Title: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Author: Mildred D. Taylor
Series: Logan Family Saga, book 4
Major Themes: Racism, Family, 1930s, Mississippi
Synopsis: The gripping story of a black family in Mississippi in the 1930s, facing racism and working together to keep their land.
From the time I was a young child, Mom has read a wide variety of books aloud to our family. One book I have always vividly remembered is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I don’t know when we first read the story, exactly, but I’m fairly certain it was back in the time when Mom was still recording books for us to listen to on cassette tape. Parts of the book have stuck with me, and made me want to re-read it recently. This is a powerful story of a family working together and combatting racism while still trying to retain their dignity—and keep the peace, as much as possible.
Publisher’s description:
With the land to hold them together, nothing can tear the Logans apart.
Why is the land so important to Cassie’s family? It takes the events of one turbulent year—the year of the night riders and the burnings, the year a white girl humiliates Cassie in public simply because she’s black—to show Cassie that having a place of their own is the Logan family’s lifeblood. It is the land that gives the Logans their courage and pride—no matter how others may degrade them, the Logans possess something no one can take away.
My thoughts:
I remember Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry as a gripping, insightful look into the struggles and triumphs black families in the South faced in the 1930s while racism still had a firm hold on the minds and hearts of many people. As a young child, I couldn’t imagine the terror children like me faced so many years ago at the hands of people who should have been good neighbors—and I was also grateful that, though things might not be perfect for families these days, at least things have gotten better.
As an adult reading the story now, I saw a lot more nuances to the story—things I missed in my younger years. I was impressed by the family cohesiveness displayed here. The children were disobedient at times, yes, but despite the disruption and evil outside, their home was one of love and relative peace—with the adults actively working to protect the children from the worst of the horrors. I was also impressed by the way the racism side was handled—it was very matter-of-fact, and, where possible, details were vague—just clear enough that you get an idea of what happened, but not “in your face,” so to speak.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a heavy story. It’s also a well-written, gripping story, one that sticks with you for a long time. As you get to know Cassie and her family, you get to see the courage and determination of many, many black families in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. This book is a portrait of a time past, but many elements are still (sadly) relevant today. If you’re looking for well-written historical literature, but have never read this book, I’d highly recommend you check it out. It’s well worth the read.
WARNING: Shoot is used in ch. 1 (twice), 3, 4, 5 (three times), 6 (twice), 8 (three times), and 10; God’s name is used as “Lord, child”, “my Lord”, or something similar in ch. 3, 4 (three times), 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 (three times), and 12 (twice); “that devilish bus” is used in ch. 3; “them devilish night men” is used in ch. 3 and 7; “holy smokes” is used in ch. 3; “what the devil” is used in ch. 3, 4, 5 (twice), 7 (twice), and 11; “them ole devils” is used in ch. 4 and “that ole devil” is used in ch. 6; “land sakes” is used in ch. 4; doggone is used in ch. 6 (twice) and 8; confounded is used in ch. 6 (twice); “pray to God” is used in ch. 9; and “I swear” is used in ch. 9. There is lying in ch. 1, 3, 4 and 8.
Racism—and the violence of whites vs. blacks in the 1930s—is a main theme in this story. Several times, there are mentions of men badly burnt by white men who were angry at black people (this is described in ch. 2, and people see someone who was burnt in ch. 4). Someone tells of a person being tarred and feathered in ch. 4. A man tells about night men raiding, killing, and burning people in ch. 7, and explains how slaves were hand-picked and forced together to “breed” stronger slaves. A man is shot at and injured in ch. 9, and someone tells about hearing someone breaking men’s bones in retaliation. Someone tells about a break-in, stealing things, and people turn on someone, violently injuring them, in ch. 11. People witness white men raiding and hurting a black family in ch. 11, with intent to kill.
People pray for the soul of a man who died in ch. 2. Children are disobedient several times throughout the story—pretending to wear rain protection when told, but taking them off when their parents weren’t around (ch. 3), going somewhere their parents forbade them to go (ch. 4 and 5), etc. Sometimes, they were caught and punished; other times, they got away with it. People try to take revenge on others and destroy property in ch. 3. Boys punch each other and fight in ch. 4. People talk about young people getting into drinking in ch. 7. Someone smokes in ch. 7. To get revenge for something, a girl sweet-talks someone and then turns on them in ch. 8, and ends up beating someone up.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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