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Song In A Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins

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Song In A Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins
Written by Glenda Armand
Illustrated by Brittany Jackson
Albert Whitman & Company, 2021. Biography.

Thomas Wiggins was born into a life of slavery on a Georgia plantation in 1849. He was born blind and dismissed as a "useless burden" to everyone but his family. From a young age Tom had an uncanny ability to hear sounds around him and copy them and this gift transformed his life as he went from being a blind former slave to one of the greatest living musicians. When Tom was six-years-old he composed his first composition on the piano and by the time he was eleven years-old he was invited to perform as the first Black artist at the White House for President James Buchanan. Tom began wowing audiences throughout the south and southerners lined up to see and hear for themselves the talent of this extraordinary young musician. Tom soon became an international celebrity and when he was seventeen years-old he was invited to travel  and perform for crowds in Europe. This tour was the highlight of his career.

This was an awe-inspiring story about the life and history of a remarkable person with talent and unique gifts that he developed despite the formidable circumstances around him. I had never heard the story of "Blind Tom" and I really enjoyed learning more about him and his amazing talent. He accomplished so much during his life and showed the world that "sometimes what makes you different is the very thing that makes you free". At the end of the book there is an author's note with more details about Tom, his family and his musical career. I would recommend this book for anyone but especially younger ones who are showing an interest in music.


 

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