Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila

Palgrave Studies in Oral History

by Sandy Polishuk, Amy Kesselman (Foreword by)

Sticking to the Union relates the vibrant life of Julia Ruuttila (1907-1991), a political radical and labor journalist in the Pacific Northwest. Ruuttila's life of activism provides a much-needed woman's voice in the history of labor and social activism in the twentieth century. Ruuttila worked for civil liberties, civil rights, and peace organizations throughout her life, supporting striking workers, taking part in lunch-counter protests against businesses that discriminated against African Americans, and demonstrating against the Vietnam War. Polishuk provides insightful historical context for Ruuttila's own lively words. A unique and important perspective on American struggles of the twentieth century emerges in this engaging story of an irrepressible, hard-nosed woman.

Genres: History

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polishuk does a good job of letting her subject tell her own story while also checking that against other historical records. Despite being a leftist from the Pacific Northwest, I had never heard of Julia Ruutila before buying this book, so it at first made for an inauspicious subject, but I was delighted to learn about the life story of this remarkable woman. Ruutila was involved in every major class and social justice struggle of the twentieth century in my local area, so there are many details about the region I discovered. Although she wasn’t exactly in the background, it is people like her doing the thankless task of going to every protest and attending all the meetings that keep the promise of a future society alive.