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If Beale Street Could Talk
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Check link for latest rating. ( 78,007 ratings, 9,424 reviews)
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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?
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
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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.
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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.
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
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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