Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Juvenile fiction
Cassie, narrator of Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry, and her brothers, Stacey, Christopher John, and Little Man, are
growing up in a loving, close knit family. They're also luckier than
most of their peers, the children of sharecroppers. Their family owns
the land on which their home rests.
However, they're Black children growing up in the rural south
during the Depression. It's a time when few southern Whites would
recognize their worth or even humanity. And those whose pride lies in
their skin color do all they can to keep Blacks, even young children,
"in their place."
Microaggressions abound. Children who go to the White school
have a bus. The driver amuses them by speeding up to spray the
walking Black children with red clay dust or ditch water. The long
awaited textbooks the Black students get hand-me-downed from the White
school are battered and filthy. There's a heart breaking incident
when Cassie bumps into a White girl, Lillian Jean, whose father
insists she apologize. Sure her grandmother, Big Ma, will stick up
for her, she's stunned when:
"'I'm sorry, Miz Lillian Jean,' demanded Mr. Sims.
'Big Ma', I balked.
'Say it, child'."
There are much more sinister events taking place. Night Riders
terrorize the Black community. When three members of a Black family
are set on fire by the owners of a local store nothing is done about it.
Taylor's wonderful ability to think and write in the voice of a
child will have younger readers seeing the world through Cassie's eyes
and sharing in her experiences. This fine narrative will also touch
the hearts and minds of parents, maybe setting the stage for important
family discussions.
On a purrrsonal note, I hope you had a good weekend. I did. Eugene
went hunting all day with his brother Saturday. Then today he was
over in Winterport. I got plenty of statistics studying done. I've
almost completed Assignment 3. (Assignment 1 won't be due til October
23. Can't accuse me of waiting til the last minute.) I started an
exercise program for the 3rd time since the pandemic hit. (Before I
didn't have to because I had an active life.) I walked both days.
Saturday temps went into the 70s. I could open the windows, much to
Tobago's delight. Saturday night was a thunder storm. Tobago was
terrified. Sunday I went to zoom church. Connie told people about my
completing my 10th gallon at the Red Cross. People were impressed.
After the service we were randomly put in small group chat rooms.
(Now I know what a chat room is.) My group had a very lively
discussion. I had a lot to say.
Tomorrow is Indigenous People's Day. Please, if you enjoy a day off,
contemplate all they have suffered and the need for reparations.
(Jules)
Thunder hurts my delicate ears. It is much too loud. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to the indiginous peoples of our nation.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


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