This book gets an A for depth of information, but a C- for keeping my interest. There is a lot of detail in this book. Like, a LOT. The research that Polenberg did was pretty thorough, and that is what slowed down the book for me and made it more like a textbook.

I grew up with folk songs and knew a lot of the ones from the book. I would have liked to have the lyrics included, but that's what we have search engines for. Until I read this book, I hadn't really thought about how many were about murders. And social justice? That has been a tenet of folk music for centuries.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent resource for writers, or anyone interested in the history behind many folk lyrics and ballads. Very useful, informative, and engaging.