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Set in Mississippi during the Great Depression, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a searing portrait of family and self-worth. Every child deserves to know Taylor's firebrand protagonist, Cassie Logan, and experience her untiring battle against social injustices and racism.
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Set in Mississippi during the Great Depression, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a searing portrait of family and self-worth. Every child deserves to know Taylor's firebrand protagonist, Cassie Logan, and experience her untiring battle against social injustices and racism.
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The above sentence was hurled in anger by Cassie Logan, a young girl growing up with her strong, loving family in Mississippi at the height of the Depression. It wasn't the first time I cheered aloud for her spirit and bravery, and it wasn't the last. The Logan family may seem to be at the mercy of the local white folks, but they're not going down without a fight.
Her mother attempts to explain to Cassie the facts:
"How come Mr. Simms went and pushed me like he
"I ain't nobody's little nigger!"The above sentence was hurled in anger by Cassie Logan, a young girl growing up with her strong, loving family in Mississippi at the height of the Depression. It wasn't the first time I cheered aloud for her spirit and bravery, and it wasn't the last. The Logan family may seem to be at the mercy of the local white folks, but they're not going down without a fight.
Her mother attempts to explain to Cassie the facts:
"How come Mr. Simms went and pushed me like he did?"
Mama's eyes looked deeply into mine, locked into them, and she said in a tight clear voice, "Because he thinks Lillian Jean is better than you are, Cassie . . ."
When Cassie wonders if Mr. Simms thinks Lillian Jean is better because she is his daughter, Mama's answer stuns her:
"No, baby, because she's white."
Her father explains things a little differently:
"There are things you can't back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it's up to you to decide what them things are. You have to demand respect in this world, ain't nobody just gonna hand it to you. How you carry yourself, what you stand for - that's how you gain respect. But, little one, ain't nobody's respect worth more than your own."
The recorded version I listened to offers a powerful afterward by Taylor, whose great-grandfather was born a slave. "Racism still exists," she proclaims, before going on to decry attempts to "whitewash history" by banning books that may be "too painful" or use the "n-word." There is plenty of violence and terror in this book, but it's a compelling story that NEEDS to be read, and a lesson that needs to be repeated again and again.
As Cassie's wise mother states, "Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else."
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Mildred Taylor has created a family that isn't the damn Cosby show. They are a simple unit, happy and content, but not unaware of what's going on around them. They are aware of the white pe
Wow. I read this when I was a kid but reading it now... it's a different experience. Every day I watch videos of white people, emboldened BY Trump's presidency, calling Black people niggers or telling minorities to go back where they came from... and while I was reading this, I just felt a quiet sort of rage.Mildred Taylor has created a family that isn't the damn Cosby show. They are a simple unit, happy and content, but not unaware of what's going on around them. They are aware of the white people around them, but not afraid of them.
Cassie is... a typical big mouth 9 year old. I love her character though... and she is the perfect narrator for this story.
I felt the strength from Cassie's mom, dad, and Uncle Hammer flow through me as I read this. I would never bow down to a white person... ever. And I'll be damned if I ever will. And my daughter, like Cassie, will follow on those footsteps.
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It is now 2020. Though I have little to no memory of this book, it was my opinion that it featured characters who were little more than cardboard-cut stereotypes and who did not respond realistically given their backgrounds and given the situations they were put in.
I can see how it might have an impact on some people - it only served to frustrate me deeply. It did make me do some serious research, and it encouraged me to want to find and promote better stories on the subject. So ye
Updated Notes:It is now 2020. Though I have little to no memory of this book, it was my opinion that it featured characters who were little more than cardboard-cut stereotypes and who did not respond realistically given their backgrounds and given the situations they were put in.
I can see how it might have an impact on some people - it only served to frustrate me deeply. It did make me do some serious research, and it encouraged me to want to find and promote better stories on the subject. So yes, I can definitely see the impact of this book, and I respect you if you feel it is a classic or such.
However, in today's world, it is my belief that we are able to go a little deeper than the surface on these issues - and we should! Let us never, EVER forget how horrendously POC were treated in our country throughout history. With so many amazing books in existence on this very subject, I choose to support ones that portray people who are realistically aware of the prejudice, hatred, and other horrors they are daily subjected to.
Those were, at the time of my reading, my views on this book. I'm not going to reread the book nor recant views my little senior-year self had on a children's book I felt devalued child intelligence as well as the intelligence of the POC portrayed in it. Perhaps this was an attempt to make it more understandable to children - but again, I feel it could've done so without talking down to kids who do not deserve to be talked down to.
