Frequently Asked Questions

 Q: Why do we need to read The Viola Factor? 

A: I hope there are more than just a few reasons readers will want to pick-up the book. There are two persuasive ones: 

First: The book’s use of primary source material as a structure and source base. At the heart of this is the claim that objects reveal much: in this case tangible correspondence letters, photographs, maps, census data, and biographies can tell us about the physical worlds that people lived in, but they also can tell us about individuals, relationships, communities, beliefs, values, and institutions.

The things used and discarded by humans are legitimate sources for historical exploration. A piece of furniture, a book, a theater program, a piece of jewelry, or a dress: each is an object, as is a house or a yard. If it has been made or altered by human hands, it can be analyzed and interpreted as a piece of material culture of the times. 

Second: the book’s implications for public history. Bringing to light the story between a White woman and Black man after the Emancipation of slaves, who developed a friendship around teaching and learning, calls for attention. In this case Viola rises above the traumas and horrors of her own times, as does Booker, and when they come together, both their lives are stronger and leave us a model for future difficult situations.