iction ▁book , ▁Soul ▁of ▁a ▁People : ▁The ▁W PA ▁Writ ers ’ ▁Project ▁Un co vers ▁De pression ▁America , ▁published ▁by ▁W iley ▁& ▁S ons ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁was ▁named ▁an ▁Amazon ▁Book ▁of ▁the ▁Month ▁and ▁a ▁final ist ▁in ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Virginia ▁Liter ary ▁Awards . ▁The ▁Pitts burgh ▁Post - G az ette ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁" the ▁place ▁to ▁start ▁learning ▁about ▁that ▁remarkable ▁era " ▁and ▁ranked ▁the ▁book ▁among ▁the ▁Best ▁Books ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Southern ▁Cult ures ▁rev iewer , ▁" The ▁result ▁of ▁Taylor ' s ▁curiosity ▁is ▁an ▁accessible , ▁straightforward ▁g limp se ▁into ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁American ▁writers ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁rec ount ing ▁their ▁advent ures , ▁Taylor ▁demonstr ates ▁how ▁these ▁writers ▁sh aped ▁the ▁way ▁Americans ▁tell ▁their ▁histor ies ." ▁N PR ▁featured ▁the ▁book ▁on ▁All ▁Things ▁Consider ed , ▁and ▁anth ology ▁edit ors ▁Frank ▁W . ▁Th acker ay ▁and ▁John ▁E . ▁Find ling ▁called ▁Soul ▁of ▁a ▁People ▁“ an ▁entertain ing ▁and ▁inform ative ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁U . S . ▁writers ▁who ▁participated ▁in ▁this ▁De pression ▁era ▁government ▁project . ▁Re ve aling ▁about ▁both ▁the ▁writers ▁and ▁the ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁that ▁time .” ▁ ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly ▁called