed to at all. Looking at the photos in the back of the book, I saw something that might have made the book even more interesting and played well into the segregation/Jim Crow tie-in: There are two photos, one of the Pete Kortes Sideshow performers and one labeled Conklin Sideshow performers taken a decade later. The Muse brothers are in both photos, but in them are also two Caucasian albino females who appear to be closely related, possibly sisters. It would be interesting to know how the careers of the Muse brothers differed from that of the two white albino performers. That in itself might be a whole other book. It is rumored that Leo DeCaprio has bought the rights to this movie and wants to star in it. I can't imagine what role he'd play except perhaps the scumbucket manager or the lawyer who finally got scumbucket manager out of the Muses' lives. I certainly hope he has no ideas about playing an African American albino. In fact, I can't see how Hollywood could cast this movie with any credibility at all except to find some unknown actors who actually have the genetic condition and some very careful script-writing to avoid making them look like cliches. (Can Salif Keita act as well as sing? Sir Maejor should have his agent beating on doors to get him an audition as well.)
Alice Meloy
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFAuthor Beth Macy has done a prodigious job of investigative journalism in her search to find the true story of the lives of George and Willie Muse, early 20th century circus sideshow stars. The Muse brothers, known variously as Eko and Iko, the Sheepheads, and Ambassadors from Mars were albinos, born into southern black poverty near Roanoke, Virginia, during a time when circuses, carnivals, and freak museums were becoming universally popular forms of entertainment. Macy dug deep into western Virginia's historical records and conducted many interviews to try to determine first, if the brothers were kidnapped or if they were sold to a circus recruiter, and second, the character and intelligence of the two men, who left no personal record of their lives. She chronicles her search for information in a meandering fashion, veering off frequently to describe aspects of politics, the legal system, racism, circus life, and anecdotes about the many people who were in some way involved with circuses or George and Willie Muse. Throughout, she provides a portrait of poor blacks in Virginia who experienced a kind of bondage akin to slavery as they sharecropped tobacco and cotton and provided cheap labor for mining and timber companies.There's a lot of well-documented information in this book gleaned from court house files, family stories handed down through the generations, records of court cases brought by the boys' mother, Harriet, and photographs and posters advertising circus events. The author also had the fortune to win over Willie's grandniece who, as Willie's caretaker until his death at 108, provided an intimate look at Willie's life after he and George retired from circus life. Macy's dogged determination to expose the truth and explore the many different directions she went in to reach her goal makes for a fascinating and informative reading experience.This book was in many ways reminiscent of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Tomlinson Hill, which were, among other things, investigations of poor black families who achieved notoriety for some reason. I think Macy, however, tries to include too much of what she learned as she did her research. She goes back and forth in history, taking off on tangents that are interesting by themselves but that don't add significantly to her main story about the Muse brothers. I found the book to be a bit loose in construction, redundant in spots, and a bit too full of anecdotal information about characters that were on the outer peripheries of her story. I found myself skipping over some of those anecdotes. Perhaps some additional editing would have helped
Lori L (She Treads Softly)
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFTruevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest by Beth Macy is the very highly recommended true story of two African-American brothers who were stolen and shown as circus freaks. Macy summarizes her book as "It's a story about race, greed, and the circus, and I've been chasing it for more than 25 years."The story of how 9 year old George, and 6 year old Willie Muse were stolen in 1899 right out of the tobacco field where they were working was handed down through the African-American families who lived in Truevine, Virginia, for generations. George and Willie, who were both albinos, were enslaved by a circus side-show manager and forced to be on display as various caricatures over the years. The Muse brothers became a popular top tier sideshow act. At Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey they were known as "Eko and Iko, the Ecuadorian Savages. During various other shows they were billed as cannibals, sheep-headed freaks, even "Ambassadors from Mars."Their mother may have initially made an agreement for the boys to work at the sideshow, but did not plan to have her boys enslaved by a shifty promoter and never returned home. She spent 28 years trying to get them back and securing pay for their work, which had been uncompensated.The historical scope of Macy's book is rich in period details and facts. Macy divides her book into four parts. She focuses on the world the boys were born into, the Jim Crow South, and looks at the life in the circus, including the side show acts/performers and managers, while uncovering the scarce details she could find about the life of the Muse brothers in the circus. Macy clearly admires Harriet Muse, the boy's mother, and her determination to find and secure some kind of compensation for their work. She managed to use the legal system to her advantage during a time when that scarcely seems possible.Truevine is an extremely well researched, thoughtfully written, historical account that is just as gripping as a thriller. Macy, a reporter, spent years waiting for the Muse family to approve her covering this story. Then she spent more time researching the story of the Muse brothers and the pertinent background information. and the historical context of the times. Her account of the facts and presentation of the historical information is simple fascinating and results in a compelling narrative that is a credit to her skills at research, reporting the facts, and presenting the information in a factual yet compassionate way. As is my wont, I was thrilled to see that Truevine includes extensive notes for each chapter and an index. This is one non-fiction book that should not be missed.Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.
