Vicki Howard. From Main Street to Mall: The Rise and Fall of the American Department Store. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015. 1 + 295 pp. ISBN 978-0-8122-4728-2, $34.95 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-8122-9148-3, $34.95 (e-book).

Abstract

of this methodology. Perhaps hindered by the disciplinary bounds that dictate the evidentiary parameters of sociological research, her awkward engagement with the valuable oral testimony that she haswith considerable difficulty-gathered undermines the very efficacy that this evidence should have. This concern aside, Frost's work is a welcome addition to the existing literature on Sierra Leone's recent history. Scholars from across an array of disciplines can confidently rely on different aspects of this work as they pursue more focused micro-studies on their topics of choice. Frost has crafted a book that has broad utility, which is a testament to her comfort in navigating such a range of source materials. The reader's understanding of Sierra Leone's peoples, resources, and position in global economic and political contexts is significantly deepened because of Frost's prodigious efforts.