Language
Status
Available
Call number
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2015)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2016)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2016)
Concorde Book Award (Shortlist — 2017)
James Cook Teen Book Award (Honor Book — 2015)
Historical Novel Society Editors' Choice (Children/Young Adult)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2015)
Description
Historical Fiction. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily. Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept "separate but equal." Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it..… (more)
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
As soon as you hear the premise of lesbians of different races falling in love during desegregation, you know that Lies We Tell Ourselves is going to be really fluffy and hilarious. NOT. Basically, it’s very obvious that Robin
Never in my life have I encountered so many racial slurs. Actually, I hadn’t heard a lot of the racial slurs in Lies We Tell Ourselves before. They’re really everywhere. I’m not the sort of person who’s bothered by swearing; in fact, I love well-deployed profanity, and I don’t tend to notice its use in fiction. This? I noticed. Racial slurs do upset me, precisely because of all of this history weighted behind them. Nothing about the way these words are leveraged by the characters in Lies We Tell Ourselves is okay. Robin Talley took a risk with this language, and I have no doubt the book will be challenged because of it, but she’s presenting an accurate portrayal of the time and there is no doubt that the message of the book is tolerance. All of this is to say that if you’re sensitive to such language to the degree you won’t be able to handle the book, I want you to be aware.
Much like when I read Rose Under Fire, I didn’t cry while reading the actual book, but now sitting here and trying to put my thoughts and feelings into words, the tears are trying to come. Everything that Sarah Dunbar and the other inaugural black students at Jefferson High School went through wrenches my heart. The racial slurs are honestly the best of it. There’s violence, spitting, sexual harassment, and the way the white students avoid being anywhere near the black ones without violence intended. The white kids skirt the black ones like they’re carrying some sort of disease. The way that Sarah and the others had to just calmly take this abuse, since they would be punished for stepping the slightest toe out of line, breaks my heart.
Talley alternates between the perspectives of two senior girls: Sarah Dunbar, a black integrator, and Linda Hairston, the daughter of one of the most vocal anti-integrationists. Linda’s character is, of course, initially infuriating. I wanted to slap her silly much of the time. However, her perspective is so necessary, because you can see in her the way that inculcated ideas really do stick. Linda’s been raised with her father’s propaganda. Even when Sarah’s shooting her racist ideas down with logic over and over, it’s so hard for her to recognize that what she’s been taught since birth is a lie. The lies come so much more easily than the truth, as the chapter headings suggest (I love those chapter headings a lot). Lies We Tell Ourselves shows that change can and will come, but that we have to work for it everyday. It’s empowering and inspiring, on top of being made of pain.
The lesbian aspect actually isn’t all that overpowering. I love that it’s there of course, but the book is a historical story more than a romance. Lies We Tell Ourselves is not ABOUT the romance. What I love best about this is the way that Sarah and sometimes Linda will lose their train of thought staring at the other girl. There’s a real physical attraction and lustfulness in these girls, even though they don’t really understand the feelings they’re experiencing.
Those of you who know me well are probably aware that religion tends to annoy me in fiction. I’m glad for anything that helps other people be better people and feel better about themselves, but I don’t want it in my life or in my fiction if it’s going to preach to me. Lies We Tell Ourselves is full of prayer and hymns and references to God, but it never rubbed me the wrong way. Christianity is a huge part of these girl’s lives and definitely impacts their interactions with race and sexuality. I think part of why it works so well is the way Sarah is turning to the Bible to try to understand and making her own choices. Lies We Tell Ourselves is very much about doing what is right for you and not just following along with the larger community’s traditions blindly.
My only reservation with regards to Lies We Tell Ourselves is that my emotions were more due to the historical realities than to the characters themselves. Sarah’s wonderful and Linda improves vastly, but they never became real to me. Both felt rather distant from me. More importantly, their narrative voices sounded really similar. They weren’t hard to tell apart initially, but became more indistinguishable as Linda came to believe what Sarah does. Had the characterization been stronger, I would have been bawling through this whole book, even though I’m not a big crier, but I just wasn’t.
