If Beale Street Could Talk
From one of the most important writers of the twentieth century comes a stunning love story about a young Black woman whose life is torn apart when her lover is wrongly accused of a crime—"a moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless" (The New York Times Book Review).
"One of the best books Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all." —The Philadelphia Inquirer
Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions—affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.
"One of the best books Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all." —The Philadelphia Inquirer
Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions—affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.
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Community Reviews
The ending left me furious and waiting for more. All in all this book is superb, definitely very skillfully composed especially the cliff hanger.
I read this beautiful novel in one day. Should be required reading for everyone.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2023 (prompt #37 - A book you should have read in high school)
#popsugarreadingchallenge2023 (prompt #37 - A book you should have read in high school)
Classic Baldwin story that could take place today. The pain and joys of a young love. Soul mates even. Baldwin story of community and family pulls at your heart strings.
Baldwin’s tender novel is both a time capsule of 1970s New York, and a mirror showing us how little progress “equally” has made when you are poor and Black: Police brutality, a corrupt justice system, being trapped in a system that eats you alive - Baldwin exposes all the cracks you can easily fall into. However, there is so much hope and so many points of light in the story. The love and acceptance of family, the support of people who love you, and knowing that the people who do care about you will move heaven and earth to get you free. Beautifully written.
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