Children are human, too, y'all, and they are capable of understanding such things. In fact, they'll probably surprise you with the mature simplicity of their thoughts on the subject!
But maybe I'm entirely wrong and every child I've working with over the years (as a teacher, a camp host, a PSW, an aunt) has just seemed capable of independent thought. *shrugs* But really, kids are #wickedsmart - let's not be devaluing them in what we offer them to read OR how we portray them in fiction.
Anyways. It's fine to keep posting comments. I don't mind. But wouldn't it be better if you put that energy toward, I don't know, spreading awareness somewhere that it will actually make a difference & isn't just conjecture on who I am? Also, the less you comment, the more quickly this review will fade into nonexistence. Just saying. ;-)
Love y'all regardless!
Original Review from My Reading for School in 2018:
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor should not be a book that anyone would want to read or enjoy by any stretch of the imagination. It's biggest - and perhaps only - positive is that it is truthful about the horrors of racism in the '30s, especially in the South. Great for historical research and for understanding and knowing how to prevent such a thing from happening again. Other than that, it has nothing to recommend it.
The characters are either annoying, stubborn, or racist. Cassie is not the kind of character I can stand behind. She is stupid! Why are children in fiction novels almost always dimwits? Do adults see all children like this? People … there's a difference between innocence and stupidity. I also very much doubt that even the most sheltering parents of all day - which Cassie's parents were not - could have kept Cassie from learning about racism when she is daily the subject of it.
The whole book basically plays out like so:
White people: *are racist and prejudiced and ignorant*
Cassie: Why would they do that? I can't believe they'd do that! I have absolutely no clue why anyone would behave like that. I'm just as good as them!
I am also mad at Cassie's parents for not bothering to properly equipping their daughter to live in the sad world she was born into. Or any of their younger children.
As I said before, the issues of racism which were brought up were the only good thing about this book. It was painfully honest about all the lynching, the social injustice, how terribly the African-Americans were treated, etc. Pretty scary. However, that doesn't override the fact that it just isn't a good story.
I think it's important for people to know about these kinds of things, to be well-informed so this kind of prejudice won't happen again & we can be careful of our own actions.
However, we shouldn't be required to read bad books to get one little message. I'm sure there are thousands of great books out there who deal with this exact same subject in a much more tasteful and interesting way.
And which have intelligent, informed characters. 'Cause if the character doesn't know what's going on, then I can't imagine some grade-school child reading this book will.
It's seriously a matter of this book just being too confusing and all-over-the-place (due to Cassie's narrative) to be useful to children - its intended audience. It's not worthwhile for an adult or teen, as there are better books out there for them, so its purpose is completely and utterly obliterated.
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"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" made the American Library Association most challenged book in 2002. Some cases where "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" was banned or challenged: **1993: A Louisiana high school removed it from its reading list because of "racial bias."Mar 24, 2014
This book is about family and the strong ties that bind them, as well as racism in America during the Great Depression. It takes place in M
What an important piece of work. You know it's worth reading when it's a Banned Book."Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" made the American Library Association most challenged book in 2002. Some cases where "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" was banned or challenged: **1993: A Louisiana high school removed it from its reading list because of "racial bias."Mar 24, 2014
This book is about family and the strong ties that bind them, as well as racism in America during the Great Depression. It takes place in Mississippi in 1933, only 68 years after slavery ended. The Narrator is a young black girl named Cassie, and it takes place throughout an entire year, as her family struggles with keeping their cotton farm, all while dealing with cruel and harsh treatment from white townsfolk.
This book won the Newberry Medal in 1976, and I know why. What an amazing book. The audiobook is so powerful_ i highly recommend it. Not only is the story vividly told, but the author herself discusses her life and experiences that molded this novel and it's truly inspiring. And awful. Twice I had to stop the audio and get up and do something else, because I couldn't handle the emotions I was feeling with it. Anger, sadness, embarrassment, disbelief, to name a few.
Anger by far was the most prevalent. A historical fiction novel this is... and isn't.... mainly on the historical part. This garbage is STILL going on, it's still prevalent in this world today and that's sickening. This story takes place in 1933, it was published in 1976, and here we are, in 2016, and this book hasn't dated at all. So sad.