So yeah, if you are into historical fiction that doesn’t flinch away from the painful realities or want to sugarcoat anything, then Robin Talley’s debut is for you. If you’re someone inclined to cry at books, then you should probably have some tissues at the ready.
As soon as you hear the premise of lesbians of different races falling in love during desegregation, you know that Lies We Tell Ourselves is going to be really fluffy and hilarious. NOT. Basically, it’s very obvious that Robin
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Talley has prepared a soul-punching. Lies We Tell Ourselves definitely hurt on more of a soul level than just a heart level. It’s one of those books that reminds you of the darkness in human nature and the horrible atrocities that humans commit towards one another for the worst reasons imaginable, though there aren’t really any good reasons to treat others this way in the first place. Robin Talley’s debut is one I’d recommend particularly to readers of Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity and Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray.Never in my life have I encountered so many racial slurs. Actually, I hadn’t heard a lot of the racial slurs in Lies We Tell Ourselves before. They’re really everywhere. I’m not the sort of person who’s bothered by swearing; in fact, I love well-deployed profanity, and I don’t tend to notice its use in fiction. This? I noticed. Racial slurs do upset me, precisely because of all of this history weighted behind them. Nothing about the way these words are leveraged by the characters in Lies We Tell Ourselves is okay. Robin Talley took a risk with this language, and I have no doubt the book will be challenged because of it, but she’s presenting an accurate portrayal of the time and there is no doubt that the message of the book is tolerance. All of this is to say that if you’re sensitive to such language to the degree you won’t be able to handle the book, I want you to be aware.
Much like when I read Rose Under Fire, I didn’t cry while reading the actual book, but now sitting here and trying to put my thoughts and feelings into words, the tears are trying to come. Everything that Sarah Dunbar and the other inaugural black students at Jefferson High School went through wrenches my heart. The racial slurs are honestly the best of it. There’s violence, spitting, sexual harassment, and the way the white students avoid being anywhere near the black ones without violence intended. The white kids skirt the black ones like they’re carrying some sort of disease. The way that Sarah and the others had to just calmly take this abuse, since they would be punished for stepping the slightest toe out of line, breaks my heart.
Talley alternates between the perspectives of two senior girls: Sarah Dunbar, a black integrator, and Linda Hairston, the daughter of one of the most vocal anti-integrationists. Linda’s character is, of course, initially infuriating. I wanted to slap her silly much of the time. However, her perspective is so necessary, because you can see in her the way that inculcated ideas really do stick. Linda’s been raised with her father’s propaganda. Even when Sarah’s shooting her racist ideas down with logic over and over, it’s so hard for her to recognize that what she’s been taught since birth is a lie. The lies come so much more easily than the truth, as the chapter headings suggest (I love those chapter headings a lot). Lies We Tell Ourselves shows that change can and will come, but that we have to work for it everyday. It’s empowering and inspiring, on top of being made of pain.
The lesbian aspect actually isn’t all that overpowering. I love that it’s there of course, but the book is a historical story more than a romance. Lies We Tell Ourselves is not ABOUT the romance. What I love best about this is the way that Sarah and sometimes Linda will lose their train of thought staring at the other girl. There’s a real physical attraction and lustfulness in these girls, even though they don’t really understand the feelings they’re experiencing.
Those of you who know me well are probably aware that religion tends to annoy me in fiction. I’m glad for anything that helps other people be better people and feel better about themselves, but I don’t want it in my life or in my fiction if it’s going to preach to me. Lies We Tell Ourselves is full of prayer and hymns and references to God, but it never rubbed me the wrong way. Christianity is a huge part of these girl’s lives and definitely impacts their interactions with race and sexuality. I think part of why it works so well is the way Sarah is turning to the Bible to try to understand and making her own choices. Lies We Tell Ourselves is very much about doing what is right for you and not just following along with the larger community’s traditions blindly.
My only reservation with regards to Lies We Tell Ourselves is that my emotions were more due to the historical realities than to the characters themselves. Sarah’s wonderful and Linda improves vastly, but they never became real to me. Both felt rather distant from me. More importantly, their narrative voices sounded really similar. They weren’t hard to tell apart initially, but became more indistinguishable as Linda came to believe what Sarah does. Had the characterization been stronger, I would have been bawling through this whole book, even though I’m not a big crier, but I just wasn’t.
