Two remarkably true stories!
“Truth is stranger than ficiton” is a worn out statement, but it can be remarkably true. Such is the case in the following two books. These books are NOT historical fiction.
The first book was written by Ilyon Woo, a writer whose research for the book was funded by National Endowment for the Humanities. Woo received a PhD in English from Columbia University.
Master Slave Husband Wife recounts the dangerous journey an enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from Georgia to the free states of the North by successfully disguising themselves. Ellen posed as a disabled wealthy white man while William played the role of the man’s slave.
The next book, The American Way, by Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler, deals with a familiar topic that has a very unfamiliar twist. One of the authors, Bonnie Siegler, remembers a tale about her grandfather and how he happened to run into Marilyn Monroe in downtown Manhatten. She didn’t really believe it until she found a homemade movie in her grandfather’s basement that documented the claim.
This book is all about daring escapes from Nazi Germany and crazy escapades in America. It was a time when war dominated while Hollywood and New York City waited in the wings to take on colorful figures such as Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe and a host of superheroes from the comics.
https://click.e.simonandschuster.com/?qs=aeb1b81db7daae610f44327ef3d71ea195e0e99cce0b09c0a5c668689d9277fa01d0da7f5646d0c9286bb1184d97518efb136cc49265c05a772606e5d7dd7583
Click on the above link to watch a video of the authors of The American Way discuss their book.
The above videos are compliments of a Simon and Schuster newsletter, sent via e-mail 2-11-23.