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(During a conversation between Cassie and her mother after Cassie is treated horribly by Lillian Jean Simms and her father):
"I didn't say that Lillian Jean is better than you. I said Mr. Simms only thinks she is. In fact, he thinks she's better than Stacey or Little Man or Christopher-John--"
"Just 'cause she's his daughter?" I asked, beginning to think Mr. Simms was a bit touche
I loved this book! It's definitely a must read for everyone. Here are a couple of my favorite quotations from the book:(During a conversation between Cassie and her mother after Cassie is treated horribly by Lillian Jean Simms and her father):
"I didn't say that Lillian Jean is better than you. I said Mr. Simms only thinks she is. In fact, he thinks she's better than Stacey or Little Man or Christopher-John--"
"Just 'cause she's his daughter?" I asked, beginning to think Mr. Simms was a bit touched in the head.
"No, baby, because she's white."
Mama's hold tightened on mine, but I exclaimed, "Ah, shoot! White ain't nothin'!"
Mama's grip did not lessen. "It is something, Cassie. White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else."
Here's the other quote I really like:
(Uncle Hammer chastising Stacey after Stacey foolishly gives away his brand new coat)
"If you ain't got the brains of a flea to see that this T.J. fellow made a fool of you, then you'll never get anywhere in this world. It's tough out there, boy, and as long as there are people, there's gonna be somebody trying to take what you got and trying to drag you down. It's up to you whether you let them or not...If you want something and it's a good thing and you got it in the right way, you better hang on to it and don't let nobody talk you out of it. You care what a lot of useless people say 'bout you you'll never get anywhere..."
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Cassie Logan is only nine years old, but she is fierce, having been raised to have self-respect and dignity. She is fiercely loyal to her family members, which include her hardworking papa and schoolteacher mama, her grandma, and her three brothers. We all can learn from such a
Set in Mississippi during the Great Depression, this must-read book has excellent storytelling and still feels extremely relevant. The dialogue does not feel dated, and its theme of racism is sadly, still very much alive.Cassie Logan is only nine years old, but she is fierce, having been raised to have self-respect and dignity. She is fiercely loyal to her family members, which include her hardworking papa and schoolteacher mama, her grandma, and her three brothers. We all can learn from such a strong family. The author states she has written about her own family in this fictional story.
Cassie sadly learns about racism as she has her first encounters with injustice, bullying, and cruelty. During the same time frame, some men in the black community have been burned, leading to one death, while the police look the other way. Cassie fears for her family's safety.
The Logans are a strong, independent family, due to owning their farmland. This book is a story of the Logans' determination to hold onto their freedom in the form of land ownership, while taking a strong but peaceful stand against violent acts of racism. Their acts of peaceful civil disobedience are similar to the actions of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's.
Note:
The Mississippi state flag is now the only U.S. flag to include the Confederate battle flag's saltire.
I cannot help wondering what kind of equivalent book will be written about our era for the young people of tomorrow...
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is a beautifully narrated novel about racism, class distinction, friendship, pride, and love. This novel is told from the perspective of young Cassie Logan, a fourth-grade black girl, and its naïve and innocent voice encourages readers of all ages to question the nature of human cruelty and the universal subject of inequality. This is a coming-of-age, young-adult novel that illustrates th
This review was written for my young-adult literature class...Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is a beautifully narrated novel about racism, class distinction, friendship, pride, and love. This novel is told from the perspective of young Cassie Logan, a fourth-grade black girl, and its naïve and innocent voice encourages readers of all ages to question the nature of human cruelty and the universal subject of inequality. This is a coming-of-age, young-adult novel that illustrates the complexities of racial and social discrimination inside a community that depends on each of its members, regardless of racial or social status, to survive. Throughout the book, Mildred Taylor writes with a distinct style and uses setting and sound to symbolize the growing tension in her novel. The first half of her title, Roll of Thunder, also serves as a major motif throughout the novel. Taylor writes with a preoccupation for sounds and she develops the extended metaphor of the growing storm to emphasize tension in the community as well as the need for and the inevitability of relief.
