Fawn McKay Brodie: A Biographer's Life
To the general public, Fawn McKay Brodie is best known as the author of controversial biographies of such historical icons as Joseph Smith and Thomas Jefferson. Bringhurst, like Brodie, was raised in rural Utah by Mormon parents. He seems to bring a special passion and understanding to his subject, persuasively portraying her as a tough, independent woman who willingly braved an avalanche of criticism for various assertions in her "intimate" biographies. Bringhurst provides credible speculations on her formative years, which included a strong yet ambivalent rejection of Mormonism. To her death in 1981, Brodie remained a staunch liberal, just as the designation was becoming one of opprobrium. As a teacher at UCLA, Brodie inevitably was drawn into conflict with then governor Ronald Reagan. This is an informative and absorbing account of an admirable and interesting life.Jay Freeman