Last year, I got to review an advance copy of Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France by Christopher C. Gorham. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s the kind of nonfiction that tells a true story instead of simply stating facts. The book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. It has since won the Marfield Prize International Award for Writing, and deservedly so. While it may be more recent and currently getting more attention, that is not Gorham’s only published title. It was his second release. A copy of his first book The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America was also waiting patiently in my TBR pile. After diving into it, I can confidently assert that it deserves just as much praise.

The Confidante is available through all your favorite book retailers, including on Bookshop.org

Summary:

The story of Anna Rosenburg has largely faded from history. Although she was critical to many pivotal moments of history and enormous steps forward in society, her story was largely overshadowed by the memories of the giants around her. However, this was not the case in her own time. From the time of her youth, her intellect and influence earned her routine appearance in newspaper columns and even on magazine covers. She was instrumental in movements from the New Deal to Civil Rights, becoming a regular fixture in both the White House and Pentagon.

However, she kept little documentation of her work. Much of her correspondence took place over the telephone rather than in writing. Unlike many of her peers, she did not write a book about her efforts after her accomplishments. Therefore, as the years passed, much of her story faded from the spotlight while others remained vivid. Thankfully, some records remained, preserved for someone with the inclination to do the digging. That person turned out to be Christopher C. Gorham, and he has done a phenomenal job of restoring a legacy that deserves remembrance, admiration, and celebration.

My Thoughts:

Gorham has a true knack for taking a well-explored subject, finding an overlooked facet of it, and making that part shine the way it deserves. Many books, articles, documentaries, and more focus on major events in Anna Rosenburg’s life and those who participated with her. This is the first to examine her role at the depth that it does. Some may wonder what took so long when she was such an utterly fascinating individual. My suspicion is that Gorham was the first who could do it justice.

He also has a true talent for finding the narrative threaded through the facts. Gorham is a masterful storyteller, turning citations into the details that enrich and enliven the story he tells. Even readers who frequently struggle with nonfiction will find this one engaging. This account of Rosenburg’s life is unceasingly exciting. I would not be surprised to see this one picked up for film adaptation. Still, with the way it’s written, a screen version is not necessary to see every detail. Gorham depicts every scene so perfectly that a reader can believe they’re in the room while the pages fly by.

The United States and its citizens owe much to Anna Rosenburg, though many have never heard her name. Even fewer understand how much she achieved on our behalf, nor the effort she exerted to do so. They do not know how she would have done it all again in a heartbeat. Gorham was one of the few who recognized the mark she left and knew her legacy deserved more notice. Through incredible feats of research combined with brilliant writing skills, he’s taken remarkable strides toward making that happen. Whatever your level of expertise regarding Rosenburg’s time, this book will show you a facet you haven’t seen before. I highly recommend it.

Content Warnings: War, Fascism, Racism & Segregation, Internment & Concentration Camps, Depictions of Injury & Death, Sexism, Religious Discrimination

After I Finished The Confidante

I have a whole bunch of ARCs lined up for the summer and early fall months, all of which I’m very excited for. The one at the top of the list when I finished reading The Confidante is actually coming out this week. It publishes on Tuesday, June 16th, and I need to give a very big thank you to The Nerd Fam for getting this eARC into my hands. It’s a Gothic horror about a group of surviving cult members returning years later to the unusual home they used to share. Even after all the time they’ve spent re-acclimating to reality after the house burned down, unanswered questions still call to them. Maybe something else is calling too.

My next review will be for Vervain Hollow by Catriona Silvey.