Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 5^-8. Lou Henry Hoover was married to Herbert Hoover, president of the U.S. during the Depression and one of the most unpopular presidents in history. But she was a power and a presence in her own right and an extraordinary woman of her own--or any--time. She was the first woman to get a degree in geology in the U.S. (from Stanford); the translator, with her husband, of a sixteenth-century Latin mining text; an advocate of physical education for women; and the honorary president of the Girl Scouts of America. Lou Hoover also lived in Australia, China (during the Boxer Rebellion), England, California, and New York as well as Washington, D.C. She spoke several languages, including Chinese. This compact biography is full of personal touches clearly based on primary sources: Lou's winning a silk umbrella in a roller-skating competition or speaking to her husband in Chinese when she wanted to address him privately. A fascinating life that puts a very different perspective on the Depression and the years before and after. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 UpIt is unfortunate that Colbert's leaden prose and uninspired phrases do not do justice to her subject. Hoover was a dynamo throughout her childhood, adolescence, and adult life as wife of President Herbert Hoover and mother of two sons. She lived in Tientsin during the Boxer rebellion, Australia, Burma, and South America; was national president of the Girl Scouts; and actively supported many relief organizations. As First Lady, she worked to assist those who were destitute during the Great Depression and was despondent over the "Hoovervilles," or shanty towns, that sprang up bearing her beloved husband's name. There are no other children's books currently in print on this fascinating woman, but Lou Henry Hoover, edited by Dale Mayer (High Plains Publishing, 1994), is accessible to high school students. Black-and-white photos of uneven quality appear frequently throughout.Susan R. Farber, Ardsley Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Lou Henry Hoover was a formidable individual and a driving force in many cultural and humanitarian organizations. The facts are ably documented here, but Lou Hoover's unique strength only comes alive in one section recounting her resolution and leadership during China's Boxer Rebellion. Black-and-white photos and a time line are included. Bib., ind. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Colbert delivers all the facts in this entry in the Notable Americans series, but the life she chronicles, though admirable, is more about duty than inspiration. Lou Henry was taught from childhood that she could achieve anything she wanted to, and the lesson stuck. A strong-willed and independent child, she excelled in her studies, sports, and the arts. While at Stanford, she met a brilliant but shy fellow student, Herbert ``Bert'' Hoover; after marriage, Bert's career as a mining engineer led him all over the world, and his family followed. With the outbreak of WW I, Lou sent her sons back to the US while she and Bert remained in Europe to assist in the war effort, which brought him to the attention of several politicians. Back in the US, Bert embarked on a career in politics, culminating in his election to the presidency. Lou continued her good works after Bert's retirement, until her death in 1944. This is a serviceable biography of one of the unsung women of the era, but it's also dull, more of a laundry list of good works than the story of a person's life. (b&w photos, chronology, bibiliography, index) (Biography. 12-14)
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