“In this exquisitely researched biography, Blumenthal…[is] careful to explore why the crime-spree duo was, and is, so easily romanticized, without romanticizing them herself. The text is precise, unemotional, and impartial…An extraordinarily successful resource about a painful time in history and a complicated, infamous pair.” Booklist (starred review)
Description
Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious—and celebrated—outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way.
Bonnie and Clyde—we’ve been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop-culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why?
Award-winning author Karen Blumenthal devoted months to tracing the footsteps of Bonnie and Clyde, unearthing new information, and debunking many persistent myths. The result is an impeccably researched, breathtaking nonfiction tale of love, car chases, kidnappings, and murder set against the backdrop of the Great Depression.
Praise
“In this exquisitely researched biography, Blumenthal…[is] careful to explore why the crime-spree duo was, and is, so easily romanticized, without romanticizing them herself. The text is precise, unemotional, and impartial…An extraordinarily successful resource about a painful time in history and a complicated, infamous pair.” Booklist (starred review)
“[Blumenthal’s] meticulous research pins down facts and clarifies what elements amount to mere speculation…Alongside coverage of events are details on the families of Clyde and Bonnie, a focus on their victims, and some insight into the particular lawmen who were trying to capture them. The coverage is thorough and no corners are cut…Highly recommended.” School Library Connection (starred review)
“Blumenthal has written more than a crime narrative or a biography…The book presents a social and cultural snapshot of the duo’s times” School Library Journal
“Blumenthal makes a determined effort to untangle a mare’s nest of conflicting eyewitness accounts, purple journalism, inaccurate police reports, and self-serving statements from relatives and cohorts of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow…She makes perceptive guesses about what drove them and why they have become iconic figures..Painstaking, judicious, and…with hints of sympathy.” Kirkus Reviews
“Blumenthal’s excellently documented account would be difficult listening were it not for Zackman’s ability to keep some distance between the often gruesome story and listeners…A less accomplished narrator might have reduced this to a recitation of grisly facts, but Zackman keeps the action moving and listeners engaged.” Booklist (audio review)
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Aug 13, 2018 |
| Release Date | August 14, 2018 |
| Release Date Machine | 1534204800 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Teen & Young Adult, History & Culture, Biographies, Children/YA, YA, Nonfiction - All, Nonfiction - Child |
Author Bio
Karen Blumenthal is a critically acclaimed children’s nonfiction writer and journalist for the Wall Street Journal. She is the author of several nonfiction books for young readers, including Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different, Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History, and Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, among others.
Narrator Bio
Gabra Zackman is an actress, author, and narrator who has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards. She was educated at Northwestern University. A classically trained actress, she has appeared in theaters all over the country as well as on film and television.
Overview
Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious—and celebrated—outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way.
Bonnie and Clyde—we’ve been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop-culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why?
Award-winning author Karen Blumenthal devoted months to tracing the footsteps of Bonnie and Clyde, unearthing new information, and debunking many persistent myths. The result is an impeccably researched, breathtaking nonfiction tale of love, car chases, kidnappings, and murder set against the backdrop of the Great Depression.
Reviews
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