Title: Alex Haley
Subtitle: Author of Roots
First published: 1994
Description: The accomplishments of this contemporary African American author are explored in this easy-to-read biography. Gonzales covers her subject's childhood love of reading and his grandparent's stories of family history; his first writing experience in the 1950s as chief journalist for the Coast Guard; and, after 20 years of active duty, his desire to become a writer. The author discusses his research for Roots, explaining that it lasted 12 years, many of which were spent in despair and poverty, and mentions the controversy that surrounded its authenticity.
Subjects: Juvenile literature, Biography, African American historians, Historians, African Americans, American Authors
Places: United States
People: Alex Haley
LC classification: E175.5.H27 G66 1994