Reviews
Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy Taylor
bonniereads777's review against another edition
3.0
Overall this was not as expected. I thought it was about the history of the Green Book and stories of the brave business owners who opened their doors to people of color, even when they were taking a risk to do so. There is a little bit of that in the book. But the author spends a lot of time on current political topics and their opinion of the President. I have been avoiding current political books and reviews by choice, so I don’t like it when a political book is represented as something else.
I did appreciate the author's well written description of what it was like to live under the Jim Crow laws, and the horrific treatment of black people during that time. Unfortunately she kept referring back to 2020 politics constantly. If I had been warned this was a book about current politics I would have passed it by.
There was a period of almost 30 minutes early in the book that was strictly about current politics, and I almost stopped listening at that point. This book was not really as described, but is well written and will appeal to others who don't mind all the current political commentary. The narrator of the audiobook did a good job.
I did appreciate the author's well written description of what it was like to live under the Jim Crow laws, and the horrific treatment of black people during that time. Unfortunately she kept referring back to 2020 politics constantly. If I had been warned this was a book about current politics I would have passed it by.
There was a period of almost 30 minutes early in the book that was strictly about current politics, and I almost stopped listening at that point. This book was not really as described, but is well written and will appeal to others who don't mind all the current political commentary. The narrator of the audiobook did a good job.
missamandamae's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to get my hands on this book, and I was not disappointed! This is an in-depth look at the genesis and evolution of the Green Book, highlighting sites and people featured in the guides over the decades it existed. The author relates the story of the Green Book to her own personal history, in particular her stepdad, who experienced firsthand many of the reasons for the need of the Green Book. With loads of illustrations and anecdotes, this makes for an enthralling history of an artifact that still has relevance today.
annakim's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very powerful and eye-opening book about the history of the Green Book and how incredibly important it was to Black travelers in America. While I had a very shallow understanding of its use and need, I didn't understand just how necessary it was. I also found the complicated nature of how integration, ironically, dissolved the bonds of Black communities fascinating and unbearably sad.
Though the writing can be abrupt, particularly in the transitions between paragraphs (and sentences), I learned a lot and I really hope that there will be a YA adaptation for this book so that it can be purchased for school libraries.
Though the writing can be abrupt, particularly in the transitions between paragraphs (and sentences), I learned a lot and I really hope that there will be a YA adaptation for this book so that it can be purchased for school libraries.
dominicangirl's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
amandamethot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0