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lillicnna's review against another edition
5.0
! NO SPOILERS !
absolutely love the book. so powerful with a plot twist. very sad ending. :(
absolutely love the book. so powerful with a plot twist. very sad ending. :(
devontrevarrowflaherty's review against another edition
4.0
One of the reasons I hadn’t ever read this book before (besides the thousands of other books I want to read) is the title. Another reason was the cover. It just didn’t make me want to pick it up (and it turns out, the copy I have is also not very representative). As for the title, to some it may sound poetic or deep. To me it sounds like it’s trying too hard. And after reading it, I can confirm that it’s too high falutin’. It doesn’t really fit the book. There is also a newer cover with art by Kadir Nelson (pictured here in the review), and that is much better. In fact, it’s beautiful. Get that one if you can. But once you get past that…
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was written by Mildred Taylor as part of a six-book series. Even though it is number four in the series, it is usually read as a stand-alone and frequently as assigned reading for children in elementary school. Published in 1977, It takes place in Mississippi in the 1930s, and while it is during the Depression, there are other issues besides financial struggles that take center stage and have earned it a Newbery Medal. The story is told from the perspective of Cassie but tells the story of her family’s farm, including the life and times of her parents, uncle, and three brothers. Cassie learns why her father fights so hard to protect their farm and insists on their independence while racism and social injustice ravage around them, threatening their happiness, stability, and even their very lives.
As an African American in the Jim Crow South, Cassie doesn’t understand the nuances and how dangerous her behavior and her speaking out is, which is where much of the tension in the novel comes from. Her parents, meanwhile, are raising her with dignity while also aiming to protect her (and some readers find their behavior inconsistent, while for me it read as flawed and realistic). The story is a coming-of-age for both Cassie’s older brother, Stacey, and Cassie. It is a great history read, dealing with black history and the Jim Crow era, yes, but also with the 1930s, the South, and small town America. It’s also a story about family and about relationships. About growing up. And has plenty of beauty along with the heart-breaking injustice. It makes for a good introduction for children to the concept of the between-slavery-and-freedom, to the gray in the space between enslaving people and giving them their freedom on paper. Though I wonder if kids will find it less terrifying for exactly the reason Cassie kept walking into danger: they don’t see the unspoken yet. They may need to be taught this book while reading it.
The number one complaint by other reviewers is that it vilifies white people and puts black people on a pedestal, since the characters tend to be shiny-good or evil-bad and they fall pretty much along race lines. It wasn’t something that jumped out at me, though I could see how this could be a complaint. I mean, no one in the book seems perfect to me, and if Cassie sees her family in a golden light that would be normal for a child. As far as all those white villains, well some black people just didn’t have many positive encounters with white people. And Taylor gives us two nuanced white people, anyways. As far as actual story goes, there may be some issues with the narrator’s perspective, with sudden lurches in the story, and with plotting and ending. But overall, we get to step into Cassie’s shoes and watch her grow up in the haze of obliqueness which is childhood, constantly worried about how she’ll fare because we do care about her.
In a nutshell: Roll of Thunder is an award-winning children’s classic about land and unequal treatment, about family and the Jim Crow South. The development is deeply internal and Cassie is a strong and betimes naïve narrator, causing the reader to experience a lot of suspense.
____________________
THE HELPOther books to read about the subject matter:
The Help, Kathryn Stockett (I have read it, but before I was reviewing here.)
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 2To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
There is also a 1978 movie with Morgan Freeman in it, which you can catch on YouTube. It doesn’t look like it’s that great, but perhaps one of you could let me know what you think.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was written by Mildred Taylor as part of a six-book series. Even though it is number four in the series, it is usually read as a stand-alone and frequently as assigned reading for children in elementary school. Published in 1977, It takes place in Mississippi in the 1930s, and while it is during the Depression, there are other issues besides financial struggles that take center stage and have earned it a Newbery Medal. The story is told from the perspective of Cassie but tells the story of her family’s farm, including the life and times of her parents, uncle, and three brothers. Cassie learns why her father fights so hard to protect their farm and insists on their independence while racism and social injustice ravage around them, threatening their happiness, stability, and even their very lives.
