Friendship and the Gold Cadillac

by Mildred D. Taylor

Four children witness a confrontation between an elderly black man and a white storekeeper in rural Mississippi in the 1930s; and two black girls living in the North are proud of their family's beautiful new Cadillac until they take it on a visit to the South and encounter racial prejudice for the first time.Two stories tell about the black experience in the South, through the eyes of two black families, one from the North, the other from the South

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Mildred DeLois Taylor is an African-American writer known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American families in the Deep South.

Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.

Many of her works are based on stories of her family that she heard while growing up. She has stated that these anecdotes became very clear in her mind, and in fact, once she realized that adults talked about the past, "I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too ..." Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.

Taylor's most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1977, the book won the Newbery Medal. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the middle book, chronologically, in the Logans series that also includes titles such as The Land, Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Road to Memphis. Her collective contributions to children's literature resulted in her being awarded the inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.

Reviews

[Hillari Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this when I was in fourth (or so) grade. These two stories, along with Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, are so very important and they tell the horrific truth about the injustices within this country.

I started this book as a read aloud with my students, and unfortunately we didn't get very far before we "closed down" due to COVID-19. Instead, I took it home to finish it myself as a reminder of Taylor's magical writing, and her knack for capturing the important moments in history that we all need to hold onto.

Mildred D. Taylor, and her incredible stories, should be experienced by ALL students.

[Susy C. *MotherLambReads* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I asked him why the policemen had treated him the way they had, and why people didn’t want us to eat in the restaurants or drink from water fountains or sleep in the hotels. I told him I just didn’t understand all that.”


Finished our summer read aloud. Good thing it was short. Two short stories taken from the author’s childhood. Two stories of bravery and courage that these African American kids demonstrate. I will never really understand how it must have felt but I can try and involve my kids in that process.


“I wouldn’t soon forget the signs, the policemen, or my fear.”

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a collection of two short-ish stories by Mildred Taylor, author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. "The Friendship" features characters from that book, while "The Gold Cadillac" does not. But both stories are based in some way on true events from Taylor's life or the lives of family members.

In both stories, we see through the eyes of a girl how an adult decides to act in a way that does not quite fit in with the culturally prescribed expectations for black people, choosing to take a stand in their own way against the white supremacist views they're surrounded by. Both stories are sobering in their own way, but also well developed for their length.

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As two short stories about young girls interacting with a world they don't fully understand go this was delightful.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 1 out of 5]

87 pages While both stories have interesting characters with settings in small town Mississippi and a Northern city the author portrays her family as being victims of white prejudice. Although author’s portrayal of fictionalized family memoirs is interesting it is definitely propagandistic in tone. Revealing peek at the times where the author seems unable to see the prejudice of some whites towards other whites (for instance demeaning attitudes of older more powerful white man towards younger white men as well as to black men). Also interesting is the point that a black man in the northern city was prosperous enough to buy a fancy car of that era when many white people could not. Thus as social and historical commentary it is a bit flawed as it only considers the situation of those in her own circles. The black and white illustrations have definite gloomy feel to them perhaps in keeping with the bitterness of the characters.

[Kathryn Mcilwraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains two stories. Before starting "The Friendship," remind yourself that the setting is Mississippi in 1933, and Mildred Taylor is an author known for addressing the hard topic of racism without hiding the historical facts. Some characters in this book are extremely racist; through the lens of our 2025 culture, their words and actions are almost unfathomable.

"The Gold Cadillac" is set in the 1950s. The dialogue and plot are not quite as heavy or offensive, but racism is still prevalent.

In both of these stories, those rude, racist characters are obviously the "bad guys." Taylor is historically accurate in how she portrays life in the deep south in the 1930s and 1950s, but her writing does not condone racism. She explains through her characters that racism is based in "stupidity and ignorance" (page 81). Taylor shows us that we should not hide what happened in the past, but we can acknowledge that some beliefs and actions in our nation's history were wrong.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mildred D. Taylor's writing is so powerful! These two short stories, one from the South and the other from the North, brilliantly capture the discrimination, disrespect, fear and frustration our African American brothers and sisters endured not so long ago. Her stories help me understand how destructive racism is. Never forget the past, but be open to the hope that change is possible.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that helps to show the effects of racism in America. For children of all ages to better understand the perspective of Black Americans. Great discussion book for children and adults alike.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good short stories providing insight into segregation. Written from children perspective.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really two novellas about racism from a child's point of view. Both really excellent without being too dark or overwhelming.

[Shanley Mahsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are two short stories about racism in America told from a child's point of view.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two short stories with two different settings... 1930's Mississippi and 1950's Toledo. Both are based on Mildred Taylor's family stories and both are powerful.