King

Starred review from March 6, 2023
Martin Luther King Jr. went beyond meek nonviolence into far-reaching radicalism, according to this sweeping biography. Eig (Ali: A Life) gives a rousing recap of King’s triumphs as a civil rights leader—the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, his “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 march on Washington, the 1965 procession from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.—as well as his despondency later in the 1960s as his anti-poverty campaigns struggled and Black energies drifted from nonviolent protest toward armed militance and “Black power.” Contesting accusations by Malcolm X and others that King was an “Uncle Tom,” Eig casts him as a revolutionary who reshaped the South with his integrationism, became an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War despite losing political support and drawing the ire of the FBI, and developed a deep critique of systemic racism and economic inequality that called for reparations for slavery and a guaranteed minimum income. King is no saint in this complex, nuanced portrait—his plagiarism and womanizing are probed in detail—but Eig’s evocative prose ably conveys his bravery, charisma, and spell-binding oratory (rallying the Montgomery boycotters, “he called out in his deep, throbbing voice, and the people responded, the noise of the crowd rolling and pounding in waves that shook the building as he built to a climax”). It’s an enthralling reappraisal that confirms King’s relevance to today’s debates over racial justice. Agent: David Black, David Black Literary.

January 1, 2025

Gr 7 Up-A young reader's edition of the adult title of the same name examines Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life from the time his parents met in 1920 until his death on April 4, 1968. King, named Michael at birth, was born in Atlanta, GA, on January 15, 1929 during the heart of the Jim Crow era. Little Mike, as his family referred to him, learned quickly that being Black meant, "you don't count, you're nobody." The sting of that reality would be a guiding principle in King's life as he navigated the incredible weight of being the leader of the Civil Rights movement in a country rife with racism and segregation. Details of King's personal life (marriage, children, extramarital affairs, alcohol and tobacco use) as well as events leading up to his "I Have a Dream" speech exemplify the humanness of the person he was. Readers will find this biography to be an honest and engaging account of King. Harsh truths about the state of the country, as well as the difficulties endured by persons of color, underscore how far the U.S. has come, and still has to go, on the journey to achieve King's dream. Black-and-white photographs are included. Events, such as the Montgomery bus boycott, Emmett Till's death, and anti-war efforts, are covered. VERDICT A good choice to middle and high school biography shelves.-Tracy Cronce

Copyright 2025 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2025
A trimmed-down version of Eig's much-lauded 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner for adult readers. In an epilogue, Eig states his intention to portray a great man who also happened to be a human being who "chewed his fingernails, shouted at the TV during game shows, and got mediocre grades in school." If too many such homely details are missing or relegated to multiple pages of bulleted "Extra Facts" in the backmatter to bring King particularly close to younger audiences, in their often-dramatic recitation of his career and magnificent accomplishments the co-authors do describe both his history of plagiarism and his serial infidelity. They also include clear proof that, like all of us, he was subject to piercing doubts, fears, failures of nerve, and errors of judgment. The skimpy selection of photos will leave readers wishing for more, but discussion questions and lavish source notes offer plenty of pathways to further research. And, as if King's violent death and that of so many others in the struggle for civil rights weren't evidence enough, direct transcriptions of a threatening phone call and a rabid hate letter (composed by the FBI) give chilling proof of the scope of the racism he faced. This searching study leaves King's shining legacy intact, all the more admirable for its attachment to a fallible man who is glimpsed here behind the icon. A frank and nuanced character study, though its subject remains an august and somewhat remote figure. (timeline, index)(Biography. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2025) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2025
Grades 8-12 Eig, along with Williams and Long, presents a comprehensive time line of Martin Luther King Jr.'s entire life, from birth to untimely death. The circumstances of Jim Crow in the first half of the twentieth century are carefully explained so that young readers are able to conceptualize the world that King grew up in and how his fire for activism was set early in life. Notable periods are described with detail given to the social conditions of the period, including the Montgomery bus boycotts, the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," the March on Washington, and other uprisings and political events of the time, such as the Black Power movement and the Vietnam War. In discussing these other topics, King's goal of nonviolence is a constant, although the humanistic view on King's upbringing and influences leads readers to understand his stance. By describing who King was as a person and how he came to achieve what he did, this supports young readers' journeys to not just read about King but to understand him.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.