As an African American in the Jim Crow South, Cassie doesn’t understand the nuances and how dangerous her behavior and her speaking out is, which is where much of the tension in the novel comes from. Her parents, meanwhile, are raising her with dignity while also aiming to protect her (and some readers find their behavior inconsistent, while for me it read as flawed and realistic). The story is a coming-of-age for both Cassie’s older brother, Stacey, and Cassie. It is a great history read, dealing with black history and the Jim Crow era, yes, but also with the 1930s, the South, and small town America. It’s also a story about family and about relationships. About growing up. And has plenty of beauty along with the heart-breaking injustice. It makes for a good introduction for children to the concept of the between-slavery-and-freedom, to the gray in the space between enslaving people and giving them their freedom on paper. Though I wonder if kids will find it less terrifying for exactly the reason Cassie kept walking into danger: they don’t see the unspoken yet. They may need to be taught this book while reading it.
The number one complaint by other reviewers is that it vilifies white people and puts black people on a pedestal, since the characters tend to be shiny-good or evil-bad and they fall pretty much along race lines. It wasn’t something that jumped out at me, though I could see how this could be a complaint. I mean, no one in the book seems perfect to me, and if Cassie sees her family in a golden light that would be normal for a child. As far as all those white villains, well some black people just didn’t have many positive encounters with white people. And Taylor gives us two nuanced white people, anyways. As far as actual story goes, there may be some issues with the narrator’s perspective, with sudden lurches in the story, and with plotting and ending. But overall, we get to step into Cassie’s shoes and watch her grow up in the haze of obliqueness which is childhood, constantly worried about how she’ll fare because we do care about her.
In a nutshell: Roll of Thunder is an award-winning children’s classic about land and unequal treatment, about family and the Jim Crow South. The development is deeply internal and Cassie is a strong and betimes naïve narrator, causing the reader to experience a lot of suspense.
____________________
THE HELPOther books to read about the subject matter:
The Help, Kathryn Stockett (I have read it, but before I was reviewing here.)
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 2To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
There is also a 1978 movie with Morgan Freeman in it, which you can catch on YouTube. It doesn’t look like it’s that great, but perhaps one of you could let me know what you think.
elliegovic's review against another edition
5.0
It was a very good book that shone light on little known things about our history.
zeebookdragon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pastor_bgl's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite books from childhood that I read many times during elementary and middle school. But reading it as an adult and in our current cultural context it had a much more profound meaning. Still love it!
marnella's review against another edition
4.0
I had read this book when I was younger like 7th grade or so. I didn't remember the story line just that I knew it dealt with Race and I remembered I liked it as I never forgot the title all these years later. I recently found it at goodwill and thought why not reread this book. It's less than 300 pages. This is one of those books that opens your eyes and makes you want to be a better person. I would say this book is a child's equivalent to Uncle Tom's Cabin.
The story is told from a black 9 year old girls perspective. Blacks are free and her family is fortunate to own a decent amount of their own land which they farm. While legally free many of the whites in Mississippi did not see them as equals not even close. This is the story of the little girl learning these lessons and what some whites would do to put others in their "place".
The story is told from a black 9 year old girls perspective. Blacks are free and her family is fortunate to own a decent amount of their own land which they farm. While legally free many of the whites in Mississippi did not see them as equals not even close. This is the story of the little girl learning these lessons and what some whites would do to put others in their "place".
maryminkovich's review against another edition
5.0
I always considered this my favorite book I read in school. I had read some of the series as a teenager, but thought it would be a great time to revisit this book. I am excited to read through the whole series, I am captivated by the Logan family and their story.
slgoff83's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
marie_pick's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very gripping story right from the start. There is some mild language (use of the Lords name in vain and racial slurs)but since we used it as a read aloud I was able to omit these as I saw fit. The story was very realistic and gave my children a true feel for how racial tensions influenced people not so very long ago.