Module 5: Zora and Me

Hello, I'm Richard Nicholas Nimz, prospector of the written word and literary explorer extraordinaire. Well, now I can be more in keeping with my blog's title and talk about more obscure awards, like the Coretta Scott King book awards. These are a family of awards and honors dedicated to Black authors and illustrators who honor black culture and universal values. The list of honorees is a list of books I had never read by people I had never heard of, including one that I read which does not particularly make me want to read any more (although this is probably due to taste and not quality). This book is Zora and Me, written by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon, recipients of the John Steptoe Award for New Talent (one of the Coretta Scott King Awards).

Citation: Bond, Victoria & Simon, T.R. (2010).  Zora and Me. Sommerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Summary: The narrator of the book is a childhood friend of future authoress Zora Neale Hurston, who at that point in her life is a storyteller whose imagination knows no bounds. When a local woman falls into a swimming hole, Zora declares the culprit to be a man who can transform into an alligator. When an itinerant black man is murdered on the train tracks, though, the truth is much more mundane. Zora and her two friends endeavor to get to the bottom of the matter, even as tensions mount between their small black town and the nearby white city.

Impressions: I didn't like it. Racism is not a favorite topic of mine, and the main character is one of those oppressed blythe spirits whom the author obviously admires that I've come to abhor. Both of those opinions, however, are my personal opinions, so I don't doubt that there are people who will disagree with me on that point. I'll admit that it's a good book to include if you want to talk about history at your library.  I, however, wasn't engaged by either of those two matters, so I wound up slogging through what was a pretty decent story (though don't expect to guess who the murderer is).

Another thing, more controversial than my other complaints, comes from how the races are treated. Yes, I know that my own white race was responsible for visiting a score of troubles on other innocent people based on race. That's why I don't like reading books where white characters are either the bad guy or the token good guy whose part-time job is to shill the chosen minority (although, to my relief, white people don't really show up). My last big gripe about the book is that one of the characters, a woman of mixed race named Gold, is given such a hard time by most of the black townsfolk (though not the leads) for trying to fit in among white people (for rejecting her own culture).  While a much more justified reason for disliking her shows up, that earlier part didn't give me any reason to sympathize with the black townsfolk (there is no justification for their treatment of her that'll change my mind), and even now I'd rather be reading about her rather than the actual protagonists.

Dissenting opinion: This comes courtesy of June Weltman, a writer for the Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union. To quote:

     "Zora and Me" is the fictional creation of two new writers. They have used the early upbringing of the celebrated African-American novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston to weave a mystery that will capture young readers...This is the kind of story that lingers with a certain gentleness toward some of life's harsh realities. It would be a good book for summer reading and family discussion."

I know that people will disagree with me about this book, and that's fine. Just let me disagree in peace.  Better yet, if you can, find me something by black authors that I might like.  African-American authors could use more publicity.

Sources:

Weltman, June (11 Jun, 2011).  Book review: Fiction: 'Zora and Me' offers life lessons in imagined youth of author Zora Neale Hurston | jacksonville.com. The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved from http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/literature/2011-06-12/story/book-review-fiction-zora-and-me-offers-life-lessons