Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
There’s just something about a well-written biography that can suck you in and not let you go for hundreds of pages. I love learning more about well-known figures from history and people who history seems to have forgotten. There’s always something new to discover.
Today, I have a handful of biographies that are perfect for diving into.
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Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster by Stephen L. Carter
Stephen L. Carter tells the story of his grandmother’s life in this hidden gem of a book. Eunice Hunton Carter was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and later moved to New York City with her family. Eventually, Eunice became a lawyer on the team that took down Lucky Luciano, one of the most powerful mob bosses in American history. By the 1940s, Eunice had become one of the most famous Black women in America. This story has so many twists and turns. Carter’s portrait of his grandmother gives us a lot of insight into her life and how she became such a stunning figure in American history.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser
In the first major historical biographer of the popular author Laura Ingalls Wilder, Carolina Fraser follows Wilder through her life as a girl out on the prairie all the through to her later years as one of America’s most beloved authors. Fraser notes that while Wilder’s books are classified as fiction, there was more truth in them than ever realized before. Much of the book is grappling with the line between fiction and nonfiction—and whether Wilder even cared about that distinction. Of course we can’t forget Rose Wilder Lane, Wilder’s only child and someone who was heavily involved in editing her manuscripts. This book had me gripped from the first few pages. It’s no wonder it won both a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award.
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
One of the best biographies in recent years, The Dead Are Arising is an award-winning biography of Malcolm X. Les Payne worked on this book for three decades and talked to dozens and dozens of people who knew Malcolm X. Payne follows Malcolm X’s life from his birth in Nebraska to the day of his murder.
Unfortunately, Payne died before he could finish the biography. His daughter, Tamara Payne, continued his work and finished the book. The Dead Are Arising went on to receive dozens of accolades, including winning the National Book Award for nonfiction.
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That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra
English (US) · 