I'm excited to share the newest review of my American history book.
A Unique Look at American History
"History
is usually told through the eyes of the victor" is an oft-used
description of the textbooks we're assigned to read in school.
Unfortunately, a lot of the historical facts and information that don't favor
the ones in power get glossed over or totally ignored. Other bits are
skewed to stretch the truth or tell only one side of the story.
Ey
Wade wanted her home-schooled children to get the whole picture of
American history through the eyes of the people making the history. I
was very impressed with her focus on presenting a multi-racial history
and not emphasizing skin color or ethnicity. Instead, her account values
the contributions of the people involved in building our country
without using distinctions or labels.
Of
course, there were terrible chapters in the history of America we
cannot overlook – slavery, the oppression of Native Americans, the
mistreatment of Chinese, Japanese internment camps, and the list goes on
and on – fueled by hatred, bigotry, and fear. Ey Wade covers these
events in a clear and concise, non-biased fashion.
In
the introduction, Ey states that "Beads on a String" was written to
help everyone learn from the past and use that knowledge to make a
better present and future. In other words, in place of dwelling on the
wrongs done by our ancestors, it's better to let go and heal. She
reminds us we are a nation of immigrants. Instead of being
African-American, Asian-American, or European-American, "we need to drop
the hyphen, and all be Americans."
MORE: What are people saying about Beads On A String?
Beads on a String is an approachable, conversational, and interactive history of diversity in America. Instead of a melting pot, Ey Wade envisions the country as a piece of jewelry where the contributions of all of the people who have immigrated here from all over the world add to the beauty of our society. It honors all of the peoples that contributed to this country in a nicely balanced way. Designed as a resource for students it suits the classroom or home-school classroom but also is an enjoyable read for armchair historians and fans of the History Channel. It's a must read for history lovers. Bookmom, Amazon reader
This is the story of the heroes of our collective past. What is incredibly moving is that so many of these heroes have gone unsung for so long. Jonathan Ellis, Amazon reader
Ey Wade has written a unique and important book that put all racial History under one umbrella. Wade has done a tremendous job collecting information on all races, and all subjects related to them. "Beads on a String" is a piece of History that was missing until this book came out. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand more about how multiple cultures shaped the US to what it is today. Two thumbs up!
Lola, Amazon reader
The "beads" are a metaphor for the cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity of the United States, and the "string" is a metaphor for the whole of the USA. The book is large and fascinating---mainly a series of biographical vignettes on the people the author and her children selected as those who had a major impact on the history of the U.S. All of the "beads" make contributions; the "string" is the richer for the diversity of those contributing. "Beads on a String" has a lot to offer traditional K-12 schools and home schooling parents as supplemental material for various standard curricula in history, civics, and other social sciences. Jerry, Amazon reader
Beads on a String is an approachable, conversational, and interactive history of diversity in America. Instead of a melting pot, Ey Wade envisions the country as a piece of jewelry where the contributions of all of the people who have immigrated here from all over the world add to the beauty of our society. It honors all of the peoples that contributed to this country in a nicely balanced way. Designed as a resource for students it suits the classroom or home-school classroom but also is an enjoyable read for armchair historians and fans of the History Channel. It's a must read for history lovers. Bookmom, Amazon reader
This is the story of the heroes of our collective past. What is incredibly moving is that so many of these heroes have gone unsung for so long. Jonathan Ellis, Amazon reader
Ey Wade has written a unique and important book that put all racial History under one umbrella. Wade has done a tremendous job collecting information on all races, and all subjects related to them. "Beads on a String" is a piece of History that was missing until this book came out. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to understand more about how multiple cultures shaped the US to what it is today. Two thumbs up!
Lola, Amazon reader
The "beads" are a metaphor for the cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity of the United States, and the "string" is a metaphor for the whole of the USA. The book is large and fascinating---mainly a series of biographical vignettes on the people the author and her children selected as those who had a major impact on the history of the U.S. All of the "beads" make contributions; the "string" is the richer for the diversity of those contributing. "Beads on a String" has a lot to offer traditional K-12 schools and home schooling parents as supplemental material for various standard curricula in history, civics, and other social sciences. Jerry, Amazon reader
Ey Wade's "Beads on a String" https://www.amazon.com/Beads-String-Special.../dp/1463696043