I'd read Frederick Douglass' memoirs before, but no books about him by another author. I'm totally mesmerized not just by his story (as many white people of his time were), but by the man himself. He sounds like an amazing person, and I've been working up to reading one of his many giant biographies when I saw this book pass through the library, I snapped it up right away, of course, and I'm so glad I did.
Our library classified it as YA, although I didn't feel like the writing was dumbed down. I learned things about Douglass I didn't know before, such as the alleged affair between himself and the woman who translated his works into German and was "close friends" and a frequent house guest with the Douglass family. or about the fact that Frederick addressed environmental issues in his first publication, among the many other issues he cared about. I also didn't realize the extent of the wealth Frederick accumulated by the time he died. I also appreciated more information about both of his wives, who Frederick barely mentioned in his books. There's still not enough information about them in this book for my taste, but this is a book about Frederick, not them, and had limited space to tell his vast story, so I guess I can deal.
I enjoyed the formatting. The parchment colored pages were easier on my eyes than bleached white, and I enjoyed the quotations strewn throughout the narrative, often by contemporaries of Douglass or newspapers of his time. There were also more photographs of Douglass than I'd seen before, and photos of many other important people in his life. The visuals and the echoes of the voices of those around Frederick were not only fascinating, but helped gain an even greater sense of the man Frederick Douglass.
I'll be adding this book to my collection of books by/ about Frederick Douglass, and I highly recommend this book to anyone--the storytelling and formatting are engaging enough for even teens, but the content, including less common photos of Frederick, is worthwhile reading for any adult as well, for an easy and engaging primer on the life of a great American. I think everyone should know more about his life, and this is an easy place to start.

Also, I've been saying this for years, but WHEN are we going to get a movie about Frederick Douglass? If ever an American historical figure deserved one, you think it'd be him.

3.5 stars
Frederick Douglass was able to escape slavery while still a fairly young man. He had been taught to read and one of his books was a book of speeches. Douglass was a gifted orator and he spoke vehemently against slavery. He was much sought after and was paid well. He also wrote and ran several newspapers. He was married and had several children. He was an important figurehead and voice for the black people. He also really liked photography and there are many pictures of him at various times in his life; they are shown throughout the book. An enjoyable read and engrossing - except for all the parentheticals! They really should have been made part of the narrative. There was one typo: Santioned instead of sanctioned. Pages were very glossy. Lots of pictures and photographs and maps throughout. Engaging. Important topic. Extensive timeline with annotations.

This introduction to the life of Frederick Douglass is enhanced by the many reproductions of photographs of both him and people in his life. This bring him to life and show how he changed and developed through the years physically in addition to philosophically and emotionally. Bolden describes the path of his life and touches on the ramifications of some of this, leaving me interested and hoping to seek out a more detailed discussion.

This is a fantastic book.

There's a scene in Underground where Cato, the evil guy, walks up to Frederick Douglass himself (technically an actor playing Frederick Douglass in 2016) and says, "Your first autobiography was remarkable but I haven't had a chance to crack the second one." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maoi2sHILtE This is a profound slap in the face to one of the greatest Americans we've had so far; something akin to walking up to Bill Clinton and saying, "I appreciate your work towards a more equitable America but that Monica Lewinsky thing was a huge mistake." You think that, but you don't do that. Never! You don't say that to person you're thinking the thing about because they're venerable, but it's true, and Tonya Bolden explains why Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is one of the most important books in American history but you haven't quite gotten around to My Bondage and My Freedom.

And I never thought I could be so cheesed off at William Lloyd Garrison.

This is a young adult non-fiction book, and since I'm not that familiar with Douglass' later life, I'm inclined to assume that it had some complexity that Bolden only brushed up against because this book is intended for eighth graders, but whatever she missed by not writing a doorstop biography is replaced by a wonderful feel for Douglass himself and his struggles and reality that is not bogged down in minutia or hagiography. (Apparently Lincoln didn't even remember meeting Douglass later on, although he did.) Read this, and then maybe get to all three of Douglass' biographies, because you haven't yet.

This book is well-researched but a little too dry. I think the author overcorrected in not conjecturing about Douglass' emotions and sticking solely to facts and correspondance, which leaves the reader cold. You do not get the same sense of what Douglass was going through as you do through other biographical works of civil rights leaders like March.