Truevine

by Beth Macy
Truevine cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Technical:
  • ID: 889
  • Added: 2025-09-21
  • Updated: 2025-09-21
  • Formats: 32
  • Reviews: 3
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Waterstones
Paperback • £8.99
Reviews
guardianbookshop.com · Unknown · 2025-10-01
harrowing 4.50

Truevine is a gripping and heart-wrenching account of the Bethel twins, their exploitation, and their journey to fame. The book sheds light on the darker side of American history and the struggles of African Americans during the early 20th century.

Truevine is a powerful and moving narrative that delves into the lives of the Bethel twins, George and Willie, who were taken from their family and exploited as sideshow attractions. The book provides a poignant look at the racial injustices and economic hardships faced by African Americans during this period. The author's meticulous research and compelling storytelling bring the twins' story to life, highlighting their resilience and the enduring impact of their experiences. While the plot can be harrowing at times, it is an essential read that offers valuable insights into a often overlooked chapter of American history.

Quick quotes

    The Bethel twins' story is one of exploitation and resilience

    Their journey is a testament to the strength of the human spirit

    The book is a powerful reminder of the injustices faced by African Americans.

ireadthereforeiblog.com · Unknown · 2017-03-19
intriguing 3.50

Truevine by Beth Macy tells the story of George and Willie Muse, albino African American brothers who were taken from their home in 1899 and became circus freaks. The book explores their experiences and the efforts of their mother, Hattie, to bring them back. While the narrative is compelling, the lack of definitive information about the brothers' feelings and experiences leaves some gaps, making it more a piece of social history than a satisfying biography.

Truevine by Beth Macy is a fascinating exploration of the lives of George and Willie Muse, albino African American brothers who were taken from their home in Truevine, Virginia, in 1899 and became circus freaks. The book delves into their experiences traveling with various circuses, including the famous Ringling Brothers Circus, and the efforts of their mother, Hattie, to bring them back home. One of the main challenges in this book is the lack of definitive information about the brothers' feelings and experiences, as the primary sources are scarce and the family's accounts sometimes contradict historical records. This makes it difficult to fully understand the brothers' perspectives and motivations. However, the book is very strong on the broader context of African American life in Jim Crow America and the experiences of circus freaks, offering a vivid portrayal of the racism and exploitation they faced. While it may not be a satisfying biography, it is an important piece of social history that sheds light on a dark chapter of American history.

Quick quotes

    The result of hundreds of interviews and decades of research, Truevine tells the extraordinary story of what really happened to the Muse brothers for the first time.

    It is an unforgettable tale of cruelty and exploitation, but also of loyalty, determination and love.

    However the book is very strong on the experience of African Americans in Jim Crow America and on life in circus freak shows.

nytimes.com · Unknown · 2016-10-16
harrowing 4.00

Truevine by Beth Macy recounts the tragic story of the Muse brothers, who were kidnapped and exhibited as circus freaks due to their albinism. The book provides a harrowing glimpse into the harsh realities of life for black Americans in the Jim Crow South, highlighting the brutal discrimination and violence they faced.

Truevine by Beth Macy is a compelling and tragic account of the Muse brothers, who were abducted from rural Virginia at the end of the 19th century and exhibited as circus freaks due to their albinism. Macy's narrative offers both a detailed personal history of the Muse brothers and a broader picture of the harshness of life in the Jim Crow South. The book describes a nightmarish world where racial discrimination and violence were rampant, and the Muse brothers were treated as commodities, bought and sold by their captors. Their mother, Harriett, fought for 28 years to retrieve them, highlighting the resilience and determination of those who resisted the oppressive system. The story is both grim and compelling, shedding light on a dark chapter of American history.

Quick quotes

    The forced abduction of the albino Muse brothers at the end of the 19th century, and their circus career as travelling freaks, was one of the many tragedies of the black American experience.

    Macy describes a nightmarish world, where the national KKK had a membership of 5 million and, if you were black, casual discrimination and often brutal violence awaited.

    George and Willie Muse were unusual in that they had curly blond hair and blue eyes, which led their captors to exhibit them as circus freaks across the world, from Paris to New York, shunting them around like so much human baggage, bought and sold by “managers” as nothing more than commodities.

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