Murder on the Highway: The Viola Liuzzo Story
Although admirably researched and graced with a foreword by Rosa Parks, this earnest retelling of the circumstances surrounding the murder of a white civil rights worker by KKK members in 1965 suffers from haplessly stilted language. Siegel ( The Year They Walked ) builds up a good head of steam in describing the three Selma-to-Montgomery marches to gain voting rights for African Americans. But she falters with overblown prose, as when describing Liuzzo, a Michigan housewife: "There were days when her enormous energy drained away, leaving her as limp as a flower tossed by the wind." Elsewhere, the narrative is unnecessarily simplified: "40,000 members of the Klan . . . paraded down the main street Pennsylvania Avenue? of Washington, D.C." or inaccurate and vague: "Everyone shot at the car, emptying their guns. A total of twelve shots were fired." From four pistols with six bullets each? Its shortcomings notwithstanding, this book chronicles the personal and political repercussions of a pivotal event in American history. Source notes and a suggested reading list will guide readers sparked to learn more. Ages 9-12.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.