QZ qz thoughts
a blog from Eli the Bearded

Sarah Vowell


I've previously read Assassination Vacation, and Unfamiliar Fishes (a history of Hawaii mostly focused on the period between the visit of James Cooks and becoming the 50th State). I'm pretty sure I've read The Partly-Cloudy Patriot, but that would have been some years ago. I have not read her other three books (Wordy Shipmates, about Pilgrims; Radio On, I'm guessing about radio; and Take the Cannoli, for which I don't really know the topic).

To kids, she is problably best known as the voice of the teen daughter, Violet, in Pixar's The Incredibles.

Vowell has very engaging histories. She clearly likes this country, but she also refuses to look past it's warts. And there are so many warts that regular histories gloss over or ignore.

Final thought: Chcking imdb I see she's also in several other smaller movie roles.