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Publisher:
Bluehen Books |
Release
Date: September 26, 2002 |
ISBN:
0399149201 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Hardcover |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Historical Fiction / African American Related |
Reviewed:
2003 |
Reviewer:
Sharon Hudson |
Reviewer
Notes: |
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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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