So yeah, if you are into historical fiction that doesn’t flinch away from the painful realities or want to sugarcoat anything, then Robin Talley’s debut is for you. If you’re someone inclined to cry at books, then you should probably have some tissues at the ready.
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LibraryThing member BelleBooks117
originally posted on bellesbeautifulbooks.blogspot.com
The Short:
This was a very well done book. I don't think I have every read a book from the Civil Rights era, and I am glad that I did. After reading Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, which is about the times of slavery, I was very interested to
The Long:
The setting of this book was in Virginia in the Civil Rights era. Since Virginia is considered a southern state, the racism was horrendously obvious. From the first time the black students stepped foot on the school grounds they were treated like scum. Very little changed from the start of the year to the end in that aspect, but it still got somewhat better.
The characters seemed like real people who lived in the time period, and I loved learning more and more about them. They were so full with all of their quirks, and I loved it.
The LGBT aspect in this book was very interesting because it was not a normal thing during the time period. Most everyone focused on the mistreatment of blacks, but it was not until recently that LGBT equality became a real issue. The people did not understand what was going on with them, and decided that they were going to hell for it. That just about broke my heart when they casted THEMSELVES off as lesser for being gay. It was overall a very well done aspect of the book.
The story was wonderful. I really liked it. It was very well timed, and never seemed to drag on. Having said that, I felt that this book was missing something. I again can't describe what it was, but it just was missing.
I adored this book, and will probably be buying a finished copy when it is released.
The Short:
This was a very well done book. I don't think I have every read a book from the Civil Rights era, and I am glad that I did. After reading Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, which is about the times of slavery, I was very interested to
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see a more in depth look at another horrible time in history for blacks. I really liked this book.The Long:
The setting of this book was in Virginia in the Civil Rights era. Since Virginia is considered a southern state, the racism was horrendously obvious. From the first time the black students stepped foot on the school grounds they were treated like scum. Very little changed from the start of the year to the end in that aspect, but it still got somewhat better.
The characters seemed like real people who lived in the time period, and I loved learning more and more about them. They were so full with all of their quirks, and I loved it.
The LGBT aspect in this book was very interesting because it was not a normal thing during the time period. Most everyone focused on the mistreatment of blacks, but it was not until recently that LGBT equality became a real issue. The people did not understand what was going on with them, and decided that they were going to hell for it. That just about broke my heart when they casted THEMSELVES off as lesser for being gay. It was overall a very well done aspect of the book.
The story was wonderful. I really liked it. It was very well timed, and never seemed to drag on. Having said that, I felt that this book was missing something. I again can't describe what it was, but it just was missing.
I adored this book, and will probably be buying a finished copy when it is released.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
History books abound with cursory details about desegregation, the legal battles that occurred all over the South after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, and the crowds that surrounded each school on that first fateful day of a desegregated school year. What history books do not share is what
Told from opposing viewpoints, the story starts from the first day of school until graduation day. Both Sarah and Linda are seniors just trying to make the most of their last year of school, even though their experiences are anything but similar. While Linda rails against the loss of certain senior activities, like the prom, and how disruptive these new students are to her school experience, Sarah deals with daily fear of violence, a constant barrage of curses hurled her way, and other indignities at every turn. Once at the top of her class, she now faces teachers who are surprised she can read. The two girls’ experiences are shocking in their honesty and brutal in the picture of humanity they present. It is as chilling a portrait of the civil rights movement as one will ever find.
If the story focused on just Sarah’s and Linda’s experiences, the story would be outstanding. Instead, Ms. Talley includes the complexity of sexual orientation. This could be its own separate novel and ultimately should be because it diminishes the impact of the civil rights lessons to learn. Sarah’s daily experiences in Jefferson High School are so visceral, so ugly, and so terrifying that her story does not need the added torment of sexual identity in the 1950s. Similarly, watching Linda struggle with the life-long prejudices she’s always heard versus what she observes with her own eyes is compelling reading. The story is powerful on its own without any additional identity crises.
