What people are saying about: The Book of Harlan and three chances to win a copy for FREE

Christie Egeston1 hr · 
Listen Linda. It's been a minute since I've read a book that had me choosing between going to bed on time or struggling the morning after because I stayed up reading. Second only to Toni Morrison, Bernice L. McFadden is a beast of a writer. Only she could write about jazz musicians, concentration camps, black lives matter, and racial passing in one book and it all fit together

Christie P rated it it was amazingThe Book of Harlan was everything! Bernice McFadden's ability to tell a story across generations and provide a real life history lesson is nothing short of amazing. There were parts that were clearly fiction, but the way she weaved historically figures into the story had me questioning several times if these things might have really happened. There really isn't any area she didn't touch on; the struggles of brown people over the years, the Great Migration, passing (with a twist), PTSD, past and current police brutality, and I could go on. As the story of Lizard unfolded, I gasped out loud. As the story of John Smith and Harlan's latter years unfolded, I gasped again at the comparisons of what happened in the novel and what has happened to countless black males over the last few years. I thought of a statement Toni Morrison made after Henry Dumas's death and imagine my surprise turing a few pages further and seeing mention of Henry Dumas in The Book of Harlan. At the end of the novel all I had left was "OH MY GOD!" Excellent book!

Flashette rated it it was amazingShelves: 2015-reads




The Book of Harlan is an excellent book that chronicles the life of the title character: from his humble birth in Macon, Ga to his upbringing in Harlem, NY and beyond. It also provides a picture of life in a WWII concentration camp and how challenging circumstances can make us stronger. I was on an emotional roller coaster while reading this book and when I finished, I was ready to take another ride. Read this book...it is one of the best books I've ever read. It will have you thinking about the characters long after the last word has been read. (less)

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Bernice L. McFadden