Peter Ginna at Bloomsbury Press bought world rights for The Sound of Freedom by historian Ray Arsenault (Freedom Riders), about internationally acclaimed contralto Marion Anderson's 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial, given after she had been denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall because of her race. Sold by Wendy Strothman of The Strothman Agency for publication in 2008.
"In this moment of change and hope, Raymond Arsenault has gifted us with the perfect book for contemplation and activism. Deeply researched, vividly written, sparkling and dramatic, The Sound of Freedom is more than a biography of Marian Anderson, her struggles and triumphs over time. It is a call to reconsider the enduring legacies of our segregated heritage, our culture of disrespect. From Marian Anderson's Lincoln Memorial concert that 'awakened' the country to the cruelties and deprivations of apartheid America, every stunning detail of this bold and heartening book calls upon us to continue the still incomplete fight for liberty and justice for all."—Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of Eleanor Roosevelt, vols I & II
“[Arsenault] excels at contextualizing the concert, probing the ways in which Jim Crow laws and racial prejudices permeated all aspects of African-American life.”—Kirkus
"This is a thrilling book. It brings to life a crucial episode in the movement that ended racial brutality in the American South, giving us both the bloody drama of the Freedom Rides and the legal and political maneuvering behind the scenes."-- Anthony Lewis
“A tightly focused look at the political and cultural events that led up to and came after her famous 1939 concert. It’s a story that’s well worth retelling.”—Dwight Garner, New York Times
“A notable addition to the historical record…Arsenault's book is a timely reminder of the worm of history turning once more. We have only just witnessed another triumphant procession on the Washington Mall, where another exemplary African-American, himself the product of another David and Delia, was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States - something Anderson would likely have been hard-pressed to imagine taking place.”—Boston Globe
“Outstanding…provides critical perspective on [Anderson’s] most significant achievement.”—Ron Wynn, Book Page