If one ignores the secondary story, the main plot of Lies We Tell Ourselves is an outstanding example of historical fiction. It tells the intense story of two girls caught in the middle of the civil rights movement, each one a pawn in the adult game of racial equality. Sarah and Linda are intriguing as they face their fears and discover their own opinions about these high-stakes issues. Vibrant and honest as only the young truly are, their voices are powerful in their lost innocence. Unfortunately, the secondary plot becomes an integral part of Linda and Sarah’s self-identity, and the story moves from realistic to exaggerated. This move trivializes the racial issues at the heart of the story and proves to be a distraction for readers. Given how important the history lesson and just how impactful the racial tension are, readers will find themselves disappointed that the focus shifts as much as it does.
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life was like for those pioneering students once the media left and the cameras were turned off. Lies We Tell Ourselves fills this gap with shocking clarity.Told from opposing viewpoints, the story starts from the first day of school until graduation day. Both Sarah and Linda are seniors just trying to make the most of their last year of school, even though their experiences are anything but similar. While Linda rails against the loss of certain senior activities, like the prom, and how disruptive these new students are to her school experience, Sarah deals with daily fear of violence, a constant barrage of curses hurled her way, and other indignities at every turn. Once at the top of her class, she now faces teachers who are surprised she can read. The two girls’ experiences are shocking in their honesty and brutal in the picture of humanity they present. It is as chilling a portrait of the civil rights movement as one will ever find.
If the story focused on just Sarah’s and Linda’s experiences, the story would be outstanding. Instead, Ms. Talley includes the complexity of sexual orientation. This could be its own separate novel and ultimately should be because it diminishes the impact of the civil rights lessons to learn. Sarah’s daily experiences in Jefferson High School are so visceral, so ugly, and so terrifying that her story does not need the added torment of sexual identity in the 1950s. Similarly, watching Linda struggle with the life-long prejudices she’s always heard versus what she observes with her own eyes is compelling reading. The story is powerful on its own without any additional identity crises.
If one ignores the secondary story, the main plot of Lies We Tell Ourselves is an outstanding example of historical fiction. It tells the intense story of two girls caught in the middle of the civil rights movement, each one a pawn in the adult game of racial equality. Sarah and Linda are intriguing as they face their fears and discover their own opinions about these high-stakes issues. Vibrant and honest as only the young truly are, their voices are powerful in their lost innocence. Unfortunately, the secondary plot becomes an integral part of Linda and Sarah’s self-identity, and the story moves from realistic to exaggerated. This move trivializes the racial issues at the heart of the story and proves to be a distraction for readers. Given how important the history lesson and just how impactful the racial tension are, readers will find themselves disappointed that the focus shifts as much as it does.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
What a refreshing voice in the teen book genre. I am so glad that I took a chance and picked up a copy of this book to check out. Instantly I felt a connection to Sarah. It was more than just on a reader level as well. It was like I was walking in her shoes as Sarah and I could hear all the mean
The things that Sarah and her friends had to endure is so wrong. It is shameful that this is still happening today. I endured a little of this myself when I was going to school. Due to my ethnicity. I am Asian. I am proud to be Asian but living in American. It is so sad when I read stories like this of people who are so narrow minded that they can't see past the color of their skin and accept them for the person they are. Anyways back to the book. Another book that can get me talking about it long after I have finished reading it and makes me so passionate about the characters is a winner. However don't just take my word for it. pick up a copy for yourself. You won't regret it. The only "Lies We Tell Ourselves" are the ones where we try not to admit that we are addicted to this book.
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comments yelled at me, feel the stares from the other students and the scared feeling I got that something worse would happen to me. The things that Sarah and her friends had to endure is so wrong. It is shameful that this is still happening today. I endured a little of this myself when I was going to school. Due to my ethnicity. I am Asian. I am proud to be Asian but living in American. It is so sad when I read stories like this of people who are so narrow minded that they can't see past the color of their skin and accept them for the person they are. Anyways back to the book. Another book that can get me talking about it long after I have finished reading it and makes me so passionate about the characters is a winner. However don't just take my word for it. pick up a copy for yourself. You won't regret it. The only "Lies We Tell Ourselves" are the ones where we try not to admit that we are addicted to this book.
