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In The Shadow of Polio: A Personal and Social History
In 1954 Kathryn Black's mother became one of the millions of people worldwide stricken with polio. A year later, as the Salk vaccine became widely available, the nation heaved a collective sigh of relief, and promptly buried its memories along with its dead. In the Shadow of Polio offers a penetrating look at this intense and significant period in American history. Black explores the lethal progression of her mother's illness and its devastating emotional impact upon her family, interweaving her story with chapters that broaden into the social and historical context of the epidemic that randomly swept the nation in the 1940s and 1950s. Rich with anecdotes from Black's years of interviews and correspondence, In the Shadow of Polio is a journey into the homes and hospitals, the lives and memories of the people who lived through this period in our common past.
330 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 17, 2011
"I wanted to create a history for myself, but also to give voice and face to all of us who suffered from polio, all of us who played our part, however unwillingly, in a significant period of American history."
With this, Kathryn Black concludes her lengthy book, giving an explanation for her reason for writing it. Contrary to how it might seem, she herself did not have paralytic polio (but, as she mentions early on, it is possible that she did contract the virus, but merely in the form of a slight, temporary cold) - her mother did, and died from it. It is from this unique perspective that Black focuses her narrative, calling upon her very limited memory of her mother and her mother's illness (the author was only six when Mrs. Black died) to provide direction to an otherwise far-too-broad compilation of information.
Black subtitles her book, "A Personal and Social History," which I personally believe is wrong. It's meant to connote a variety of approaches (okay, at least two) to the narrative associated with polio: from a personal standpoint, and from a social standpoint. My perplexity at this subtitle is that there was far, far less of the personal than there was of the social; therefore, it would have been more correct to say, "A Social and Personal History." While it may seem that the social impact of the illness would be framed by her mother's bout with it - and one would, perhaps, hope this would be the case - it is, in fact, primarily a history of polio from the late 1800s (when the virus was first identified as such) to the late 1900s (when it was declared eradicated in the Americas in 1997 - thank goodness!) with a few case studies inserted, one of which was the author's.
There are some chapters completely devoid of personality, to the point where they read like a textbook (and I felt my eyes drooping slowly shut, as they invariably do when I read a textbook). And while they provide essential background to the rest of the story, there are far too many and they are laden with statistics and names that are too plentiful to remember. In fact, for me, it wasn't until the pages in the 200s that I found myself truly engaged and curious about the continuation of the narrative.
That having been said, however, it is impossible to doubt Black's sincerity and dire need to pay homage to the mother and the family background she never had. Her story, as others, does underscore the ultimate belief that illness never affects only one person (in fact, the argument she seems to be defending is that it is just as tragic for the family of a polio patient as it is for the patient - and she's probably right). She misses her mother, loves her sons, and wishes that certain things had turned out differently. Who doesn't have all of these emotions? The reader truly feels for the young girl who doesn't know that her mother is ill and at the hospital; sympathises with the adolescent who realises she knows nothing about her parents; and understands her revitalised love for her own children once she discovers all of her mother's overlooked pain. Even I, who was somewhat reluctantly reading the book, cried when her mother finally died. There's something impossibly grief-inducing about a six-year-old who never really knew her mother mourning her loss with such gravitas.
I only gave it two stars because it was far too depressing for me to handle; polio does that.
With this, Kathryn Black concludes her lengthy book, giving an explanation for her reason for writing it. Contrary to how it might seem, she herself did not have paralytic polio (but, as she mentions early on, it is possible that she did contract the virus, but merely in the form of a slight, temporary cold) - her mother did, and died from it. It is from this unique perspective that Black focuses her narrative, calling upon her very limited memory of her mother and her mother's illness (the author was only six when Mrs. Black died) to provide direction to an otherwise far-too-broad compilation of information.
Black subtitles her book, "A Personal and Social History," which I personally believe is wrong. It's meant to connote a variety of approaches (okay, at least two) to the narrative associated with polio: from a personal standpoint, and from a social standpoint. My perplexity at this subtitle is that there was far, far less of the personal than there was of the social; therefore, it would have been more correct to say, "A Social and Personal History." While it may seem that the social impact of the illness would be framed by her mother's bout with it - and one would, perhaps, hope this would be the case - it is, in fact, primarily a history of polio from the late 1800s (when the virus was first identified as such) to the late 1900s (when it was declared eradicated in the Americas in 1997 - thank goodness!) with a few case studies inserted, one of which was the author's.
There are some chapters completely devoid of personality, to the point where they read like a textbook (and I felt my eyes drooping slowly shut, as they invariably do when I read a textbook). And while they provide essential background to the rest of the story, there are far too many and they are laden with statistics and names that are too plentiful to remember. In fact, for me, it wasn't until the pages in the 200s that I found myself truly engaged and curious about the continuation of the narrative.
That having been said, however, it is impossible to doubt Black's sincerity and dire need to pay homage to the mother and the family background she never had. Her story, as others, does underscore the ultimate belief that illness never affects only one person (in fact, the argument she seems to be defending is that it is just as tragic for the family of a polio patient as it is for the patient - and she's probably right). She misses her mother, loves her sons, and wishes that certain things had turned out differently. Who doesn't have all of these emotions? The reader truly feels for the young girl who doesn't know that her mother is ill and at the hospital; sympathises with the adolescent who realises she knows nothing about her parents; and understands her revitalised love for her own children once she discovers all of her mother's overlooked pain. Even I, who was somewhat reluctantly reading the book, cried when her mother finally died. There's something impossibly grief-inducing about a six-year-old who never really knew her mother mourning her loss with such gravitas.
I only gave it two stars because it was far too depressing for me to handle; polio does that.
April 22, 2025
This gives us not only a personal story of polio but also a national one as well. There is an attitude of, like the past pandemic of Covid, there is an attitude of “it’s you’re fault you’re sick” to the long and lifetime patients need and the general unwillingness of most people to care for those who suffer long term affects of illness like polio and the lives illness can destroy. “It’s your fault you can’t get healthy.”
July 24, 2020
My mother who had polio gave me this book to read. It really helped me understand what she went through and what she is still facing at 93. The author was a journalist so her background and research were key to understanding the time, place, and science of this period.
March 18, 2024
If your life has been significantly touched by polio, you will appreciate this book! The social history that the author collects is helpful to color the pages of my family history that I never completely understood.
December 21, 2021
Really fascinating account of this disease and how it affected our times (non-fiction).
July 30, 2014
In 1954 Kathryn Black’s mother became a victim of polio. A year later, the Salk vaccine became widely available. This story is a look at this period in American history. Black explores the progression of her mother’s illness and its devastating impact upon her family. A great chronicle of living with polio.
December 14, 2010
Memoir about polio and how it affected one family and the nation. My parents remember when pools & other public places were closed during the worst of it. Really interesting read, even if you're not well-versed on medical aspects of polio.
September 18, 2021
Very interesting and educational. I read this because my great aunt is one of the individuals frequently mentioned in the book. It was striking to see the similarities between the polio epidemic and the current pandemic.
July 31, 2011
Very good personal story about polio with lots of information about the society & science during the times of the major polio outbreaks in the US.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews