What do you think?
Rate this book
Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History
Paperback. An American Book Award finalist - six true stories of freedom, featuring slaves who escaped via the Underground Railroad, a blues singer, a black cowboy who became one with the wild horses.
147 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1972
About the author
Julius Lester
124 books186 followersJulius Lester was an American writer of books for children and adults. He was an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 17, 2013
VIGNETTES OF HUMAN SUFFERING AND NATIONAL SHAME
Julius Lester has written 6 stories about the Black struggle for personal and political freedom--an innate desire in all mankind.
His style is direct and engaging; readers immediately understand and sympathize with the motivation and emotions of the various protagonists, suffering their setbacks and sharing their dreams.
Highly readable this anthology presents a diverse group of settings and eras, all bound together by the natural wish for freedom of movement and the search for personal dignity.
SATAN ON MY TRACK is party biographical, the story of a blues guitar player, who rides the rails and refuses to put down roots.
LOUIS is also biographical, detailing the events of escape via the Road--the Underground Railroad, that is. BEN explores the difficult relations between races when slaves are raised almost as one of the family. The narrator, surprisingly, is a personable and fair white man, who may have to choose between an abhorent institution and the woman who is his heart's desire.
THE MAN WHO WAS A HORSE describes the quiet patience of a Black cowboy, who actually brought in an entire herd of wild mustang singlehandedly. WHEN FREEDOM CAME studies the fate of the suddenly emancipated slaves and how they handled this unknown
social condition. LONG JOURNEY HOME is as patchwork of diverse
facts about slavery, recounted by an unnamed narrator to his young grandchildren, who are skeptical about tales of the old slave days. The ending is based on an actual account of a mass escape attempt. The ensemble effect will cause readers to marvel at the tenacity of one race to be free, and the audacity of another race to treat human beings as mere property. Lester has deftly interwoven Literature, History and Morality in one slender volume, for all ages.
(June 17, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
Julius Lester has written 6 stories about the Black struggle for personal and political freedom--an innate desire in all mankind.
His style is direct and engaging; readers immediately understand and sympathize with the motivation and emotions of the various protagonists, suffering their setbacks and sharing their dreams.
Highly readable this anthology presents a diverse group of settings and eras, all bound together by the natural wish for freedom of movement and the search for personal dignity.
SATAN ON MY TRACK is party biographical, the story of a blues guitar player, who rides the rails and refuses to put down roots.
LOUIS is also biographical, detailing the events of escape via the Road--the Underground Railroad, that is. BEN explores the difficult relations between races when slaves are raised almost as one of the family. The narrator, surprisingly, is a personable and fair white man, who may have to choose between an abhorent institution and the woman who is his heart's desire.
THE MAN WHO WAS A HORSE describes the quiet patience of a Black cowboy, who actually brought in an entire herd of wild mustang singlehandedly. WHEN FREEDOM CAME studies the fate of the suddenly emancipated slaves and how they handled this unknown
social condition. LONG JOURNEY HOME is as patchwork of diverse
facts about slavery, recounted by an unnamed narrator to his young grandchildren, who are skeptical about tales of the old slave days. The ending is based on an actual account of a mass escape attempt. The ensemble effect will cause readers to marvel at the tenacity of one race to be free, and the audacity of another race to treat human beings as mere property. Lester has deftly interwoven Literature, History and Morality in one slender volume, for all ages.
(June 17, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
December 15, 2022
The long journey home
The troubling circumstances that the lives of many lives have come to in the united states past have created these disgustful but real stories of Black history in the united states during the times of enslavement. Through pain and misfortune that these poor lived created the vivid retelling of stories in “Long Journey Home” by Julius Lester. From the very start with the tales of a blues artist morning the loss of his home, family, mentor, and love, to the end wrapping up all the stories and making sure they are never forgotten. The long journey these characters went through sheds light upon the long journey that our society has gone through. As we look back upon the tragic history of our nation we must remember these vignettes of black and white Americans and the journeys they took. The long journey home is a timescale to look back and to remember the olden days, and make sure those days never come back.
My personal favorite vignette was Louis, a young man who was preparing to be sent off and sold by his captors but ended up defacing the odds and escaping. He went, traveling through the underground railroad. This was a great story to remember the dangerous times that the black American slaves had to go through and how dangerous it was to escape. Through it, all the stories of Louis and the stories all together shared the central theme of freedom, and that idea of freedom is what we need to remember today. The long journey home was a great book filled with emotion and heartbreak. I highly recommend this book to everyone seeking a glimpse of what life was like in the southern united states during the enslavement times.
The troubling circumstances that the lives of many lives have come to in the united states past have created these disgustful but real stories of Black history in the united states during the times of enslavement. Through pain and misfortune that these poor lived created the vivid retelling of stories in “Long Journey Home” by Julius Lester. From the very start with the tales of a blues artist morning the loss of his home, family, mentor, and love, to the end wrapping up all the stories and making sure they are never forgotten. The long journey these characters went through sheds light upon the long journey that our society has gone through. As we look back upon the tragic history of our nation we must remember these vignettes of black and white Americans and the journeys they took. The long journey home is a timescale to look back and to remember the olden days, and make sure those days never come back.