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Black students fight for the right to attend all-white schools.
This is an interesting Young Adult book about the struggles the African descendants had when they first integrated white schools in the US in the 1950s. If it had stayed on topic I might well have been giving five stars, unfortunately
A group of ten black youngsters are the first to join the exclusively white Jefferson High. They had all been happy, high achievers in their previous all-black school, but find themselves relegated to the remedial classes in Jefferson High. They are constantly heckled, nudged and worse, but their parents encourage them to persevere in the name of integration.
The novel covers their first year in the school and we follow the ten students through to graduation. How many of them can take the pressure?
Sarah is one of the two narrators, she joins the school with her younger sister, Ruth. The second narrator is Linda, a 'popular' white girl, whose father is one of the most outspoken opponents of integration. They are forced to undertake a French project together and both reluctantly learn a lot from each other. Both are pawns of their parents, but can they shake off these influences and do what is truly right for them?
Similar children must have endured such treatments throughout the States, as they stood up for their rights to a good education and fought for their peers in the future. It was horrendous how unwavering their opponents were, never easing off for an entire year. The book left me with a profound respect for them all, whether they each succeeded, or not.
This is an interesting Young Adult book about the struggles the African descendants had when they first integrated white schools in the US in the 1950s. If it had stayed on topic I might well have been giving five stars, unfortunately
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the impact was lost with the introduction of a homosexual element, and the book became about two issues, each diluting the other.A group of ten black youngsters are the first to join the exclusively white Jefferson High. They had all been happy, high achievers in their previous all-black school, but find themselves relegated to the remedial classes in Jefferson High. They are constantly heckled, nudged and worse, but their parents encourage them to persevere in the name of integration.
The novel covers their first year in the school and we follow the ten students through to graduation. How many of them can take the pressure?
Sarah is one of the two narrators, she joins the school with her younger sister, Ruth. The second narrator is Linda, a 'popular' white girl, whose father is one of the most outspoken opponents of integration. They are forced to undertake a French project together and both reluctantly learn a lot from each other. Both are pawns of their parents, but can they shake off these influences and do what is truly right for them?
Similar children must have endured such treatments throughout the States, as they stood up for their rights to a good education and fought for their peers in the future. It was horrendous how unwavering their opponents were, never easing off for an entire year. The book left me with a profound respect for them all, whether they each succeeded, or not.
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LibraryThing member literaryperuser
A fictionalized account of the integration of Virginia school during the 1950s, this book feels authentic and makes on realize the importance and the sacrifice made by the African-Americans who first integrated into Caucasian schools after the Supreme Court ruling. What these students were forced
With perspectives alternating between Sarah, an African-American senior, and Linda, a Caucasian senior, this story speaks to truth of the thoughts of both sides. While the story focuses on race there are comments made about the treatment of women and GLBT as minorities, as well. I would recommend this book to any thoughtful person that wonders how one individual can help in the world.
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to endure for extended times at such a young age is admirable. Parallels can be made to the current fights for GLBT people in today's society.With perspectives alternating between Sarah, an African-American senior, and Linda, a Caucasian senior, this story speaks to truth of the thoughts of both sides. While the story focuses on race there are comments made about the treatment of women and GLBT as minorities, as well. I would recommend this book to any thoughtful person that wonders how one individual can help in the world.
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LibraryThing member Goldengrove
in 1959 black students were in the front line of integration as they began to attend white schools across the Southern states of America. In this story the school is fictional, but the opposition and abuse is all too real, taken from first hand accounts. I found it hard to read this book to begin
The story is told in the first person, from more than one viewpoint, and I found this an effective device, as it highlights the personal thoughts and reactions of the two main characters as their emotions and attitudes are forced to change. Alongside the story of integration is a touching love story that surprises and alarms the protagonists, deeply changing them.
Overall I liked the book, it is a disturbing, truthful telling of a deeply disturbing set of events. I have given it 3 stars instead of 4 because the last third felt rather rushed, with the two girls thoughts and reported conversations becoming didactic and stilted: they sound as if they are laying down a philosophy rather than talking with their families and friends. This is a pity, as the characterisation is good in the rest of the book.
