Hidden in Plain Sight: The Other People in Norman Rockwell’s America by Jane Allen Petrick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I first agreed to read this book, I wasn’t too interested in Norman Rockwell–my dad is the Norman Rockwell aficionado in this family. I was intrigued by the book topic due to my affinity for history and multiculturalism. In my mind, Rockwell meant white, small-town America. I was not aware of any other races appearing in his works. The topic alone captivated me.

As I read the author’s account, I was flabbergasted. How is it that in this day and age of racial awareness that these particular events are being concealed? We are surrounded by historians who are consistently telling the Caucasian population that we are uninformed in the area of multicultural and female historical events. I dislike it when the powers that be try to rewrite history and/or speak down to the ignorant whites. But this author did exactly the opposite. She did intense research, and I was shocked that these stories seem to be difficult to discover and research. In this age of ready information, how can that be the case?

I salute the author for her amazing historical book, and I have a new appreciation for Norman Rockwell. I doubt I will ever look at him and his work the same way again. He was indeed ahead of his time, and I only wish he could have known what a long-lasting impact he has had. I only wish she could have included more photos of his work since I was not overly familiar with Rockwell’s work.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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Although the giveaway has ended, you can read more about the book here.