Strange fruit

A biography of 'Strange Fruit' from its genesis at the hands of Abel Meeropol to its popularization by Billie Holiday to its enduring power and appeal today. The author chronicles its effect on those who experienced it firsthand: musicians, artists, journalists, intellectuals, students, budding activists, even the waitressess and bartenders who worked the clubs. This is the story of a song that foretold the Civil Rights Movement and the lady who dared to sing it.