This is one of those novels that I've always been aware of but somehow never got around to reading it. I picked it up in a second-hand sale the other day and realised that it would be perfect as the last book for the Southern Challenge.
The novel is about the Logan family, living in Mississippi in the 193o's. Times are hard because of the forthcoming depression, and because of the continuing tension between the black and white communities. The Logan families are one of the few black families with their own land, this is resented by both the black and white families.
The story is centred aroud the four Logan children, having being brought up by indepent parents, who believe evryone should be equal, they have a hard time understanding the unequal society that they are living in. As the novel progresses more and more problems arise between the two communities.
This novel deals with the racism alive in that society, as well as they way the law and politics was shaped to benefit white people.
Obviously as a kids book this was a fairly easy read, and a easy way to spend a windy Sunday afternoon. I'm now of for lasagne, a couple of episodes of 24 and maybe a film for the evening. This week I'm going to finish Theft: A Love Story, Bellefleur and hopefully start Frankie and Stankie. What have you be reading today?
Challenges:
Southern Reading Challenge Book 3 of 3!
Young Adult Reading Challenge Book 7 of 12
Classics Challenge (Kids classic) Book 5 of 6
Unread Authors Challenge Book 3 of 6
20th Century Project (1976) Book 10 of 100
If you have read this book, please leave a link to your review, or your comments, I will link in any reviews ad
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ded.The Southern Challenge Round-Up
I finished it with 5 days to go, which seemed unlikely this time last week. My intentions (Gone with the Wind, The Awakening, Cold Moutain and The Sound and the Fury), seemed to go amiss during the last few month, with me only managing to read one from the original list. I think I ended up with a good mix though, one classic, one contemporary fiction and a YA classic book (The Secrets We Keep, Gone With the Wind, and Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry). While I enjoyed all of them in their own way Gone With the Wind was by far the best, and a book I definately plan to go back and read again.
Looking forward to next years selection, Maggie!
7 comments:
Love Roll of Thunder! This would be a great book for discussion. Are you listening, Oprah?
'Roll of Thunder' is one of the really great children's books, remarkable in the way in which Taylor judges what she can allow the reader to 'see', what is simply 'reported' and what she knows they are not yet ready to be exposed to. I taught it to undergrad students for ten or more years and they never failed to be moved by it. Have you read the other Taylor novel about the Logan family, such as 'Let the Circle Be Unbroken' and 'Road to Memphis? They are well worth seeking out.
I'll have to keep an eye out, this is her only book I had heard of. It's one that is taught in quite a few schools here too.
It was interesting to read something set after the war, which I had just finished reading about in Gone With the Wind.
Yay, Katrina!!! Congrats on finishing the challenge!
Mildred Taylor wrote the Logan saga far away from Mississippi. She vistited the state through stories told by her family. Although born in Mississippi, she came back to the state for the first time in 2004. She claimed her dad had a death threat against him and she was scared to enter the state. I wonder what she thought of Mississippi after returning. Did the stories match her perceptions? :D
Um, where's the mule? I know Roll of Thunder has one!
I think I read this last year and was surprised as to how much I enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels.
I am a former middle school teacher and the thing I most remember about the experience of guiding kids through Roll of Thunder was that my kids (mostly African-American kids living in suburbia) laughed at the dialect the book is written in-- and also, they simply could not believe that African-Americans had EVER been treated like that. I was shocked and told them to talk to their grandparents.
Beth Fehlbaum, author
Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse
http://courageinpatience.blogspot.com
Chapter 1 is online!
I haven't heard that title for a very, very long time and now I can't remember if I ever read it or not. I'll have to see if I can find it on-line to read (I don't live in the US, so libraries are out). Whether I have read it or not doesn't really matter. Subjects like this can't be repeated too often.
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