"You see that fig tree over yonder, Cassie? Them other tress all around...that oak and walnut, they're a lot bigger and they take up more room and give so much shade they almost overshadow that little ole fig. But that fig tree's got roots that run deep, and it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut. It keeps on blooming, bearing good fruit year after year, knowing all the time it'll never get as big as them other trees. Just keeps on growing and doing what it gotta do. It don't give up. It give up, it'll die. There's a lesson to be learned from that little tree, Cassie girl, 'cause we're like it. We keep doing what we gotta, and we don't give up. We can't."
-David (Papa) Logan, from the novel
Since my first reading of this novel it has remained at the top of my favorites list. I have probably read it at least 6-8 times. Why? I read it aloud to my fifth grade students for a number of years, usually during Black History Month (February) to illustrate the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and celebrate the accomplishments of black leaders such as MLK Jr. I never got tired of it and came to feel a very close connection to the Logan family. I have read all the other novels in the series, most more than once, and love them all.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is considered Young Adult literature and suggested for middle school age. I maintain the story is compelling enough for adults. It remains to be seen what our book club will think. I have resisted the book's inclusion on our reading list for 10 years because I thought my feelings would be hurt if others didn't like it. Guess I better just get over it!
Ms. Taylor's descriptive powers are great and she develops her characters beautifully. For example, protagonist narrator Cassie Logan is a feisty 3rd grader with a quick temper and an amusing dry wit. Mary and David Logan are wise and loving parents to Cassie and brothers Stacy, Christopher John and Clayton Chester, called "Little Man." The beginning quote serves to illustrate a bit of Papa's philosophy.
I have so many favorite parts of this novel---mostly episodes where the Logans find subtle ways to exact revenge on the hateful, bigoted white folks who threaten and mistreat them. The reader must stomach the ugliness of racial discrimination and violence in the plot in order to be touched by themes of family love and loyalty, personal dignity, courage and the all-encompassing importance of the land.
This copy of the novel gave me new insight since it is a 25th Anniversary edition and includes a Foreword from the author written in 2001 in which she shares some of her inspiration and purpose and reveals her feelings about efforts to ban the book in some locales.
My rating for Roll of Thunder: 5, higher if it were allowed! It is easy to see why this book and others of the Logan family saga have won multiple awards for distinguished literature. I am ready now to work my way through the sequels (and prequels)!
More after the Page Turners meet....
----------------------------
The group's rating is 3.8, with mostly ratings of 3 or 4, so as a whole, the group did not love the book as much as I do. I confessed much of my affection for the book may be a result of my having taught children near the Logan kids' ages for a long time.
For discussion we used generic questions for fiction from LitLovers and a few others from SparkNotes. The conversation was enlightening, as always, centered mostly around the characters. When we got around to discussing what befalls T. J. Avery near the end of the book, I mentioned he goes to trial in Let the Circle Be Unbroken but would not reveal the outcome. They will have to read it; no spoilers from me.
One member had a special 40th anniversary edition of the book which included a Logan family tree and photos of the author's real family, many of whom "became" characters in her novels. I WILL be ordering one for my collection!
I told the group I have long wished Oprah Winfrey would produce a film adaptation. Now that I have said it, I think I will follow up with an email and see what happens!
No comments:
Post a Comment