Scan barcode
A review by tcbueti
Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd
3.0
This was an interesting, insider's view of the freedom riders and what it would be like to realize, growing up in the south, that your family was racist and you're racist-- without knowing it, without ever having thought about it. Billie realizes that her black maid/housekeeper/nanny has a daughter, has a family.
After Billy meets Lavender's daughter Jarmaine and is intrigued and excited about the idea of the freedom riders she decides she wants to take part and not just be a watcher. She realizes that just watching is part of the problem, not to stand up for something. That part, and her struggle to understand her family and her her parents role in this situation was very strong.
Unfortunately this book suffers from being another example of "white person steps in and saves the day" and the fact that Billie (not Jarmaine) rings the bell at the church (which really served no purpose) and the description of the girls running up and down tge stairs and ladder in the church, and seeing Dr. King and wanting to talk to Dr. King and wanting to go outside of the church when clearly there's a mob outside so it's a bad idea--just rang so Disney and false; really weakened the book, I thought.
After Billy meets Lavender's daughter Jarmaine and is intrigued and excited about the idea of the freedom riders she decides she wants to take part and not just be a watcher. She realizes that just watching is part of the problem, not to stand up for something. That part, and her struggle to understand her family and her her parents role in this situation was very strong.
Unfortunately this book suffers from being another example of "white person steps in and saves the day" and the fact that Billie (not Jarmaine) rings the bell at the church (which really served no purpose) and the description of the girls running up and down tge stairs and ladder in the church, and seeing Dr. King and wanting to talk to Dr. King and wanting to go outside of the church when clearly there's a mob outside so it's a bad idea--just rang so Disney and false; really weakened the book, I thought.