Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
A Review By: SS
Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning masterpiece with an introduction written and read by Jacqueline Woodson, just in time for its 40th anniversary!
Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie's story - Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2004
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): Lynne Thigpen, Jacqueline Woodson
This story does a superb job of depicting what life was like for many African American families in the 1930’s as readers follow the life of young Cassie Logan as she comes to understand what her family must endure in order to maintain/keep their land in racist, rural Mississippi. Readers will find themselves captivated as the story is told from Cassie’s innocent perspective. The characters are well-developed and the storyline is extremely relevant in today’s society.
I particularly liked how this complex story tells of this family’s trauma through the eyes of such a young child. It makes readers understand how traumatic events can effect children who are forced to live through them.
Lynne Thigpen did an outstanding job narrating this novel with the perfect diction.
Would you recommend this book?: Yes
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss, Physical abuse/violence
