Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Bluehen Books
Release Date: September 26, 2002
ISBN:
0399149201
Awards:
Format Reviewed: Hardcover
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Genre: Historical Fiction / African American Related
Reviewed: 2003
Reviewer: Sharon Hudson
Reviewer Notes:

This Side of the Sky
By Elyse Singleton  

     This Side of the Sky is a beautiful story of two life long friends, Myraleen and Lilian, who grew up in Nadir, Mississippi and went on to see and experience the world. Sometimes tragic, yet always poignant, Ms. Singleton’s novel is an enthralling read. The time period of this novel spans over 70 years: from the 1930s when the girls lived with the constant reminder that the color of their skin precluded them from reaching the highest heights, to the year 2000, when color is a hue on one spectrum.

     It took a good 50 pages to draw me into the characters. Many times Myraleen and Lilian looked at the same situation from different perspectives. I found it amazing how captivating their friendship was. It endured a lifetime with hardly a disagreement or regret. Ms. Singleton’s research made This Side of the Sky come to life. The historical accuracy of the plight of African-American’s during periods of social change in our country kept the characters fresh, and my enthusiasm to read was intensified. The social aspects of their relationships with others made reading multidimensional. I even received an education, learning that there was a far greater contingent of African women who served as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps in World War II than I imagined. Rising from seemingly hopeless childhoods to become well-rounded, well-traveled, well-versed ladies who enjoyed their lives, This Side of the Sky drew me in and kept me until the end.

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