April Not Fiction Book Discussions

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell is not just a factual account of the Marquis de Lafayette's years as a General in George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War; it is also a reflection on the concept of America as a collection of united states.

Vowell, bestselling author of unconventional books that combine history and social commentary, and former contributing editor to the public radio program This American Life, uses American history as a lens through which to view American contemporary culture and society. In this book, she tells the story of the wealthy young French aristocrat who, at the age of sixteen, decided to join the Patriots in their fight for independence from the British monarchy. She covers as well his return visit to the newly united states, as an elderly man, to high acclaim from large crowds, in 1824. She says of Lafayette,

The thing that drew me to Lafayette as a subject--that he was that rare object of agreement in the ironically named United States--kept me coming back to why that made him unique. Namely, that we the people have never agreed on much of anything. Other than a bipartisan consensus on barbecue and Meryl Streep, plus that time in 1942 when everyone from Bing Crosby to Oregonian schoolchildren heeded FDR's call to scrounge up rubber for the war effort, disunity is the through line in the national plot--not necessarily as a failing, but as a free people's privilege. And thanks to Lafayette and his cohorts in Washington's army, plus the king of France and his navy, not to mention the founding dreamers who clearly did not think through what happens every time one citizen's pursuit of happiness infuriates his neighbors, getting on each other's nerves is our right.

This passage is pure Vowell, blending accurate historical facts, pop cultural factoids, and pithy commentary with a cheeky, constructively critical tone. An interviewer for Slate, Jaime Green, noted, "Sometimes people think that veneration of the Founding Fathers and the American past is what patriotism is. As if to be patriotic is to celebrate and to worship." Vowell replied, "But our founders were really crabby people who were angry a lot of the time. I find it weirdly reassuring to think about these founders not as this wise generation that went extinct. They had their moments, and they certainly could do a lot worse, but they weren't perfect. . . . I think it's good to think about these overachievers' failures--their failures and their failings as men. That's when I identify with them." What do you think? Do you enjoy Vowell's approach to American history? Would you even call her work historical writing, or is it some other genre? Where would you shelve it at the bookstore or library? Do you like her writing style? If you are a fan of her spoken This American Life pieces, how do you think her longer written works compare?

We hope you will join the discussion: Tuesday, April 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Main Library; Thursday, April 21, at 11:00 a.m. at West Ashley Branch Library; and here on the blog.