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If Beale Street Could Talk

By James Baldwin
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin is a powerful love story set in 1970s Harlem. It follows the poignant journey of Tish, a young woman engaged to Fonny, an artist who has been unjustly imprisoned. The narrative explores themes of love, justice, and the strength of family as Tish fights to clear Fonny's name and secure their future against societal challenges.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you appreciate powerful narratives that explore themes of love, injustice, and resilience. Set in Harlem, the story sensitively examines the trials faced by an African American couple in a society filled with prejudice. Its deeply emotional and lyrical prose captures the strength of family and the enduring spirit of hope.

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If Beale Street Could Talk

Tish is nineteen, and pregnant. Her lover Fonny, father of her child, is in jail accused of rape. The two families struggle win justice for Fonny.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

We are in Harlem, the black soul of New York City, in the era of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. The narrator of James Baldwin's novel is Tish, nineteen, and pregnant. Her lover, Fonny, father of her child, is in jail accused of rape. Flashbacks from their love affair are woven into the compelling struggle of two families to win justice for Fonny.

To this love story, If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin brings a spare and impassioned intensity, charging it with universal resonance and power.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk is praised for its portrayal of familial love and the nuanced, often neglected, relationships within a family. It explores the vastness and depth of black life and love, challenging the reduction of the black experience to racial injustice. The novel's writing is described as truth-telling and soul-stirring, reflecting Baldwin's moral and prophetic vision, solidifying his status as an essential novelist.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780140187977

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 September 1994

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 11.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 147g

Pages: 192

Collections

Featured Fiction General Fiction James Baldwin Literary Fiction New Release Fiction New Zealand's Best Selling Books Penguin Books Penguin Classics Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Born in Harlem in 1924, Baldwin had an early career as a teenage preacher. He lived in Paris from 1948-1956 and his first novels, the autobiographical GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN and GIOVANNI'S ROOM established him as a promising novelist and anticipated some of the themes of his later works, such as racism and sexuality. He became a prominent spokesperson for racial equality, especially during the civil rights movement. He lived in France during his last years. Baldwin died in 1987.

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