A thought-provoking read.
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with, as the sheer force of the hatred and racist taunts hurled at the black students is stunning, and very shocking.The story is told in the first person, from more than one viewpoint, and I found this an effective device, as it highlights the personal thoughts and reactions of the two main characters as their emotions and attitudes are forced to change. Alongside the story of integration is a touching love story that surprises and alarms the protagonists, deeply changing them.
Overall I liked the book, it is a disturbing, truthful telling of a deeply disturbing set of events. I have given it 3 stars instead of 4 because the last third felt rather rushed, with the two girls thoughts and reported conversations becoming didactic and stilted: they sound as if they are laying down a philosophy rather than talking with their families and friends. This is a pity, as the characterisation is good in the rest of the book.
A thought-provoking read.
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LibraryThing member JanesList
I have to say I was worried when I realized this book was done by Harlequin Teen, but it turned out to be interesting and not cheesy or overdone. The author did do her homework about what the integration of schools was like from the students' perspective, and I don't think she candy-coated it. I
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thought she dealt well with two girls who found themselves attracted to each other, without putting modern sensibilities on people in the 50's. At first I wasn't sure I believed it realistic that they would find any sort of ok-ness within themselves despite societal and religious messages to the contrary. But upon further thought, I realized there were people at that time who found their way, and that is why the GLBT movement is where it is now. Show Less
LibraryThing member csoki637
Terribly written.
Amateur writing, with no subtlety. An incident happens, but instead of letting the reader understand what it means for the story, the character involved will spell it out — sometimes repeatedly. The dialogue is painful, and the analysis of racism is abysmal. In one scene, a
Racist.
Although I'm sure the author, who according to her bio is involved in "social justice issues," would defend the novel as an anti-racist polemic, if anything, it's actually very racist. Here's one example: Linda, the pro-segregation white protagonist, writes an opinion piece arguing that while blacks are intellectually inferior to whites, there are a few special exceptions who deserve to study alongside whites. What's the reaction from Sarah, the black protagonist she's secretly in love with? She smiles. Not even ironically, but in true joy. Instead of revealing how very unoriginal and racist the article is, it's presented as a controversial, radically progressive (!!!) argument.
Won't waste any more words on this train wreck of a book.
Amateur writing, with no subtlety. An incident happens, but instead of letting the reader understand what it means for the story, the character involved will spell it out — sometimes repeatedly. The dialogue is painful, and the analysis of racism is abysmal. In one scene, a
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character argues against segregation by referencing the Declaration of Independence. Ruth, the little sister of black protagonist Sarah, says, "Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal," and everyone is speechless, put to shame by that scathing argument. Come on.Racist.
Although I'm sure the author, who according to her bio is involved in "social justice issues," would defend the novel as an anti-racist polemic, if anything, it's actually very racist. Here's one example: Linda, the pro-segregation white protagonist, writes an opinion piece arguing that while blacks are intellectually inferior to whites, there are a few special exceptions who deserve to study alongside whites. What's the reaction from Sarah, the black protagonist she's secretly in love with? She smiles. Not even ironically, but in true joy. Instead of revealing how very unoriginal and racist the article is, it's presented as a controversial, radically progressive (!!!) argument.
Won't waste any more words on this train wreck of a book.
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LibraryThing member oddandbookish
What a powerful read. This book really delved deep into the southern consciousness in regards to integration. I really liked how it explored both sides of the issue and the reasons why people believed what they did.
LibraryThing member ReadersCandyb
This was a story about pushing boundaries and standing up for what you believe in.
Two girls are on the opposite sides of integration/segregation... One was taught that colored folks are evil and the other was raised to wear her dark skin like a medal. Each one has an inner battle they are fighting
It was a fierce, kind-of-taboo read with emotional gut punches and brutal reality. It takes you back in time and leaves you in the middle of an ugly world full of hatred. Sarah played the hero and Linda the villain. They say opposites attract and that rang so true in his book. Each girl empowered the other. They pulled out strengths from within and showed bravery in a time of fear.
