Even though Sewing Annie Coats and her son, Gabriel, have managed to buy their freedom, their lives are still marked by constant struggle and sacrifice. Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, where the Coatses operate a tailor's shop and laundry, is supposed to be a "promised land" for former slaves but is effectively a frontier town, gritty and dangerous, with no laws protecting black people.
The remarkable emotional energy with which the Coatses wage their daily battles-as they negotiate with their former owner, as they assist escaped slaves en route to freedom, as they prepare for the encroaching war, and as they strive to love each other enough-is what propels STAND THE STORM and makes the novel's tragic denouement so devastating.
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About the Author:
Breena Clarke grew up in Washington, DC, and was educated at Webster College and Howard University. Her one previous novel, RIVER, CROSS MY HEART, was a selection of Oprah's Book Club and became an international bestseller.
From AudioFile:
Richard Allen has it all: the man carries a story as if it were a beloved child, sings as if his heart will break, and expresses emotion as if he invented it. In this novel he takes the Coats family from slavery to freedom and an uncertain future. His depictions of men and women are equally good, and his ability to interpret the author's directives is flawless. Allen is most amazing when he reads emotional passages. His depiction of freedman Gabriel's outrage at a new regulation that may enslave his daughters transports the listener to the very scene. And Allen's handling of death is so reverent the words almost go unnoticed. The story's shocking details and heartbreaking conclusion underscore the complex dimensions of slavery and the struggle for freedom. J.J.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 0316007048
- ISBN 13 9780316007047
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages336
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Rating