In the beginning pages of the book, Cassie describes the Jefferson Davis County School, the school that the white children attend. The most noticeable detail in Cassie's description is the school's Confederate flag that flies above its American flag—showing that racism is very prominent in the community. In these opening pages, the setting is described as dry and hot. The story is still introducing its characters when the tension begins with the rumors of the burnings. The dust from the hot weather, in these opening chapters, dirties the children as they walk to and from school; but, this dust is light and undamaging—Little Man cleans himself of it before he even gets to school. However, the story gets more complex with the introduction of Papa and Mr. Morrison (whose voice was like "the roll of low thunder" (37)), and following the plot's increasing complexities is the increasing storm. When the rain first begins, it seems light and trivial, but very soon it comes down in torrents, turning all the dust to mud. The children are covered as they march to and from school and in their misery they intensify the community-tension by sabotaging the white children's bus. Big Ma speaks to Little Man about his concern for the mud, but she also provides a thread of hope amid the books overall theme of racial equality: " Lord, child, don't you know one day the sun'll shine again and you won't get muddy no more?" (45).
As the story continues, the storm also continues to grow. Although the story is increasingly more intense, there are moments of flux when both the plot and storm seem uncomfortably peaceful; however, each of these times proves to be the warmth and the peace before an even bigger storm erupts. At the very end of the story, the tension is at its peak. The electricity from the lightning fills the air as the Logan children accompany the injured T.J. back to his home. At this point the Wallaces drive up in a "crescendo of ugly hate" (254) that seems to echo the lightning and thunder, and soon it seems that the whole community is at war—ironic since many of the men fought together in the Civil War. T.J. is taken away, Papa leaves the house, and the field starts on fire; there is a frenzy of commotion and anxiety as Big Ma and Mama leave to save the land. The rain finally comes as a relief from the storm and the fire. The Logan children laugh joyously into the thundering night before heading to the fields where they find the entire community, regardless of race, working together to put out the fire. In perhaps the most poignant moment of the book, the community gathers together to work and to save what matters most to them. The book ends with pouring rain, which suggests that neither the literal storm nor the storm of inequality is over (as would the appearance of a rainbow for example); however, the rain suggests relief and hope. Survival and equality in the community is possible—they must work together amid the war. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a book that captures its readers through its emotional story and its captivating narrative. Mildred Taylor uncovers many issues regarding racial and societal inequality through her complex characters. Her novel is one that describes the harshness of reality, but it does so while providing hope for the future.
I loved this book. I read it in elementary school and remember weeping at the end. Reading it again I realize how many complex issues it discusses and how beautifully it is written. Cassie Logan is the most intriguing narrator. This book is a must read for children.
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All of us loved the story.
What a great story, set to the context of the segregated South. I read this to my kids and, as a half black man, I was proud to expose them to such an important segment of our history. I grew up largely in a white community, and now so do my kids. So to have a portal into the the American Negro past was truly a blessing. I'm proud to have an African-American descent and I want them to be as well, or at least gain awareness and a sense of solidarity with their forebears.All of us loved the story. LOVED the characters. Loved the Logan family! And oh, to know each one of them - Pa, Mama, Stacey, Cassie, Christopher John, Little Man, and Big Ma. Talk about personality! And talk about a family rich in love, frugality, industry, dignity (when it was hard to come by), and human goodness.
Mildred Taylor says in the forward of her book that although the story is fiction, it consisted of the stories she grew up listening to by fireside. So, yes, the story may have been fiction, but the stories it represented were not. It had all the elements of reality. This stuff happened. These people lived. And their lives are memorialized in this narrative.
And I love when stories have real-life complexity. Stories that highlight the many facets of human nature - the tender, the beautiful, all the way down to the tragic.
I highly recommend this book. And plan to revisit it again as a family.
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I'm enjoying this series more than I thought I would, though I didn't go into
This was written in the late 70s, about a black family in the early 1930s in the South, the mother of whom was fired for teaching her students about slavery which many people at that time could still remember in their own living memory, and here we are in the 2020s still debating if we should teach our history honestly or not, including all the good, bad, and ugly. (The answer is yes, btw, in case you weren't certain.)I'm enjoying this series more than I thought I would, though I didn't go into this with any expectations at all. The only book I knew of was this one and I'd never read it back when I was a kid. I can see why this won an award. Like the other books in this series, it approaches this volatile time of our history and the systemic racism that formerly enslaved African-Americans faced in trying to find that life, liberty and pursuit of hapoiness the Founding Fathers supposedly promised us all, but it does so in an approachable and non-preachy way. For being aimed at children, it addresses the heavy topics through the eyes of a child but it doesn't talk down to children.
Cassie can be infuriating at times, but I have to remind myself she's only 9, and any lack of understanding she has for the events going on around her and what her "place" in society is supposed to be aren't on her shoulders but on those of the adults around her. We see her fear and confusion, and understand more than her what is happening and why, but also because it's a child's eyes, we see how dumb a lot of this is too.