Denise
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFThis is a fascinating account of the Muse brothers--George and Willie--"albino" African-American children who were kidnapped by a circus "freak hunter" and made to perform in circuses all around the country. Billed under different names and personas--"Eko and Iko", sometimes the "wild men from Ecuador", at other times the "Ambassadors from Mars," the story of their mother, Harriet, who never gave up looking for them and subsequently fighting for their rights is only one part of the story. The majority of George and Willie's lives were spent during the time of the "Jim Crow" laws of this country. I started this book last week, on November 6, 2016. I took the book with me to read while I was standing in line on November 8, waiting for the polls to open so I could vote. By chance, I was on a chapter describing the laws at the time (particularly in Virginia and other parts of the south) that were structured to make it more difficult for African-American citizens to vote. I already knew about things like poll taxes, but I hadn't known about the so-called "understanding law" of 1902 in Virgina, which required that voters could register only if they could read and explain any provision of the newly-written state constitution. Of course, because many African-Americans at the time could not afford the poll tax and/or did not have access to a proper education, voter participation among blacks dropped significantly. By the way, the segregationist-written constitution of Virginia remained in effect until July 1, 1971. I thought about this as I was standing in line to vote in 2016. How the GOP has done their best--still, all these years later--to disenfranchise minority voters. Requiring a photo ID to vote, then closing down or severely curtailing the hours at DMV offices where one would get a photo ID is just one example. It really made me think about how we still have so far to go when it comes to racism in this country...and the next day, I thought about how difficult any progress will likely be under a Trump presidency.All in all, a remarkable read. Part biography, part glimpse into circus life, and part well-researched history lesson, this book will keep you thinking about it long after you finish.
♥ Sandi
Writes about Reading Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South BookSummary Beth Macy, master chronicler of life in the South, combines exhaustive research, exclusive interviews and sources, and attention to detail in this riveting American story about race, greed, and a mother's love. George and Willie Muse from Truevine, Virginia were two little boys born in a brutal time, sharecropping a field in the segregated South, stolen away by a white man offering candy, and set on a path of events that would forever change their lives--and their family's destiny. -- I copied the above passage because it is succinct, precise, and I could not say it any better. What I can elaborate on is the writing and pictures in this novel. The pictures were from family albums - spanning back to when the Muse brothers were very young, right up to the remaining niece who cared for the longest living brother Willie. Nancy the niece is still alive today at the age of 67. It took the author 25 years of research and pleading with the Muse family to be allowed to write this book. This novel was written very much like a book of fiction. It recalls the lives of Georgie and Willie as they lived on the circus circuit. Their lives as slaves to the circus owners, their lives as paid employees and their lives spent with a small sum of money. How the family lost sight of them, found them and then agreed to the care of each man until his death. Along the way you meet a number of sideshow characters and learn about the tapestry of our nation, along with the inner workings of both legal and illegal circuses and acting managers. There was not a boring page within the covers of this book. From 1899 to 2001 you lived along side the Muse brothers, enduring their suffering and smiling at their good fortune. ** As a side note** The Muse family lived within about a half block of Loretta Pleasant - the subject of the book .
Fabian
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFI'm a bit torn. It's a great book. If it had a different title. But the title talked about a harrowing story of two brothers stolen and a moms harrowing attempt to rescue them. None of that was there. Sure there was one harrowing event. But that's it. All told 20% of the book was about them. And I'm being generous. The other 80% dealt with life in the south, lynchings, the freak fair of those times. I actually learned a lot about the circus and what the name meant for Ringling brothers and Barnum and Baily Circus. Had no idea. And it was a AMAZING read. But that's not what the jacket promised. They would delve a little into the brothers, then jump on a 30 minute tangent about some side character. Then get back to the story, then again jump on a 30 minute tangent. It was frustrating. I never really got a sense of what they went through with their traveling years beyond a few pages. The writer just seemed all over the place. Kept to the theme but rarely the purpose. Great book but I do not like being lead astray. I kept saying to myself "that's great ... but when are we getting back to their story?"
Helen
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFThis is quite an unusual story--the tale of two brothers, albino African Americans, who performed in side shows at circuses, fairs and carnivals at the turn of the century. It was a time when gawking at "freaks" was considered entertaining and other options for the Muse brothers were limited.According to local legend, the boys had been kidnapped, which may or may not have been true. What is certain is that they weren't paid until their mother retrieved them and hired a lawyer.Beth Macy documents her efforts to get to the bottom of the story in a way that reminded me of Rebecca Skloot's remarkable book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It turns out that both Lacks and the Muse brothers had ties to the same Roanoke, Virginia, neighborhood.Macy puts the story into context at great depth, which, to be honest told me more than I was interested in knowing about the other freaks, lawyers, managers, neighbors, relatives, etc. However, I think this book would be great reading for anyone interested in investigating history--journalists, historians and genealogists. The stories of former slaves tend to be much more difficult to unravel, but Macy has done well.
