Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry is part of a series by Mildred D. Taylor about the
Logan family’s struggle against prejudice and racism in the South following the
Civil War during the time of Jim Crow laws. In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry the family is struggling, as are many,
during the Great Depression. Pa works on the railroad, away from the family for
most of the year, Ma works as a school teacher, and Big Ma (grandma) helps run
the farm. The four children attend an all-Black school where they must walk
miles in the rain, mud, etc. to get to school instead of riding a bus as the
white children do. The nine-year-old girl, Cassie, is the main protagonist. She
is upset by all that is happening around her, which often leads her into trouble.
The story is born out of the author’s families tales and lives, Taylor states
[b]y the fireside in our northern home or in the South…I
learned a history not then written in books but one passed from generation to
generation…a history of great-grandparents and of slavery and of the days
following slavery: of those who lived still not free, yet who would not let
their spirits be enslaved (viii).
The story has an important message to tell with well-written characters and a well-established setting.
Taylor creates a world where the reader
is transported back to the South during the Great Depression, to a time of sharecroppers/tenant farmers and cotton fields.
Times were tough for everyone and life
was especially hard for African-Americans. One caution, Taylor uses the language of the times, which makes for a
realistic world but can offend many who do not understand. This book provides
insight into a world that was harsh and
explains many reasons for prejudice which still exists today. Unlike Hidden Figures,
this book does not have a particularly happy ending. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is not a feel-good book or showing
that you can overcome prejudice, it shows the harsh realities of the world as
they were and are.
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| Mildred D. Taylor |
Taylor’s storytelling is great; however, the
ending comes suddenly with an unexpected twist. This book follows the family’s
life as the struggle to keep their land and refuses
to be bullied by the local white land owners. The book has a good structure with a good solid introduction to
the characters, even though the storyline is a bit slow. The content of the
book is worthwhile, just not a book that I prefer. The books main struggle and
climax do not occur until the last few chapters. This adds intrigue but after reading
so much that was going well for the family the end is depressing, as was the
time this book was set. The end showed hope until the last few lines where you
see that it does not turn out as it should have. I enjoyed reading the book and
know the reality and that the ending is very realistic but was not sucked into
the story until the last two chapters when most of the action happened.
Overall, this book is a good read for those seeking to know more about the past
but should be read with caution to younger readers.
Book Website: http://www.rollofthunderbook.com/
References
Taylor, M. D. (1976). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Bantam Books. New York.
Book Image from Goodreads. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1371876.Roll_of_Thunder_Hear_My_Cry
Image of Mildred D. Taylor from goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26946.Mildred_D_Taylor
For a review of Hidden Figures see http://aprillibraian.blogspot.com/2017/02/hidden-figures-by-margot-lee-shetterly.html
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