Blackberries Are Red When Green

by Keith Frohreich

In less than a month in 1960 two murders traumatize the sleepy village of Adams Creek in Northcentral Indiana. Over the three years leading up to the murders, young Kurt Baumann’s world had been rocked by the loss of his dad, his best friend, and his precious dog, leading him to doubt the existence of God. A year after losing his father, a retired Pullman Porter, and a founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Dutch Clemons, moved into a small shack across the river from the small Baumann farm. Change colored the air. Kurt now had a new friend, a father figure, and a self-educated historian, who disrupted and enlivened Kurt’s segregated life with tales around the supper table, and while lolling the day away bass fishing down the riverbank. Sharing the farm with his mom and big brother, the family forged ahead on hard work, meager income, and the mother’s faith. Blackberries Are Red When Green is a story about coming-of-age, the slow arc of racial change, and a place time has forgotten.

261 pages, Paperback

Published March 13, 2019

About the author

Growing up, Keith Frohreich and his family eked out a lower-middle class living on a small farm abutting the Eel River. He learned the worth of work while he and his family supported themselves with a garden, orchard, dairy cows, an annual slaughter and an occasional bass or catfish. As he says, "We weren’t poor. We just never had any money."

He graduated from Logansport High School, home of the Berries. At the age of nineteen, nearing the end of a floundering first year of college, he ran away from school and joined Up With People. Keith performed with 150 young adults from around the world in this iconographic 1960s performance group and it's also where he met his wife, Pamela. This was all disturbed by the turbulent and life-threatening Vietnam Era when Keith received a draft letter from the U.S. government. Keith received an assignment in Frankfurt, Germany, which he considered a lucky seven and says, "My Herr Frohreich bloodline may have been a factor.”

After graduating from the USC, he worked in advertising for 25 years. Then, in the 1990s, he began writing a column for his hometown newspaper: the Logansport Pharos Tribune. In all they published 250 columns over a 14-year period. His first book, Angel Without Wings, a biography, was never published. The book’s focus, Marty Ravellette, a first cousin, was born without arms in 1939. His inspiring yet troubled life ended tragically in an auto accident before the book could be published.

In 2009, he published his nonfiction book Guy’s Guide to Domestic Engineering and created a handful of videos for his YouTube Channel. He then began focusing on non-profit and disaster-relief work with Team Rubicon and All Hands and Hearts, which took him to New Orleans, Nepal, Puerto Rico, Missouri, Texas, Atlantic City, Kauai and North Carolina over the next ten years.

Reviews

[Book Unicorn]

The synopsis promises a story of a young boy who befriends a stranger and their journey together. What it fails to mention is that the stranger is Black! ⠀
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And it makes all the difference. ⠀
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I plunged in to the story thinking it's 'Anne of Green Gable' - ish, all about a young boy's transition to adulthood surrounded by the tranquility of the rural life. But it turned out to be a sweet story about the black and white communities warming up to each other! ⠀
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Such books are a rarity. ⠀
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The book is also an immaculate portrayal of the rural farm life of early America. It's very elaborately detailed, everything from the Ole Steely the bridge on the cover ( btw I thought the bridge was cute. It reminds me of a sweet ancient granny) to those 'detestable' pies of Emma! ⠀
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One thing that shook me to the core was the level of the animal cruelty. *spoilers* At one point, the boys put a dying maggot infested cat in to a sack and throw it in the river & use it for target practicing 😨 Yeah I know! But 'that's just the nature of the farm life'. ⠀
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The other thing that intrigued me was their interest in education. Emma constantly placed importance on the boys' education and she bragged about her own good grades. Kurt was a boy genius. He won the entomology exhibition & took pride in his report card. Meanwhile his older brother was a college graduate. ⠀
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There's a lot of history relating to the Black community included in the book. They're all told as stories by Dutch to Kurt. If your head is hitting your history book two minutes in to studying, this book is an interesting way of learning all that. ⠀
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My feeling throughout the book was that, the author has lived through this whole experience. It sounds very real. ⠀
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It's an excellent read to those looking for something different! ⠀

[Teahnna]

I very much enjoyed reading "Blackberries Are Red When Green" and found myself getting so immersed in the characters, I became emotional at times throughout the book. This book is incredibly relatable! I also enjoyed the historical element and learning the ways of Northern Indiana. Though I come from a big city and a different era, I was moved and surprised at how easily the author was able to take me along on this journey. Be it related to Dutch and Kurt's friendship, the domestic violence in the home, or the way the book unfolds and the representation of "Goodness" in people (and also evil), it simply reminded me of some of my favorite old books and movies while keeping an original feel about it. Without spoiling it, there was a point towards the end of the book that I felt was profound, and left quite an impression on me! (As well as the main character for years to come.) I have goosebumps writing this review! Highly recommended!

