Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
The audience was completely silent the first time Billie Holiday performed a song called "Strange Fruit." In the 1930s, Billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but this song wasn't either of those things. It was a song about injustice, and it would change her life forever.
Discover how two outsiders—Billie Holiday, a young black woman raised in poverty, and Abel Meeropol, the son of Jewish immigrants—combined their talents to create a song that challenged racism and paved the way for the Civil Rights movement.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Golio's powerful narrative turns on two moments plucked from Billie Holiday's career. The first: quitting Artie Shaw's band after enduring the latest in a long line of discriminatory incidents. The second key moment is Holiday's first performance of "Strange Fruit," which initially elicits discomfort from the audience ("A few people nearly got up from their seats and left"), followed by thunderous applause. Riley-Webb (Seed Magic) uses sweeping, flame-like brushes of color to heighten the story's emotional intensity; the lyrics of the song appear in the closing pages, along with in-depth details about Holiday's career and the cultural context of "Strange Fruit," including the history of lynching in the United States. It's a potent reminder of the power of art to combat intolerance and hate. Ages 8 12. Author's)
