review: legacy of a false promise by margaret fuchs singer

When she was in her early teens, Margaret Fuchs lived through her parents being accused of Communism (which turned out to be true) and the aftermath of her father’s testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Not knowing if the harsher accusation of being spies was true, she later researched her family’s past; Legacy of a False Promise is the result of her investigation.

At the beginning of chapter eleven it’s revealed that this is not the first time the author wrote about discovering her parents’ Communist past; she also wrote a school essay on the topic during her senior year of high school. About this Fuchs (now Fuchs Singer) says, “The essay was devoid of emotion; frustrated and blocked, I just couldn’t get the feelings out, but my teacher insisted I send it to a writing contest anyway.” All these years later, the lack of emotion is still evident as much of the incredibly interesting story is told in a detached manner. Parts read more like a third party was the writer rather than someone who actually lived through the ordeal. But Fuchs Singer did her research (sources are provided) and this glimpse into one family’s experience of the McCarthy Era is well worth the time it takes to read Legacy of a False Promise.
4/5
Review copy provided by the author’s publicist.