Tell
It to the Future
Francine R. Cefola and Bobbi R. Madry
Isn't
it interesting that in the typical public school scenario, "social
studies" classes mostly examine history on a grand scalethis
war, that treaty, this invasion, and so on and so forth? The point
is, there wasn't much actual 'studying of society' happening in
those classes.
That's
where Tell It To The Future comes in. Published by Golden
Quill Press, the book is really a compilation of several short
non-fiction essays that document the decades of the 20th century
in chronological order. Each chapter begins with an informative
timeline and an introduction to the decade as well as the essay's
author (ranging in age from 18 to 93).
Tell
It To The Future is meant to convey the grand old tradition
of story-telling while adhering to a historical perspective. First-person
essays recalling the varying decades are the meat and potatoes
of this book. Through these entries, we are allowed a glimpse
at a microcosm of history. What's examined here is history's audience
and how they lived, how ordinary people existed from day to day,
what it felt like to be alive while major world events were happening.
This book is as much about how people washed their clothes in
the early 1900s as it is about the more dramatic experience of
losing a boyfriend to a World War.
Some
of the most intriguing tales describe the simplest of activities:
playing street games in the city, taking turns bathing in a tub
behind the kitchen stove, gathering around "the magic box"
to watch the first television shows. A good number of the stories
illustrate a childhood innocence juxtaposed against faint recollections
of major world eventsa World War, Vietnam protests, Watergate,
the birth of the world's first test-tube baby.
Tell
It To The Future is a delightful read in that it takes a closer
look at 'social studies' than our history books ever did. Although
the writing and editing often seem amateurish at best, the style
reinforces the book's homegrown tone and genuine attempt to tell
the tale of the 20th century from those who lived through it.
-Danielle
Bernato
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