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    Crow
    Unavailable
    Crow
    Unavailable
    Crow
    Audiobook7 hours

    Crow

    Written by Barbara Wright

    Narrated by JD Jackson

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The summer of 1898 is filled with ups and downs for 11-year-old Moses. He's growing apart from his best friend, his superstitious Boo-Nanny butts heads constantly with his pragmatic, educated father, and his mother is reeling from the discovery of a family secret. Yet there are good times, too. He's teaching his grandmother how to read. For the first time she's sharing stories about her life as a slave. And his father and his friends are finally getting the respect and positions of power they've earned in the Wilmington, North Carolina, community. But not everyone is happy with the political changes at play and some will do anything, including a violent plot against the government, to maintain the status quo.

    One generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community-enfranchised and emancipated-suddenly and violently loses its freedom in turn of the century North Carolina when a group of local politicians stages the only successful coup d'etat in US history.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 9, 2013
    ISBN9780804123945
    Unavailable
    Crow
    Author

    Barbara Wright

    Barbara Wright, a novelist and screenwriter, lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

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    Reviews for Crow

    4/5

    49 ratings8 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Moses Thomas is a 12-yaer-old black boy living in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. In these few years, post Civil War, the South is in the Reconstruction phase, trying to figure out how blacks and whites will live together. There has been progress. Moses' father is an elected city alderman. One of his friends' father owns a successful business.The book begins with a light, sometimes funny tone, as Moses tells about events of his life with his family and friends. But the ominous overtones of racism creep further and further in, until all humor is gone. The book recounts, as good historical fiction usually does, a real tale through the eyes of a fictional character. In 1898 Wilmington underwent a riot/massacre, when hundreds of frightened white men joined into a mob, killing some blacks, burning the homes and businesses of others, and running many more out of town. Moses witnesses much of this and relates the events through the eyes of a boy on the cusp of becoming a young adult.Excellent writing. I'm surprised this one didn't win a few awards.
    • 5/5
      A compelling read about a black boy in 1898 on the eve of a race riot in Wilmington, North Carolina. The days of slavery are only a generation past. Members of the black community face hated, lynching, and the constant daily threat of intimidation. The story of Moses, the young son of a prominent member of the black community, is beautifully and movingly told. As an approaching election brings racial tension to a boil, Moses discovers what it means to be a man. The themes and language of the book make this a novel for 8th grade and above: lynching, rape, the life of slaves. The author also uses the word "nigger," which will make it a difficult read for some teenagers--or at least, difficult for their parents.
    • 4/5
      This fictional account of the Wilmington Massacre is an emotionally difficult book to read, especially as the white mob mentality begins challenging and destroying the blacks' lives, homes and businesses. Moses lives with his Boo Nanny and parents (mother is a house maid, father writes for the black newspaper). He is a typical boy, hanging out with friends, splashing in the creek, etc., but his educated father wants more for him, to be strong in his convictions and pursue his schooling. Moses doesn't fully understand why, but he does enjoy school. What his father had not prepared him for was dealing with prejudice. In this regard, Moses grows up far too quickly. Powerful and literary.
    • 3/5
      I didn't love this book as much I'd hoped to. I felt like the author was writing a story about adults for adults but decided for some reason to stick a child protagonist in the middle of it. There were lots of details and implied storylines that went over the main character's head. I found this distracting and annoying.
    • 4/5
      Outstanding historical fiction about a little-known race riot in Wilmington, North Carolina at the turn of the century with vividly drawn characters and setting. A powerful portrait of racism.
    • 5/5
      Growing up in the predominantly black community of Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898 just one generation removed from slavery, 11-year-old Moses doesn't quite understand how unusual his town and life is. His father is college-educated and works for the only African American daily newspaper in the country, and the town itself has more African American officials than white ones. But over the summer, Moses’ family and community begin to fall apart as racial tension grows, finally escalating into the brutal and devastating Wilmington Massacre. Historical fact, scenes of action and adventure, and realistic relationships between Moses and his friends and family combine to create a compelling read about an event in American history that few know about. Moses’ voice is especially captivating, and will keep even struggling readers turning the pages. A family secret that leaves Moses’ mother questioning her parentage and several graphic stories from Moses’ grandmother’s slave life should be taken into consideration when assigning this book to readers. Highly recommended for grades 7-9.
    • 5/5
      This may be difficult reading for some kids. It doesn't beat around the bush concerning the treatment of African-Americans at the turn of the century. Although the main characters are ficticious, the historical background of the race riots in Wilmington North Carolina in 1898. Told from the point of view or the newspaper writer's son, it makes very clear what fear can do to people. In this case the fear of blacks. I wouldn't recommend this below 5th grade.
    • 4/5
      Grade 7-12. Set in 1898, this novel follows the fictional character, Moses, as he navigates his childhood in post-slavery Wilmington, North Carolina. Moses and his family live in the black middle-class, and the story is told from his eleven-year-old perspective. Although he understands the conflicts between wealthy and middle class, and between black and white, these conflicts do not come immediately to the forefront. However, when an editorial in the newspaper for which Moses' father writes causes significant backlash, Moses begins to realize just how real racial tension is in his town. Throughout the course of the novel, readers track Moses' transformation from a naive child into a socially-informed young man with strong convictions and a personal connection to the violence in his town. Although the publisher indicates that this book is for readers grade 5-8, it may be more appropriate for older young adult readers due to references to lynching, rape, and general violence. In some ways, the subject and tone of the story feel reminiscent of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Overall, "Crow" offers readers a cast of memorable characters, a touching story, and a thoughtful glimpse into this period of American history. Recommended.