Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre.

Kahan, Paul

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STORY: SEEKING THE BETTER LIFE IN SIERRA MADRE

By Michele Zack (Sierra Madre, CA: Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, 2009,384 pp., $45.00 cloth)

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Southern California Story is a well written, thoroughly researched, and lavishly illustrated narrative history of Sierra Madre in coffee table-book format that will find a welcome home in the library of anyone interested in the history of southern California. Written by journalist Michele Zack (currently the senior adviser for local history and K-12 outreach at the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West), the book won a 2010 American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit.

In the introduction, Zack claims that Southern California Story is the result of five years of research, and it shows; this comprehensive narrative touches on environmental, political, and social history and is supplemented by a series of carefully chosen and beautifully reproduced full-color graphics. Most coffee table books are chock-full of colorful pictures, so it is a credit to Zack that Southern California Story's illustrations actively reinforce the book's narration.

However, the book is more than just pretty pictures; the narrative is compelling, well written, and accessible. Zack clearly has an expert's grasp of Sierra Madre's fascinating history and culture. She adeptly connects the region's history to larger social and cultural trends, which is what distinguishes good and great local history. For instance, she does an amazing job placing southern California's unique experiences during the 1930s into the larger history of the Great Depression. As someone who has written his share of local and institutional histories, I can attest to the fact that this is extremely difficult and is a testament to Zack's abilities as both writer and historian.

The only element that struck a discordant note for me was the choice of cover illustration, Carolyn Gravette's 2006 painting, Showtime!, which depicts the Sierra Madre Playhouse. The theater's marquee proclaims a run of Our Town, Thornton Wilder's depressing play about life in the fictional Grover's Corners. This seemed at odds with the warm and optimistic tone of the book because, while she is thoughtfully critical of Sierra Madre's history, it is clear that Zack has a real affection for the region.

I highly recommend this book for local libraries, historical societies, and anyone with an interest in southern California's history.

REVIEWED BY PAUL KAHAN, PHD, INDEPENDENT SCHOLAR AND AUTHOR OF EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY: A HISTORY