I was intrigued by the history and really felt connected to the characters. It was a slow paced read that left you digest each word and really mull over the feelings each one portrayed. I would have preferred a fasted paced book, but all in all, I recommend it to readers that enjoy history. It didn't blow my mind, but it did leave a lasting impression. It taught me important lessons and I can definitely appreciate that.
Two girls are on the opposite sides of integration/segregation... One was taught that colored folks are evil and the other was raised to wear her dark skin like a medal. Each one has an inner battle they are fighting
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and together they find an intense connection that helps them overcome fear and find their true selves.It was a fierce, kind-of-taboo read with emotional gut punches and brutal reality. It takes you back in time and leaves you in the middle of an ugly world full of hatred. Sarah played the hero and Linda the villain. They say opposites attract and that rang so true in his book. Each girl empowered the other. They pulled out strengths from within and showed bravery in a time of fear.
I was intrigued by the history and really felt connected to the characters. It was a slow paced read that left you digest each word and really mull over the feelings each one portrayed. I would have preferred a fasted paced book, but all in all, I recommend it to readers that enjoy history. It didn't blow my mind, but it did leave a lasting impression. It taught me important lessons and I can definitely appreciate that.
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LibraryThing member cindywho
This historical YA novel tells a story of desegregation in an earnest and straightforward way. It's a quick read, but I took some breaks due to the intensity.
LibraryThing member fingerpost
This is a pretty intense book. Narration alternates between Sarah and Linda.
The year is 1959, and a high school in a small Virginia town is being integrated for the first time. Nine select black students will be attending. Sarah Dunbar is one of those students. The realistic portrayal of the
Linda Hairston is the white daughter of the town's newspaper publisher. She is totally convinced that her father (adamantly against integration) is right in all things, even though he is a terrible father figure to her. Linda's equally introspective narration initially gives the view of the anti-integration faction, but (as you would expect in a teen novel) Linda's views change over time.
Sarah is quickly forced to partner in a school project with Linda (and Linda's friend Judy). In their forced work together, Sarah begins to convince Linda to change her views. It's a realistically slow change. There is no single big "oh my God, I've been wrong all along" moment.
Now... the reason they have such a rapport is that (and remember it's 1959, when this wasn't merely unacceptable in society, it wasn't discussed at all) Linda and Sarah are both lesbians, and have secret crushes on each other. They don't even know the word "lesbian" but they know the kind of attraction they have. The first lesbian love aspect of the book is distantly secondary to the racism aspect, but is still a vital part of the plot.
The book is somewhat slow paced - but slow paced with a purpose... making sure the horrors everyone is going through really sink in with the reader. Thought provoking and an excellent historical fiction novel.
The year is 1959, and a high school in a small Virginia town is being integrated for the first time. Nine select black students will be attending. Sarah Dunbar is one of those students. The realistic portrayal of the
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viscous racism that the black students encounter is a fierce and unrelenting theme in this book. Knowing about the integration battles in Little Rock, Arkansas and at other places, I'd never realized until reading this novel, just how courageous those first students had to be. The things they endured were horrendous, and yet, they did it. Sarah's introspective narrative tells about it all.Linda Hairston is the white daughter of the town's newspaper publisher. She is totally convinced that her father (adamantly against integration) is right in all things, even though he is a terrible father figure to her. Linda's equally introspective narration initially gives the view of the anti-integration faction, but (as you would expect in a teen novel) Linda's views change over time.
Sarah is quickly forced to partner in a school project with Linda (and Linda's friend Judy). In their forced work together, Sarah begins to convince Linda to change her views. It's a realistically slow change. There is no single big "oh my God, I've been wrong all along" moment.
Now... the reason they have such a rapport is that (and remember it's 1959, when this wasn't merely unacceptable in society, it wasn't discussed at all) Linda and Sarah are both lesbians, and have secret crushes on each other. They don't even know the word "lesbian" but they know the kind of attraction they have. The first lesbian love aspect of the book is distantly secondary to the racism aspect, but is still a vital part of the plot.