We need to do better. One day, if we do things right, people will read this book and shake their heads in wonder that things were ever like this, instead of shaking their heads in shame that things really haven't improved that much and are actually now taking big steps backwards in some parts of the country even as I type this. *sigh*
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Nine-year-old Cassie Logan is a fortunate young girl because her family owns their own land. In 1933 in Mississippi, this is a rare thing for a black family, and the other black families are sharecroppers, owing huge debts to the more powerful white farmers in the area. This helps keep the white-black power hierarchy of slavery times alive. The whites don't like the face that the Logans own their own land, because it makes them independent, which is a kind of power on its own.
Cassie is the second youngest of four kids, with her oldest brother Stacey beginning to transition into manhood, her next oldest brother Christopher-John the most timid of all, and her youngest brother Little Man not afraid to speak his mind, and a strong little mind he has. Cassie and her brothers live with their mother, Mary, and grandmother, Big Ma, and her father, David, spends most of the year in Texas working on railroads. The family grows cotton to help pay off the mortgage and taxes, while David's money buys things the family needs. Mary earns some extra income as well, teaching at the local school for blacks, where she spreads progressive values.
The Logan kids walk a mile to school every day in the short school year, which is based around the crop cycle. The white kids ride the bus to a separate school, and the bus driver takes special joy in tormenting the black kids that cross its path. This upsets Little Man, who prides himself on his cleanliness, when the bus sprays him with red dust from the road on his first day at school. Little Man is also upset when he and his classmates receive books for the first time, but they turn out to be ragged hand-me-downs from the white students. Little Man's teacher scolds him because she believes everyone should be happy with what they have, but the Logan family disagrees. It's a matter of equality and fairness.
Other important characters include T.J., Stacey's best friend. He likes attention and will do anything to get it, even though this gets him into big trouble. There is also Mr. Morrison, who Cassie's father brings from the railroads to live with the family because he got himself into some trouble. He's a very large and very kind man, and it's clear that Cassie's father, David, feels better having him there to protect the family from danger. The main antagonist is Harlan Granger, whose family used to own the land the Logans now own, and he wants to buy it back from them. When the Logans begin trying to shake up the white power, Granger does everything in his power to try to get them evicted. Cassie's Uncle Hammer stirs things up even more when he comes from Chicago to visit and shows off his brand new car. In Mississippi, blacks should know their place, but Uncle Hammer isn't afraid to flaunt what he has.
The story is told from the perspective of Cassie, in the first person, and it's clear to readers that she and her brothers are only beginning to realize the realities of racism that is an everyday source of fear for the adults. Cassie has a strong sense of fairness, and when she, Stacey, and T.J. are neglected by a white shopkeeper in favor of the white patrons, she speaks her mind without realizing the dangers of doing so. She doesn't understand why her grandmother won't back her up in another dispute with a white girl, either. She's expected to keep her mouth shut though it goes against her very nature. Worst of all, the law turns a blind eye to the crimes committed by whites against blacks. For example, everyone knows the Wallaces, another powerful white family in the community, burned two black men for supposedly flirting with a white woman, but nothing's done about it, and Cassie doesn't understand why. She has a sense that everything should be fair, but hasn't yet realized that the world she has grown up in is more fair to some than to others.
There are a couple of sympathetic whites in the novel. There's the boy, Jeremy Wallace, who tries to befriend the Logan children. He doesn't like the way his family treats blacks, but because he's a Wallace, the Logans are wary of his attempts to befriend them. The reader can't help but root for Jeremy, and it seems the story is about to head in a direction towards friendship when Stacey confesses to his father that he actually likes Jeremy and thinks he would be a good friend. His father, however, warns Stacey that good things rarely come from a relationship between a black and a white man. The white man, being in a position of power, will always think of himself as better than the black man, and one day the sweet and innocent Jeremy might think himself a man while he still regards Stacey as a boy. Pragmatism is more important for survival than romanticism.
The other sympathetic white man is Mr. Jamison, a lawyer who helps the Logans with their mortgage and other legal matters. He takes a big risk when he decides to help them shake up the racial power dynamics by backing the credit of the other blacks in the community so they can shop somewhere that they won't be held ransom to their debt. The Logans are reluctant to accept his offer, but find that they have no choice. It would seem that this black family must rely on a benevolent white man to improve the situation of their town, but things aren't so simple, and Mr. Jamison is not portrayed with the same reverence as Atticus Finch.
Most of all, this is a story for young teens. It's about a young teenage girl growing up in a harsh and unfair world, though still experiencing the same growing pains and life lessons as anybody else. Anybody can relate to this story, and it has an even deeper resonance because of this nation's history. It has a beautiful story, and its power is felt the strongest at its conclusion. While I agree that everybody should read To Kill A Mockingbird, I also believe the same is true of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It is a powerful, important, and enjoyable piece of American literature.
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Now, in my mid-20s, I can appreciate this gem for what it is. Besides the superb writing, the thing that stands out to me about this book is the theme of sacrifice as part of everyday life for Black folks in Depression-era Mississippi. Children taking turns getting new shoes, going without the comfort food you love so much in order
When I read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry twice in elementary school, I had no idea of the maturity of the themes and depth of the situations the Logans had to endure.Now, in my mid-20s, I can appreciate this gem for what it is. Besides the superb writing, the thing that stands out to me about this book is the theme of sacrifice as part of everyday life for Black folks in Depression-era Mississippi. Children taking turns getting new shoes, going without the comfort food you love so much in order to afford to keep the land, and, ultimately, endangering the thing you cherish most to save a life.
Taylor is unflinching in her portrayal of racism and it's heartbreaking to read about these children having to cope with constantly being dehumanized and endangered in the name of white supremacy.
This book is essential reading for folks of any age.
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Why did the civil war even have to happen
My feelings about the book haven't changed. I still loved all the members of the Logan family, probably even more than I did when I was 13 because I understand so much more. Being older and "wiser", I saw so much more of their strength and passion. I didn't remember Uncle Hammer and on this reading of the book he became one of my favorites.
I don't even remember which family friend gave me the book but now I see how cool and "on point" they were way back in 1977. This is one of those books I think everyone should read. I'm so glad I was given this book and that I kept it. I think it's one of the only books that I still have from when I was young. It came with me every where I moved and will remain with me, both figuratively and literally.
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White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else.From their love of the land to their love of one another and their fellow man, the Logans are a family that you need to spend time with. Highly recommended, even if (especially if) you've read it before. It's amazing to us that this book is forty years old. It's as powerful and relevant now as it was in 1976, perhaps even more so.
White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else.From their love of the land to their love of one another and their fellow man, the Logans are a family that you need to spend time with. Highly recommended, even if (especially if) you've read it before. ...more
"Just 'cause she's his daughter?" I asked, beginning to think Mr. Simms was a bit touched in the head.
"No, baby, because she's white."
Mamas's hold tightened on mine, but I exclaimed, "Ah, shoot! White ain't nothin'!"
Mama's grip did not lessen. "It is something, Cassie. White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody
"Just 'cause she's his daughter?" I asked, beginning to think Mr. Simms was a bit touched in the head.
"No, baby, because she's white."
Mamas's hold tightened on mine, but I exclaimed, "Ah, shoot! White ain't nothin'!"
Mama's grip did not lessen. "It is something, Cassie. White is something just like black is something. Everybody born on this earth is something and nobody, no matter what color, is better than anybody else." (PG. 127)
I was surprised at the power this book held over me while reading it. Mildred D. Taylor is a master storyteller. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird but with its own message of being a proud landowner and taking care of your community and its inhabitants, in this case the black community.
The story is told by Cassie, the second eldest of four children, and her misadventures. Her perceptions of the injustice in her community are told through her eyes. Her Papa is a man to behold. He commands respect because of his actions and understandings, not out of fear. I feel this book honored her father's memory because he died before the book went into publication. He was a big influence in her life and passed on these remarkable stories that would have been lost had he not shared his wisdom.
This is marketed as YA but I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good historical fiction story set in the South (United States) during the Depression. The United States has a lot of hidden history and horrible truths we have to uncover ourselves because schools sugarcoat the truth or just decide it shouldn't be taught just like the politicians holding back information from the taxpayers. If you don't ask questions and believe what you see or hear (esp on social media nowadays) how can you grow as a person and teach the future generations any better?
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Having just finished The Help for the 2nd time, I was already in a place to appreciate this book, and for the most part, I did appreciate it.
The Help takes place in the early 60's in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early stages of the Civil Rights movement. It's a very personal story about 3 women struggling with who they are, both in general and in the environment in which they live. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry takes place in the 30's just outside of Jackson, MS, and deals with a lo
3.5 starsHaving just finished The Help for the 2nd time, I was already in a place to appreciate this book, and for the most part, I did appreciate it.
