Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne (Hardcover)
Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne (Hardcover)
Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne (Hardcover) Reviews
James Gavin has given us the first real glimpse into the tortured soul of a woman who never stopped giving, and only asked in return that she be accepted for the person she was…Lena Horne, entertainer, black female, wife and mother. How difficult it must have been for her to take the stage or step before a camera night after night, year after year, decade after decade in front of an audience both black and white, and knowing that both were incapable of giving her the respect she deserved beyond her looks. Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne is not a behind-the-scenes biography. James Gaven puts you directly in the scenes….front row, center stage. He takes you right along with Lena Horne on a compelling but fascinating and painful journey through 92 years of American history in search of her identity. And finds it! And in the process, helps inform the country of its own identity, its past failings, and the promise of a better tomorrow for women of color. In the extremely capable hands of James Gavin, Lena Horne’s life story is a metaphore for the country that on the one hand denigrated and diminished her legitimate efforts of empowerment, while at the same time elevated her to an iconic status that was unique and envied. That she has persevered through it all—the dysfunctional parenting, the vengeful and self destructive marriages, the loss of a child in his prime, and the decades of blatent unapologetic racism she was forced to endure as the price of success—is a true testament to her inner strength and that innate talent that was but one of her gifts. Lena Horne is not a woman to be pitied…but a woman to be admired. And by time you finish this wonderful literary work, you will appreciate why. Because you will know Lena Horne. And once you know her, you will understand Lena Horne the woman. And in understanding Lena Horne the woman, we come to understand a little more of ourselves. And thats saying a lot, when you consider its Lena Horne. Because as a woman of color in a society that tried to define who and what she was, if she has done nothing else, she has endured obstacles no one should ever be subjected to. And flaws not withstanding, she did it with a dignity and integrity that needs no apology. And in the process kept her wits about her for 92 years. James Gavin has allowed Lena Horne’s story to paint a portrait of a proud black woman who survived every bit of nastiness a miopic society could throw at her. And before it was over, began to throw it back. A portrait that no amount of time can ever sully. A portrait of a lady. Bravo Miss Lena Horne.
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