Constance
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFIn addition to the story of the Muse brothers, Macy gives a through treatment of the circus and, especially, side show acts or "freaks." Also, she presents the reality of life in the Jim Crow south. Against this backdrop, Harriet Muse's determination and fearlessness in demanding that her sons be treated fairly is nothing short of heroic. Macy interviewed relatives and others to uncover the true story of the lost and found brothers. The last two chapters shine with Harriet's gritm Willie's humor and humility and Macy's insights into the greater context to which we can understand this story. She writes, "It's one year after Ferguson, fifty years after the Watts riots, 150 years since the end of the Civil War. In the past year, thirty-two states have enforced new voter identification requirements that disproportionately disenfranchise poor and minority voters, and twenty-six black men have been fatally shot by police across the United States of America." Truevine is an important and timely book.
Katie
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFI have been looking forward to reading Truevine, since the moment I first read about it. Having worked with Sideshow collections, and having done so much research into sideshow and circus history, I immediately knew the brothers this book was about. I knew about the dark ages of exploitation in the sideshow, but also know that it was an opportunity for some. Beth Macy approaches the story of the Muse brothers, George and Willie, with sensitivity, respect and genuine curiosity. The story of their kidnapping and their mother's determination is the first thing Beth Macy heard about them, as it is a bit of town mythology. She does her best to get to the real story of what happened to them.This book has as much to do with racism and Jim Crow as it does with the sideshow and the exploitation of humans on display. She depicts George and Willie with extreme empathy, and puts them in the greater context of their time. It is a fascinating story.
Mark
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFOn a sweltering day, in a tobacco field, in Truevine, Virginia, a pair of albino brothers are kidnapped and taken away from home. It is 1899. They were told that their mother had died. It will take twenty-eight years before their mother finds them again. In this true story, we learn what happened to Willie and George Muse on that fateful day. How they were forced to perform as freaks, in a sideshow, in traveling circuses for nearly three decades and ended up being a major attraction in Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The author dug deep into this story, with a journalistic furor, interviewing descendants from the Muse family, similar to the approach of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She explores many issues and events from the early 20th century, touching on poverty and the rampant racism that flourished in the south. It also documents the bravery and tenacity of the boy's mother, as she never gives up hope, for her lost sons. Highly recommended.
Enid
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFParts of this book would rate 2 stars, and parts 4-5 stars, so I am settling at 3 overall. The author is an investigative journalist who obviously did extensive research, but she seemed to feel the need to put everything she discovered in the book. The sub-title of the book is misleading, which always annoys me. Several parts of the book ramble and go off on long-winded tangents- so long sometimes that when she finally came back to the main thread, I was surprised when I was reminded that that was what she had been talking about before she began the ramblings. In some places, this is an interesting and depressing story about the realities of being a poor black in the Jim Crow South, the lives of circus performers, the legal system, and many other topics. Some of the tangents are quite interesting- such as how the British lost interest in sideshows long before Americans did, as they had so many soldiers return from war with disfiguring wounds.
Ryan Rauber
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFThis book is a little misleading. It's supposed to be about two black albino brothers stolen from their family and sent to work in the freak show of the circus. But it's really about freak shows and the history of Jim Crow South. The brothers story only takes up about 25% of the book.But the history itself is just as fascinating as the brothers story. This is also the story of the rise and fall of the circus in the 20th century. As television and movies became more popular, the circus becomes less relevant. The author does a terrific job researching this topic, and you can tell her love of the topic has really gone into this book. The history of the circus and freak shows is not a topic you normally read about, so this book was really interesting to me.
Georgann
Writes about Download Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South PDFWith racism on my mind from the election results and the recent visit I made to the Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta, the message of the book resonated a sad note. These two boys and their fellow performers in the circus acts of the Jim Crow era were slaves and their treatment was shameful. The fact that their mother won their release, only to have them rejoin their circus family (albeit under better circumstances) testifies to her love. She was a victim, too...of an abusive husband and of the agents of the businesses who exhibited the boys as savages, as aliens, as freaks. George and Willie deserved this sensitive presentation of their story. Hopefully it has brought their remaining family a sense of justice an peace.
Alex
Writes about Read Online Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South Book PDFEntertaining, provocative and skillfully researched. Two black twins with visible deformities are either sold off or stolen by a circus conglomerate in the Jim Crow south. Living in oppressive poverty, with little in the way of rights, their mother begins a life long journey to bring them back to family life.As we inch toward a forthright discussion of race in America brought on by police violence, Black Lives Matter, immigration and a mixed-race president, "Truevine" elicits self-examination."Deep in circus history, beneath racist lies and family secrets, [Macy] found a gripping tale of the cravenness of human nature--and the power of family.
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