'Truevine' Illuminates The World Of Circus Sideshows
Circus sideshow displays of “freaks” were very popular in the United States up until the 20th century. In 1899, George and Willie Muse, the African-American children of sharecroppers, were lured from their home to become part of one such sideshow.
Author Beth Macy (@papergirlmacy) tells their story in her book “Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother’s Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South.” She joins Here & Now‘s Lisa Mullins to talk about the book and about the now bygone phenomenon of the circus sideshow.
Book Excerpt: ‘Truevine’
by Beth Macy
Prologue: I Am the True Vine
Their world was so blindingly white that the brothers had to squint to keep from crying. On a clear day, it hurt just to open their eyes. They blinked constantly, trying to make out the hazy objects in front of them, their brows furrowed and their eyes darting from side to side, unable to settle on a focal point. Their eyes were tinged with pink, their irises a watery pale blue.
Their skin was so delicate that it was possible, looking only at the
