Alissa's Reviews > Necessary Trouble: Growing Up at Midcentury

I was excited to read this book, as in college I took two semesters of Drew Faust's classes: History of the South I and II. She was an excellent professor and teacher and I knew this book would be well-written and interesting.

While this is categorized as a memoir, it feels more like a cross between memoir and history book (as evidenced by the pages of bibliographic notes). The first several chapters feel more like a history book, as Faust sets the context for what is to come, describing the Virginia of her own childhood and that Virginia of those who came before her. Once Faust enters boarding school and college, the stories get more personal and "memoir-ish" as she shares her experience living through the 50s and 60s. While of course this is Faust's own life that she recalls, and she can't help being who she is -- a rich, privileged, white girl/women -- you can't help but wonder at times if this -- this recollection of the fight for black civil rights -- is really her story to tell? Is this who I should be learning about this from? Maybe not exclusively, but it is still interesting to learn how and why one white women became so involved in the movement ... to get that particular perspective. And for me it was of course great to get insight into the childhood and college years of one of my favorite college teachers, and understand why she went into her chosen field.

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.