[Selina]

‘The preacher waded in anyway, about waist deep, read something out of the bible and before dunking three people one by one said, ‘I baptise thee in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost’. I didn’t much care for one of those sinners, so it would have been fine by me if the preacher held him down longer.’

Kurt, the youngest of 3 boys, lives a solitary but full life on the family farm in sleepy Adam’s Creek.
One day, Dutch moves into town, and becomes a father figure, friend, history teacher and close confidant. He teaches him everything, from scat to jazz, religion, and race relations. Kurt gets a one on one, personal lesson in history and life from Dutch, detailing events he wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to as they’re unfolding.

About halfway in, the easy pace of the book quickens when murder, mystery and intrigue fall upon Adams Creek. At this point I was racing through to see what happened next.

The author really brings to life the time period, describing the routines of the household which are so foreign to us now. Things like bathing once a week, sharing a phone with five other families and waiting in anticipation all week to listen to a loved radio program. It’s got some great laugh out moments, and written thoughtfully and with wit. Parts of it reminded me a little of the stories my own grandparents used to tell me.

I struggled a little in the beginning, as it read more like a history book. I was also unfamiliar with the area and slang, so that was tricky.
However, when Kurt starts narrating the present day, I was engrossed in the story and learnt a lot.

This is ultimately a coming of age book about friendship, discovering our place in the world, figuring out what we believe in and which side of history to stand on.

Thanks to the author for a gifted copy of the book for review.

[Gentry Bronson]

Keith Frohreich's new book is a marvelous coming-of-age story based in north central Indiana in the late 50's and early 60's. It's a slow and easy read at first, as the young main character learns from retired Pullman Porter, Dutch, a quiet, wise African America man living out his days fishing. It reminded me of stories like "Fried Green Tomatoes", "A River Runs Through It" and "Stand By Me". A tale that is filled with nostalgia and Midwest charm bordering on Southern charm. if you're not from the Midwest U.S., this book will take you there. To a farm on the banks of the Eel River, where a mother's lessons are as important as those learned from playing under bridges, skipping rocks, milking cows and capturing dragonflies. I grew up Minnesota on a farm, and this book took me to a place both hard and easy, quiet but filled with the noises of a family struggling. But then, there is an electric switch that gets pulled, when Civil Rights collide with the KKK, and when death, murder and mystery fall on top of this quaint Indiana community. Then, it becomes Midwest Gothic to its core. Part historical fiction, part suspense story, this book led me to places I didn't expect and I was thrilled to reach them. An excellent read!

[Blue Reviews]

A powerful literary piece of fiction that is hypnotic enough to make you believe that it is real.
The coming of age novel filled with history is a rich experience and a beautiful journey brewed by the author.
The details, descriptions and writing style of Keith is outright strong and magnificent. With characters that are emotionally attachable and portrayal of main character's journey as it is coming of age novel, it grasps your heart slowly like a vail covers a wall
With Racism and other historical aspects the book is for MA. The author takes you back to 60s with pure perfection and engrossing details.
If I have to say one word for this book it would be "indelible" it will leave its mark on you.
I would give this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and recommend it to readers that want to read an important powerful coming of age story.

[Lainey Spencer]

Must Read

I could almost hear John Boy Walton narrating. The book took hold and wouldn't let go until it was done telling its stories. Of course, I was born in Logansport sixty-five years ago, and the story took place there. Only living there as a young child and having but a few memories of the city, I can still hear my parents talking about many of the places in the book. I have also made it a habit to return to Logansport when visiting relatives in Indiana, (I am now a Floridian yet Hoosier in heart) to get frozen custard at Sycamore and to ride the Carousel. Regardless of my reminiscing the story was wonderfully written. Needless to say I also learned a lot from Mr. Frohreich's research.

[Liz Flaherty]

Keith Frohreich grew up one county over from where I live. I worked in the county seat of "Clay" County, Indiana. Even though I know this book was a novel, it read like a memoir. Frohreich's writing has a quiet Hoosier sound to it that is both comfortable and convincing. I hope he writes more.

[Susan Perry]

Great historical story

Easy read, full of how life was growing up in the Midwest. Very good analogy of my home state! Thank you

[Annie]

I thoroughly enjoyed Blackberries Are Red When Green. This book starts with the main character as a grown man in the military and finding out a person from his past has died. It took about three pages for me to be completely immersed in the characters. This novel is a coming of age novel and racial tensions with a touch of murder and mystery to keep it exciting. I think anyone who enjoyed reading Fried Freen Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe would also enjoy this one. Both of my parents are from Indiana which made reading the slang in the book even more enjoyable 😊 Thank you so much Keith Frohreich for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!