The Help takes place in the early 60's in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early stages of the Civil Rights movement. It's a very personal story about 3 women struggling with who they are, both in general and in the environment in which they live. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry takes place in the 30's just outside of Jackson, MS, and deals with a lot of the same issues...
Roll of Thunder focuses on the Logan family and their land. Paul Edward Logan bought their land in two parts during hard times after the Civil War, and ever since, the man who used to own it has been trying to get it back in an effort to remake the South how it used to be. Things are not pleasant in 1930s Mississippi. There's a definite imbalance of power with white people having almost all of it, and black people having almost none. This story is about the Logans trying to make a change to that imbalance, even though it is a small one. It's also about finding ones identity, and taking pride in it regardless of what others think or say about you.
Mostly, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me, and it was brutal and thought provoking. But in a way, it fell short of my expectations. It never really moved me in the way I had hoped to be moved, and even the brutality and the shame and the hurt felt by the characters didn't really affect me in the way that I had hoped it would. I love nothing more than to be heartbroken by these kinds of books, to be left kind of empty and hurting... but I didn't feel that with this one.
Perhaps that is due to the fact that this was told in first person by Cassie Logan, who is 9. On the one hand, this worked in the book's favor because it allowed for a sort of innocence and naivete. Cassie doesn't understand the dichotomy of equality in the South. She thinks that the mistreatment and rudeness are due to forgetfulness and a "grownups vs kids" thing, or just a greediness, in the case of some. She blithely underestimates the fact of skin color in the equation. To her, the hate and the meanness aren't due to the fact that she is black and they are white, it's due to the fact that they just want what her family has (the land) and will do anything to get it back. Which is true, partially, but the fact that they are black gives them less legal ground to stand on, and makes the fight that much more dangerous.
But where I felt that the 1st person lacked was in the rest of the story. It worked well for the innocence and the idealism, but I didn't feel that the family or their neighbors or the story was all that well fleshed out. There were times when I read sections and didn't know how we got there. One minute Cassie is thinking that she needs to do something about the girl who was mean to her, and the next we're in the middle of a protracted plan of action, with no bridge getting us from there to here. This is Cassie's story, so I would expect to at least have a hint of her plans, but instead it felt like it lapsed into a different story for a bit there.
I also felt that some of the things that Cassie saw were unrealistic, and there was a kind of inconsistency regarding when the parents tried to shield her and the other kids and when they didn't or forgot that little ears might be listening. And to add to that, at times I felt that Cassie was kind of annoying in her demands and talkbackitude to be able to tell the story, and that kind of grated on my nerves. At 9, she was both intuitive enough to know when she'd get in trouble for something, but stubborn and oblivious enough to ignore the real potential danger of running off at the mouth... So Cassie heard, and thus told us, a lot more than I think she should have been able to realistically.
Finally, I thought that the ending was a bit of a letdown as well. There was no resolution about the land, or about the secondary plots. There's an ending, a realistic one, likely - but it's unsatisfying. Things come to a head, and then it just ends. This is part of a series, and that probably has a large part to play in the way the ending ended, but I just feel that there was a big something missing, and I'm not sure that I was invested enough in the story to continue on with the series.
I will give kudos to Taylor for telling as honest and brutal a story as she did, and for not softening the blows or the cruelty or the hatred for her readers. At least I didn't feel that she did. There was a palpable feeling of fear and anger throughout the story, as well as menace and a cruel calculation and manipulation on behalf of the men who have the power. A surety that they will win because the law is on their side. I thought that this aspect was very well done.
I am not sure if I will continue on with the series. But I am glad that I read this. It was good, and I feel like if I had read it in school or when I was younger, it would have had a huge impact on me. Reading it today, I can appreciate it for what it is, but I feel like it's missing the impact I wanted it to have.
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One of the most frustrating aspects of teaching to my students in 2020 (comprising of mainly white and Asian students) is that they genuinely believe we live in a post-racist world (fools!). Many genuinely believe "I have a Dream" was the beginning of the end of racism. So much of our culture is predicated on closet racism, micro-expressions, and re-labelling of racist policies
One of the better representations of systemic racism I can think of -- and bonus points for it not having a tidy ending!One of the most frustrating aspects of teaching to my students in 2020 (comprising of mainly white and Asian students) is that they genuinely believe we live in a post-racist world (fools!). Many genuinely believe "I have a Dream" was the beginning of the end of racism. So much of our culture is predicated on closet racism, micro-expressions, and re-labelling of racist policies to more palpable terminology (See: Michelle Alexander and her argument of prisons = slavery). Keep in mind that students also go through curricula that present racism as historical, meaning the students are never asked to openly question their own biases because it's treated as something that happened and not happening; therefore, it's understandably difficult for them to understand what the big deal is.
