Author and professor of English Julie Carr examines the roots of American populism through the lens of her family history and the forces of home and land ownership, racism, and eugenics. In this deeply researched and compelling narrative, Carr shares the travails of her ancestors as they moved west as homesteaders, gained and lost land and homes, became involved in politics, and influenced the development of trends such as the interest in eugenics and attempts to ensure white racial purity. Accessing archives, including her great-grandfather’s meticulously-kept journals, Carr pieces together the story of her family and ties it to the current growth in populism in today’s politics. Carr weaves into her narrative her own emotional responses to the sometimes shocking facts she was learning about her own family, bringing a personal touch to the story, and thoroughly documenting her sources in the notes and references section. Carr makes clear how high the stakes are, showing how American support for eugenics led to the Nazi adoption of the theory with such devastating results. VERDICT This is an important and moving analysis of the development of the populism movement in the U.S.
A version of this review was published previously in Library Journal here.
