|
|
|
Reviews
More Voices, New Stories: King County, Washington's First 150 Years
|
Edited by Mary C. Wright
|
University of Washington Press, Seattle, 2003. Illustrations, maps, index. 264 pages. $17.95 paper.
|
Reviewed by Steve Anderson
Renton Historical Museum, Renton, Washington
|
|
|
|
More Voices, New Stories is a gathering of narratives that
explore, both individually and collectively, a number of marginalized
or neglected portions of King County's past. Beginning with the
"accepted" history of Seattle's founding and of the county's growth,
the book encompasses twelve essays that present a diverse compilation
of ethnic, social, religious, and thematic topics.
|
1
|
|
I cannot help but draw an analogy between the book's essays and a satisfying meal. The introduction by Charles LeWarne represents the table's place settings, offering a brief outline of the origin stories of the county and Seattle. Heaped onto this is a wealth of diverse essays on ethnicity, religion, and geography. These range in tone from insightful, carefully written studies to oral histories, which deliver their own raw, new flavor of King County's past. This book can broaden readers' palates by increasing their knowledge of the uncommon and, until now, undiscovered and untold aspects of the county's heritage. A thought-provoking Native American study stands side by side with a gritty examination of black strikebreakers in King County's coal mines, and a smorgasbord of Scandinavian immigrant oral histories follows a romp through Seattle's theater history. A word of caution about reading Robert Fisher's essay on Seattle's restaurant-laden past — not eating beforehand guarantees you'll put the book down to go out for a meal. Elizabeth Salas's "Mexican-American Women Politicians in Seattle" and Nhien T. Nguyen's discussion of the growth of King County's Vietnamese community document important histories that are poignant and that will give future generations something to look back on with pride. |
2
|
|
More Voices, New Stories can easily be read by high school students and adults. The endnotes allow for further investigation of the topics discussed, which would be useful for student reports or in personal study. Readers interested in the history of King County or Seattle, especially ethnic, religious, or social topics, will find this collection useful. It provides a better understanding of the complex historical tapestry that makes up King County and reveals a new way of viewing it, which is the collection's strength. The layout of the book's twelve chapters allows for reflection between each topic. This is necessary because of their varied themes and the authors' different perspectives and presentation styles. |
3
|
|
For the most part, this is a tightly packed and well-researched bit of King County history. I would have hoped for more evenly distributed, county-wide coverage, such as that presented in Kay Reinartz's discussion of the Duwamish Valley's first settlers and Michael Reese's essay on mothers' pensions in King County. Seattle, being what it is, traditionally draws more than its share of attention; and I would hope that if a second edition is planned, it will better acknowledge the histories of cities, communities, and rural areas outside Seattle's city limits. Nevertheless, the authors spent a great deal of time wending their way through oral histories, old newspapers, archives, and bits of ephemera. The endnotes that accompany each essay pay homage to the authors' tenacity and scholarship. |
4
|
|
While the nature of this book does not permit a full discussion of the various arguments presented in this collection, I would suggest that readers put aside their preconceived notions about each of the topics presented. Each selection challenges readers to view history in a new way. It is that tweaked perspective that allows More Voices, New Stories to occupy a completely new chair at the dinner table when the retelling of King County history occurs in the future. |
5
|
|
|
Content in the History Cooperative database is intended for personal, noncommercial use only. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.
|