This is why Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is remarkable in its presentation. Setting aside the historical context, let's look at the content of the book: the characters don't explain what racism is, they show the myriad ways in which racism permeate the lives of the Logan family. Taylor doesn't have to say, "Black children are underprivileged and undermined because of the belief that they are inferior", she simply has to have one of her characters be deeply hurt and flabbergasted as to why he's receiving a book that is outdated, marked up, and has a list white children's names ending with "n--" at the bottom in which he should put his name. She doesn't have to explain coercive power by having the characters talk about how white men keep them in line by terrorising them, she simply needs to show a night of flashing car lights entering and leaving a driveway as a warning.
One of the keys to teaching, for me, is to refuse to tell my students what is important -- because they won't listen. Instead, I must present the evidence and force them to use their critical thinking to allow their conscious to decide. Exposure to the feeling state of oppression and repression, I believe, is the only way in which my students can learn what it feels like to be someone to whom they aren't, to experience what they likely will never experience, in order for them to look at others with more empathy -- and Taylor does just this, succinctly and with compassion. Taylor may have written about a year in the life of a Black family after the Reconstruction era but she wasn't just writing for them, she was writing for the rest of us who need to understand what it feels like to be Cassie Logan, who cries for a boy named TJ because he made the wrong choice out of the very human need to be respected and appreciated -- a choice he and those he represents will pay for with their lives.
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I'll mention two things that I particularly liked about Roll of Thunder, and one thing I didn't. First, I loved the strength of the Logan family members. They show this strength sometimes in resistance, sometimes in compassion, but always with hope that life will improve, and with an unshakeable commitment to everyone else in the family. I found this very inspiring, that each family member knows what his or her role is at any given time, fulfilling that role as best as they can.
Second, I like the ever-watchful, guardian role that nature plays throughout the story. The imagery is not heavy-handed, but Taylor indicates that the trees have a voice and are watchful over the events that transpire. The wind and the rain also play a part that's more than simply a background environment. This quiet emphasis on nature helps convey themes of change and tradition, things that are lost and things that persist.
What I didn't like about the book is the moments in which a character gives a speech that is, for my tastes, a little too precise and plain. Instead of letting the story show what Taylor wants us to learn from it (and the story is great at this), she sometimes has characters come right out and tell us what we should be learning--like when Mama explains racism to Cassie. I wanted the author to trust her story more--and I'm interested to see if Taylor became more comfortable with this as she continued to write about the Logans.
That criticism aside, however, I do love this book and recommend it highly. I look forward to reading the rest of the Logans series.
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Mildred Taylor has hit a home run with book. It is the recipient of numerous awards and deserves every one.
The characterization is excellent, not only of Cassie, but of her whole family and her friends, of the white people who target them and the few who support them. This is one of those books I can't believe I missed when I was growing up, but at least I can make sure my son reads it in a few years.
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I partially re-read this because Angie Thomas said it was one if her childhood faves and the Logan fam definitely reminds me of the Carters.
I think Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the best book title ever btw. I remember this
2018 re-read -- dang, it's just as amazing and addictive as when I read it the first time. This time around, I thought about all the ways in which things are still the same or how injustice has transformed. Cassie and her fam are so heartwarming and funny and I love them.I partially re-read this because Angie Thomas said it was one if her childhood faves and the Logan fam definitely reminds me of the Carters.
I think Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the best book title ever btw. I remember this book from 5th grade, but didn't read it until I was 24. It just stays with you and so does the story and the family and the setting and all of it.
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Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.
Many of her works are based on stories of her family t
Mildred DeLois Taylor is an African-American writer known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American families in the Deep South.Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.
Many of her works are based on stories of her family that she heard while growing up. She has stated that these anecdotes became very clear in her mind, and in fact, once she realized that adults talked about the past, "I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too ..." Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.
Taylor's most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1977, the book won the Newbery Medal. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the middle book, chronologically, in the Logans series that also includes titles such as The Land, Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Road to Memphis. Her collective contributions to children's literature resulted in her being awarded the inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.
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