River Cross My Heart, by Breena Clarke
Set in Georgetown in the
1920’s, this historically based book provides insight into how segregation
affected the lives and emotions of the people who experienced it. The main
character in the story is a 12-year-old African- American girl named Johnnie
Mae, who is dealing with her feelings of responsibility and loss in the
aftermath of the accidental drowning death of her younger sister, Clara. The
first chapter of the book reveals the events of the day that Clara died and the
following chapters flashback from the past to the present day. The strong
characters and realistic language in the novel make it an understandable choice
as Oprah’s Book Club Selection in 1999. Readers of historical, multi-cultural
and/or family oriented stories, would enjoy this emotional tale.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
In a small town, in rural
Louisiana, in 1948, a black man is convicted for the murder of a white
storeowner even though the evidence shows he was a bystander. Jefferson is
sentenced to death and his godmother begs the local teacher to help him die with
dignity. Responsibility, dignity, heroism, the meaning of life, racial
injustice, and capital punishment are all examined in this historical novel.
This is a powerful book with powerful characters. Highly recommended, this is an
unforgettable book.
The Wedding by Dorothy West
In a black middle class community in
Martha's Vineyard called the Oval, a wedding is about to take place. It is the
1950's and Shelby Coles, daughter of the Oval's most prominent family, is set to
marry Meade Wyler, a white jazz musician. The pending marriage creates much
tension and resistance among family members.
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
Devil in a Blue Dress
(1990), which established Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins as a popular series protagonist
for author Walter Mosley, finds him in the racial climate of 1948 Los Angeles, a
combat-hardened black war veteran just out of a defense plant job. With the
mortgage payment just about due on the little house he loves, Easy reluctantly
takes on a detective assignment offered by a slimy white gangster: locate Daphne
Monet, the blond femme fatale beloved of an important white politico, who was
known to frequent black jazz joints usually off-limits to white patrons. Easy's
quest treats the reader to a colorful tour of 40s LA, from the black haunts of
Watts to plush residences and boardrooms of the white establishment, with Mosley
moving him smoothly from black slang to polished speech where suitable. It turns
out that the white establishment has plenty to hide and, when found, Daphne is
revealed to have a dark secret of her own that complicates her life and the
lives of those who are fascinated by her. Easy's romantic interlude with her
provides more danger for him as he navigates a complex moral and racially
charged territory, where the law takes sides, making violence sometimes
necessary to answer questions of right and wrong. In such situations, Easy
counts on his sidekick "Mouse", usually fun-loving but sometimes murderous. This
allows Easy to maintain his tough-but-nice-guy image as Walter Mosley entertains
the reader with a gritty, fast-moving story that brings to mind Raymond Chandler
, Richard Wright, and some of James Baldwin --- hard-boiled poetry seamlessly
blended with social realism.
Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair (1994)
This
coming-of-age novel is set in 1960’s Chicago. Sinclair uses realistic situations
combined with down-home dialogue and a liberal dash of humor to hook the reader
from beginning to end. We follow “Stevie” through the ups and downs of her high
school years during the time period when “Negroes” became “Black”, and afro
haircuts came into style.
I Left My Back Door Open by April Sinclair (1999)
I Left My Back
Door Open is set in modern day Chicago. The protagonist of this spiritual,
light read is Dee-Dee, a part-time DJ at a blues radio station. Dee-Dee is 41,
overweight, female, and black. The novel deals in a fairly lighthearted way with
problems related to all of those things.
Cane River by Lalita Tademy, 2001
Cane River is a saga in
which the author traces the lineage of her family who were slaves. It covers
four generations, for over 100 years, starting in 1834. Cane River is a
community of 19 miles, along a river, in Central Louisiana. Elizabeth, the great
grandmother is the matriach, Suzette, her daughter, Philomene, her granddaughter
and Emily her great granddaughter. The Creole planters, meaning the white French
speaking descendents of the early French settlers, play an important part in
this historical novel. We see the hardships, the strength, the sorrows and the
joys of this closely knit slave family in a non-romanticized setting.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This Pulitzer-prize winning story
of a simple Southern woman, Celie, abused by her father and then by the man her
father has had her marry. The two children she has already borne are taken from
her. The only person thus far to show her affection is her sister, Nettie. She,
too, is forced to leave to avoid the unwanted attention of her father and then
by Mr.________, Celie’s husband (a man with no name). Sugah, her husband’s
mistress, awakens her confidence and self-awareness. Ultimately, Celie and this
free-spirited cabaret singer have an affair.