My personal favorite vignette was Louis, a young man who was preparing to be sent off and sold by his captors but ended up defacing the odds and escaping. He went, traveling through the underground railroad. This was a great story to remember the dangerous times that the black American slaves had to go through and how dangerous it was to escape. Through it, all the stories of Louis and the stories all together shared the central theme of freedom, and that idea of freedom is what we need to remember today. The long journey home was a great book filled with emotion and heartbreak. I highly recommend this book to everyone seeking a glimpse of what life was like in the southern united states during the enslavement times.
May 6, 2024
I hadn't planned on reviewing this book originally, but as I was reading Divergent Realms I kept on thinking back to "Long Journey Home".
In this anthology of short stories about the lives of enslaved Black Americans near the end of slavery, or just after its end, there is always the underlying darkness of, well, slavery. But what I found interesting was that the outcomes were never overwhelmingly miserable or despairing (with one exception). Usually the endings are hopeful, and at their worst (again, with one exception) they are melancholic, despite the theme. At first, I wasn't quite sure I liked that - I usually like my short stories to be like a sucker punch, leaving you breathless and in a state of shock. But that doesn't match what this book is going for, and I don't think it needed to meet with my usual taste in short stories. Just like Divergent Realms, there is the feeling that this wasn't meant to speak to me, that I am somewhat of an outside observer to the dialogue taking place between author and audience. And just as I said for Divergent Realms, that's great. That's a new experience, a new understanding.
If you can get this book, give it a go. It's not long, and it hits just right, even if you are just listening in the conversation.
In this anthology of short stories about the lives of enslaved Black Americans near the end of slavery, or just after its end, there is always the underlying darkness of, well, slavery. But what I found interesting was that the outcomes were never overwhelmingly miserable or despairing (with one exception). Usually the endings are hopeful, and at their worst (again, with one exception) they are melancholic, despite the theme. At first, I wasn't quite sure I liked that - I usually like my short stories to be like a sucker punch, leaving you breathless and in a state of shock. But that doesn't match what this book is going for, and I don't think it needed to meet with my usual taste in short stories. Just like Divergent Realms, there is the feeling that this wasn't meant to speak to me, that I am somewhat of an outside observer to the dialogue taking place between author and audience. And just as I said for Divergent Realms, that's great. That's a new experience, a new understanding.
If you can get this book, give it a go. It's not long, and it hits just right, even if you are just listening in the conversation.
March 30, 2019
This is a book of different short stories based on real stories from the time of slavery in the USA. They were very emotional but told in a rather factual rather than emotive language.
The stories were all easy reads but some were more upsetting than others. There were no overly graphic descriptions of beatings which was a positive from a reading point of view but could be said to have glossed over reality.
A nice varied selection of stories telling different tales about slaves and their lives as slaves and after being freed.
The stories were all easy reads but some were more upsetting than others. There were no overly graphic descriptions of beatings which was a positive from a reading point of view but could be said to have glossed over reality.
A nice varied selection of stories telling different tales about slaves and their lives as slaves and after being freed.
January 26, 2020
Excellent collection of short stories
August 17, 2021
It's not really a book read for entertainment but a intriguing collection of stories that describe the experiences of a time in history we ought to be in shame for allowing. Great read.
April 21, 2016
Long Journey Home, the Author of my book is named Julius Lester. This book is a bunch of little short stories. I like this book because it shows a little bit of history. Like what black people had to go through to get there freedom. I've noticed that in each story that the main conflict is that slaves running away, and trying to get to Canada. Without trying to get caught by there slaveholders on the way. The main characters in the are Louis, Ben, and Rambler. Ben, Rambler, and Louis's stories have something in common though. What makes there stories in common in that all three of them are runaway's, trying to get to Canada. They all had to take the same trail, the underground railroad. I would recommend this book to people who like history, because this book shows that what slaves had to go through to get their freedom.
February 7, 2017
found this bk in a thrift store some time ago. should have read it then & not waited.
its a simply written bk for pre-teens, but a very powerful emotional one. didn't realize until I was ready to read it that all 6 stories are true. Courageous & inspiring ppl who were slaves (1 was a former slave).
its a simply written bk for pre-teens, but a very powerful emotional one. didn't realize until I was ready to read it that all 6 stories are true. Courageous & inspiring ppl who were slaves (1 was a former slave).
August 25, 2015
This book contains six fictionalized stories of true events in the lives of people formerly enslaved in the United States. Some of the formerly enslaved people escaped from slavery by running away from their masters and some were freed after the Civil War.
This book was intended for middle school readers, but the storytelling is sophisticated enough to hold the attention of adults.
“Enjoyed” may be the wrong word to describe how I felt about reading these stories, but I am glad I read this book.
This book was intended for middle school readers, but the storytelling is sophisticated enough to hold the attention of adults.
“Enjoyed” may be the wrong word to describe how I felt about reading these stories, but I am glad I read this book.
March 11, 2023
Rereading this collection of short stories made me appreciate it even more. Lester's simple structure allows the reader to explore challenging questions. What might spark a person to yearn for freedom?What does freedom mean as we live our lives? What do our spirits require as we live as free people?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews