Let the Circle Be Unbroken and read this book!!
Written: May 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great story
Cons: dialect takes awhile to learn to read
The Bottom Line: Great look at a sad time of our history. But Cassie and her family face it with pride. Read the review for study/discussion questions.
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| jnbmoore's Full Review: Mildred D. Taylor - Let the Circle Be Unbroken |
Wandering around a garage sale I came upon Let the Circle Be Unbroken which is the sequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I had never read the first book but this looked like an interesting story so I figured for 50 cents I could give it a try.
I wasn't disappointed. This book started out as a bathroom book -- but that was taking too much time so I spent an afternoon on the couch and just lost myself in the depression era Mississippi. I think the folks who gave this book an award:
Coretta Scott King Award
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Book in the Field of Social Studies
each made a strong choice when Let the Circle was chosen.
Plot
The story is written in first person from the viewpoint of Cassie Logan. Cassie's family is better off than most of their other black neighbors in the Mississippi town -- her parent's aren't sharecroppers. They actually own their land. But that does protect them from racist attacks from their neighbors. The story starts off with Cassie's oldest brother's best friend's murder trial. The evidence points to two white boys that he was with -- but it's an all white jury. Any guesses to the verdict?
Cassie's cousin Suzella comes and stays with them for a few months. Normally she lives in New York with her black dad and white mom. In New York her mom passes her off as Italian -- but according to Mississippi State laws she's black. The local main white trouble making teen finds out that she's black after trying to befriend her things get rather humiliating for her dad.
An older neighbor of Cassie's decides it's time for her to vote. Her dad voted (and nearly got lynched). So Cassie and her mom helps her study for the poll test and go with her as moral support when she registers -- in the middle of a riot.
There' are also problems with the cotton crops. Welcome to the first few years of government subsidies for not planting a whole crop. Folks growing fine cotton had to plow it under. Organizers come in from the North and try to start a black and white union -- opposed by the landowners. Can black and white farmers unite to save their livelihood and homes.
Life isn't easy for Cassie. With her brother running off to work in the cane fields and learning from her dad what happens when you gamble -- Cassie lives life as a normal kid with a strong family in a hard situation.
Writing
Mildred D. Taylor is a great storyteller. You really feel like you are living Cassie's life. I'll have to admit that it did take a chapter or two to get up to speed in reading the book. I'm usually a very fast reader -- but since the dialogues are written in dialect I was slowed down until I learned how to read the dialect. Then I could just hear the well-written speech written as I read.
An example of one of the dialects is as follows:
"I'm gonna do this thing. I know don't none of y'all like the idea, but that's too bad. Now, I knows what could happen, but I jus' gotta do it. Gotta stand up once in this life, and that's jus'what I'm gonna do."
One thing that shows Ms. Taylor's skill as a writer is that different characters speak with slightly different dialects. Cassie's mom is rather well educated and speaks more standard English than some of the poorer educated neighbors (white or black).
Offensive Content
includes spoilers
Both the words n1gger and cracker were used to describe the two main racial groups.
Parents that are trying to raise color-blind children may be uncomfortable with the lecture Cassie's dad gives Cassie that white boys only want one thing from black girls. Both of Cassie's parents were strong supporters of separation of the races -- they really wanted not much to do with white folks (which is understandable the way they were treated)
There is talk of one of Cassie's classmates getting pregnant by one of the white landowner's sons.
To get even with Suzella for making them think she was white, two of the landowner's sons make her father strip on the side of the road.
Recommendation
According to the book cover, this book is recommended for children ten and up. I would probably say if you or your child is sensitive; I'd wait until age 12 or 13 to read. I DO STRONGLY recommend this book. It's a great look into a part of history that as American's we shouldn't be proud of but did happen.
For teachers and homeschoolers, I would recommend doing this book in connection with a unit on To Kill a Mockingbird. Both have many of the same themes.
For a well-written book with sobering themes and historical accuracy, I highly endorse Let the Circle Be Unbroken. My next step though is to find the first book that it is a sequel too.
Discussion Questions includes spoilers
After your child reads this book, here is a list of questions that might spark discussion between you and your child:
1) Did TJ get a fair trial? Do you think things like this still happen today?
2) Why was Cassie's dad so dead set against her playing marbles?
3) What race was Suzella? Why?
4) Do you think it was right for the government to make the farmers plow under their crops? Why or why not?
5) Black men got burned to death for talking to white women. Why was it okay for Stuart Walker to get Jacey Peter pregnant and not help?
6) Why do you think the union failed? Why were the white farmers so scared of joining with the black farmers? Why were the black farmers not trusting of the white farmers?
7) Why did Uncle Hammer burn Jeremy's picture? Do you think he did the right thing?
8) Why did Cousin Bud allow himself to be humiliated? What else could he have done and what would have been the consequences of that action?
9) If Stacey hadn't done anything wrong, why was he in jail?
10) Why didn't Cassie's mom want her son working for white folks? Do people still have that attitude today?
11) What requirements did Mrs. Lee Annie have to meet to vote? What requirements do we have to meet to vote today? Why did Mrs. Lee Annie really want to vote? Why don't more people vote today when they can easily?
12) Have people changed in the past 70 years? Why or why not?
Recommended:
Yes
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