" We arose in the early-morning darkness, greeting each other with Christmas wishes, but the words were hollow, without feeling, and before we tended to anything else, we gathered before the fire in a circle as we did each Christmas morning and sang "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" It was a song of family of love, of loss; we all felt it deeply. Then we fell to our knees, hands still clasped, and prayed, each of us in our turn, for Stacey and Moe's safe return."
-from the novel
I am not sure how many times I've read this novel---not as many as Song of the Trees and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, others in the series by Taylor, that's for sure. I was inspired to reread it by the Country Music TV documentary series by Ken Burns which aired recently. The gospel hymn, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" was prominently featured.
I enjoy Ms. Taylor's writing so much and feel as if I know her fictional Logan family, some characters apparently based on the author's own family members. I especially love Cassie Logan, the feisty little narrator, about 11 years old in this sequel. Mama and Papa Logan are very special, too, seemingly near-perfect parents.
Of course the Logans are protagonists in this novel but the new characters added include union organizers, an elderly neighbor who is determined to register to vote and a cousin of Mama's who shows up with a biracial daughter. (He had married a white woman while living up north.) Of course many of the same antagonists show their ugly racist faces, along with a few new ones.
When oldest son, Stacey, runs away to work in the cane fields in Louisiana, the family is frantic. Many side plots make a compelling story in Let the Circle Be Unbroken. Once again I rate it a 5 and will, no doubt, reread The Road to Memphis soon!
[To see more of my thoughts look for my post of the same title on 12/13/16.]
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