The first portion of this
epistolary novel consists of Celie’s letters to God. In them, she tells her
story until the important juncture when Celie finds the letters from her
long-lost sister. Mr. _____ has been keeping them, never allowing Celie to know
of their existence. Now the story continues with letters to and from Nettie. The
language reflects Nettie’s intellectual growth and Celie’s new-found awareness.
The letters catalog life in America and in Africa, where Nettie has gone as a
missionary. The missionary group includes a parson and his wife and their two
adopted children-Celie’s boy and girl! !
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
The story of a
black woman living in a specific culture and time and how she comes to
self-realization. In the 1930's Zora Neale Hurston wrote one of the first books
by a black writer who did not write so much on a racial as on a personal level.
The reader is introduced to Janie and follows her changing life patterns toward
the development of her self-fulfillment.
Acclaimed by many as a seminal work
of black literature this book should appeal to those who enjoy this genre and
who are interested in tracing its evolution.
Company Man by Brent Wade (1992)
Company Man depicts an
African American’s struggle to rise to the top in the corporate world in
Baltimore, Maryland, and the conflicts he faces when he gets there. The novel
takes the form of a letter that the narrator is writing to a childhood
friend-one he has remained distant from for years after a shocking discovery.
The turning point in the novel comes when the narrator’s secretary asks him what
he is called-whether Bill as he addressed by the white corporate executives or
Billy as he is addressed by his wife and friends. He thinks he must be William
because that is what his grandmother, who told him “not to be niggerish,” called
him. This question of his name leads him to confusion about who he really is.
The answer is complicated by the fact that the black machinists in his company
are threatened with layoffs, and are unifying to strike. How will he answer the
question, and what will the consequences be? In this skillfully written,
fast-paced novel, Brent Wade dramatically explores the impact of racism, sexism,
and nepotism on the sanity of a black company man in America in the
1970’s.
The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah, 1999
The terrible events
described in this story are narrated by the main character, Winter, the daughter
of a prominent Brooklyn drug dealer. The writing and language are graphic, and
the story line violent. This is an adult novel, not recommended for young adults
unless in a supervised discussion setting. Winter’s account of her tragic
decline might be considered a kind of cautionary tale, especially if one is
aware of the background of the author, Sister Souljah. Sister Souljah was born
Lisa Williamson in the Bronx in 1964. She was raised by her mother in public
housing projects where she became intimately involved with economic hardship and
racial discrimination. Her portrayal of the alienation of black youth has power
and authenticity because it was experienced first hand. Education was Souljah’s
vehicle out of the ghetto, and she has shaped an active role for herself as a
community activist, rap star and writer. She is controversial.
Not a day goes by: A novel. Harris, E. Lynn, 2000.
Basil Henderson,
a successful sports agent, plans to marry Yancey Braxton, a Broadway singer and
actress. In addition to being extremely handsome and powerful, Basil is also
bisexual. Yancey hasn’t a clue. Perhaps because she is completely self-absorbed.
As the wedding approaches, the lies and blind ambition begin to unravel the
perfect lives Basil and Yancey have planned. It’s a late night soap
opera.
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. Pearl Cleage, 1997
After
leaving behind the confines and simplicity of her small hometown of Idlewild,
Michigan to embark on a new life in the city, Ava, a young African-American
woman, eventually finds herself yearning for the comfort of her roots and
support of her older ssiter when she contracts HIV in What Looks Like Crazy on
an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage. Sassy, provocative and emotional, this novel
invites the reader on an intimate journey with one woman as she discovers
self-fulfillment and true love, and comes to terms with her illness. Back in the
familiar surroundings of her hometown, Ava learns that the drugs, crime and pain
that are staples of city life have infiltrated Idlewild. It is through assisting
her sister in establishing a support group for teenage girls and her unexpected
relationship with an enlightened gentleman that she finds meaning and security
in her life.
Divide and Conquer. Tom Clancy, 2000.
Traitors secretly cause
tensions to flare between Iran and Azerbaijan hoping to start a shooting war to
increase their own power and profit. Along the way, the president is accused of
being mentally unstable and the Op-Center members have to address war, the honor
of the president and traitors in their own government.