When I picked up this book I expected it to be a short biography of Eugene Allen, the man who served as White House butler through 8 presidential administrations. It was, but very briefly. This short (96 pages) tome is not just the story of Eugene and Helene Allen, but a condensed history of both civil rights in America and the making of the film, The Butler. Haygood provides a brief vignette of each of the presidents (5 of them) portrayed in the movie and their dealings with civil rights issues.
This was a very short book, but thought-provoking. It's kind of like a photo album, brief glimpses into Eugene Allen's life, the struggles of Black Americans to attain respect and equality, and the dedication that went into making the film. As I said, it was unexpected, but definitely worthwhile.
By the way, if you haven't seen Lee Daniels' movie, I highly recommend it. It's terrific on so many different levels.
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