The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel
The Sleeping Night is a wonderful story set in the south in the years surrounding World War II. Angel Corey is a beautiful young girl being raised by her father in a small Texas town. As the white proprietor of the general store on the black side of town, Parker Corey's best friend is a black man, Jordan High. The two had served in the first World War together. Angel's best friend is Isaiah, Jordan's son. They play and read and help out around the store. When Jordan is lynched and murdered, the pair begins to see what life may hold for them.
The story revolves around letters written during the war when Isaiah enlists in the Army and is sent to fight in Europe. Some letters are mailed and others are not. We watch their love bloom through their words. When the war ends and Isaiah returns to town, their troubles begin. Parker dies and the town views a white woman alone as unacceptable.
There are many flashbacks in this novel. I often found it hard to keep track of what time period the characters were in at the present, the changes happened so rapidly. The story begins in the future, after many years have past. I actually found the story of the White and Black book club very intriguing and would have wanted more about them. However it was only a vehicle to stage the rest of the story. The author did a wonderful job of making sure I felt the heat, humidity, rain and mud in the steamy Texas town. The tension of segregation mounted with each and every change in the weather.
I enjoyed reading The Sleeping Night. Sometimes we need to take a step back and remember where we came from. History is often painful but we need to be reminded of it so it is never repeated. Angel and Isaiah told their story from the heart. A story that needed to be told.
The Sleeping Night is a wonderful story set in the south in the years surrounding World War II. Angel Corey is a beautiful young girl being raised by her father in a small Texas town. As the white proprietor of the general store on the black side of town, Parker Corey's best friend is a black man, Jordan High. The two had served in the first World War together. Angel's best friend is Isaiah, Jordan's son. They play and read and help out around the store. When Jordan is lynched and murdered, the pair begins to see what life may hold for them.
The story revolves around letters written during the war when Isaiah enlists in the Army and is sent to fight in Europe. Some letters are mailed and others are not. We watch their love bloom through their words. When the war ends and Isaiah returns to town, their troubles begin. Parker dies and the town views a white woman alone as unacceptable.
There are many flashbacks in this novel. I often found it hard to keep track of what time period the characters were in at the present, the changes happened so rapidly. The story begins in the future, after many years have past. I actually found the story of the White and Black book club very intriguing and would have wanted more about them. However it was only a vehicle to stage the rest of the story. The author did a wonderful job of making sure I felt the heat, humidity, rain and mud in the steamy Texas town. The tension of segregation mounted with each and every change in the weather.
I enjoyed reading The Sleeping Night. Sometimes we need to take a step back and remember where we came from. History is often painful but we need to be reminded of it so it is never repeated. Angel and Isaiah told their story from the heart. A story that needed to be told.
No comments:
Post a Comment