An admiring but eagle-eyed telling of how King (born Carol Joan Klein) emerged from the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn to achieve decades of songwriting success ... Eisner ventures well beyond that near-mythic success story to explore the underbelly of her subject’s life ... The book also scrupulously examines King’s technical mastery ... Eisner’s portraiture seizes on and gives voice to...being a frizzy-haired little Jewish girl who was buoyed by King’s friendly alto as it manifested the lyric, ‘You’re beautiful/ You’re beautiful/ You’re beauuutifuuul as you feel.'
Comprehensive ... Despite following some historical tangents a bit too far, the author mostly succeeds in her efforts to situate her subject within a dynamic cultural moment ... The result is a robust celebration of a legendary musician.
