From the daughter of one of America’s most virulent segregationists, a memoir that reckons with her father George Wallace’s legacy of hate–and illuminates her journey towards redemption. Peggy Wallace Kennedy has been widely hailed as the “symbol of racial reconciliation” (Washington Post). In the summer of 1963, though, she was just a young girl watching her father stand in a schoolhouse door … father stand in a schoolhouse door as he tried to block two African-American students from entering the University of Alabama. This man, former governor of Alabama and presidential candidate George Wallace, was notorious for his hateful rhetoric and his political stunts. But he was also a larger-than-life father to young Peggy, who was taught to smile, sit straight, and not speak up as her father took to the political stage. At the end of his life, Wallace came to renounce his views, although he could never attempt to fully repair the damage he caused. But Peggy, after her own political awakening, dedicated her life to spreading the new Wallace message-one of peace and compassion.
In this powerful new memoir, Peggy looks back on the politics of her youth and attempts to reconcile her adored father with the man who coined the phrase “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever.”
Timely and timeless, The Broken Road speaks to change, atonement, activism, and racial reconciliation.
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The Broken Road is a memoir that is written by Peggy Wallace Kennedy. She was the daughter of former Governor and Segregationist George Wallace. This is her story, growing up in the South and with a very politically motivated father, whose ambitions led him to become the most racist demagogue that this country has ever seen. I really enjoyed this book. This book was definitely written from a perspective of a daughter about her father. I can’t say that I’m a scholar when it comes to George Wallace. I know that he was an avid segregationist, and famously blocked the door of the Alabama University to prevent the school from integrating. I was afraid that this book was going to be some revisionist history on George Wallace. I don’t get a sense that she is trying to revise history, or even try to spin it to put her father in a positive light. There were things in this story that would have never put George Wallace in a positive light. Like him virtually abandoning family, forcing his wife to be the sole breadwinner. And when she finally had enough and left him, the only reason he wanted her back was due to the fact that it would look bad from a political standpoint. Though her father was the focal point of this story, I think the story was mostly about her. My favorite parts are when she talked about her mother and Grandmother. How her Grandmother never really liked her father, but tolerated him because of her mother. How only the real stable home they had was at her Grandmothers. And when her own mother made sure to buy them a home – so they could have a place to go to when her term as Governor was over. She also talked about her husband. How he was the first person to see her and not her parents. She was not used to people being interested in her, they often would ask about her parents. Overall, I thought this was a good book. I found it very enlightening. If you’re interested in the Wallace family. I think this would be a very good source. I like to thank Bloomsbury and Netgalley for giving me a free kindle copy of this for an honest review
This book was an education for me. Born the same year as Peggy I fell a connection in historical data. You often wonder about the children of politicians and how they feel about what is going on. Peggy doesn’t sugar coat her life or over dramatizes it but basically tells about her feelings. The conflicting emotions and trying to understand her father . Through her we got a bit better understanding what kind of man George Wallace was. Half a century of history in Alabama through the eyes of a child and the woman she has become. The issues with segregation. The attitude of people (even become violent) when they feel their rights have been infringed on. Politicians who will say whatever they feel is needed in order to get votes even when it is not what they original stood for. Does this all seem to be a bit familiar with 2019. The players have changed. The races involved have changed but in a lot of ways history keeps repeating itself in one form or another. I’m grateful to Peggy Wallace Kennedy that she shared these facts of her life and her knowledge in this book .