The book is somewhat slow paced - but slow paced with a purpose... making sure the horrors everyone is going through really sink in with the reader. Thought provoking and an excellent historical fiction novel.
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LibraryThing member SamMusher
The fourth star is because this book has done something unique: melding a fairly standard school integration memoir with a fairly standard first-LGB-stirrings love story. The prose is nothing special, but it gets the job done, and the job is important.
I finished this book right as the Supreme
At this point, I bet most of the young people in my life would find all the hubbub around Sarah and Linda's relationship a horrifying but quaint historical artifact. But I live in Massachusetts and teach mostly white students. As both race and sexuality remain headline news, this book is a page-turner that will inspire and challenge readers. Appropriate for 7th grade on up -- the relationships are perfectly chaste, the most gruesome violence (a brief description of Emmett Till's murder) is off-screen, and if one is concerned about such things, the belief in God is authentic. This is not to say the horrors are glossed over, but they are kept at a middle-school-appropriate level.
I finished this book right as the Supreme
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Court declared same-sex marriage legal across the nation. The response from some conservative politicians should sound familiar to anyone who's studied the Civil Rights Movement: "Performing these marriages offends the religious liberty of public employees!" "But God set things up this way; who are we to intervene?" "If we have to marry same-sex couples, we're shutting down the entire marriage office." The parallels between these civil rights movements are undeniable, and Talley is the first YA author I've seen combine them.At this point, I bet most of the young people in my life would find all the hubbub around Sarah and Linda's relationship a horrifying but quaint historical artifact. But I live in Massachusetts and teach mostly white students. As both race and sexuality remain headline news, this book is a page-turner that will inspire and challenge readers. Appropriate for 7th grade on up -- the relationships are perfectly chaste, the most gruesome violence (a brief description of Emmett Till's murder) is off-screen, and if one is concerned about such things, the belief in God is authentic. This is not to say the horrors are glossed over, but they are kept at a middle-school-appropriate level.
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LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
OK OK OK OK. The first half of this book is SO GOOD. As in, it's fucking intense because it's basically a minute-by-minute account of Sarah's first few days being one of ten black students integrating a Virginia high school. People who need a reality check as to how terrifying this was ought to
SEMI-SPOILER--
I just didn't get Sarah's attraction to Linda. Going into this I thought maybe Linda wouldn't be as bad as she was and by the time the attraction really got rolling, she'd have basically turned over a new leaf, enlightenment-wise...like, maybe she's a closet NAACP-supporter who eventually owns up to it publicly. But Linda's awful. How can someone be attracted to another person who is this abhorrent? Sarah keeps saying it's more than physical, and I cannot understand that. Supposedly cute, popular guys called me names, destroyed my things, threw things at me, etc., when I was in middle school and high school, and for all my low self-esteem, at least I never fooled myself into liking them. And I was just a dopey teenager! How can someone fall in love with another person so vilely opposed to the existence of YOUR ENTIRE RACE?
So admittedly I only got just over halfway through this, and Linda could very well do a complete personality 180, but she's awful NOW, and for Sarah to be attracted to that feels too contrived. I'm gonna just nopedy-nope-nope right on out of here.
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read this. But.SEMI-SPOILER--
I just didn't get Sarah's attraction to Linda. Going into this I thought maybe Linda wouldn't be as bad as she was and by the time the attraction really got rolling, she'd have basically turned over a new leaf, enlightenment-wise...like, maybe she's a closet NAACP-supporter who eventually owns up to it publicly. But Linda's awful. How can someone be attracted to another person who is this abhorrent? Sarah keeps saying it's more than physical, and I cannot understand that. Supposedly cute, popular guys called me names, destroyed my things, threw things at me, etc., when I was in middle school and high school, and for all my low self-esteem, at least I never fooled myself into liking them. And I was just a dopey teenager! How can someone fall in love with another person so vilely opposed to the existence of YOUR ENTIRE RACE?
So admittedly I only got just over halfway through this, and Linda could very well do a complete personality 180, but she's awful NOW, and for Sarah to be attracted to that feels too contrived. I'm gonna just nopedy-nope-nope right on out of here.
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LibraryThing member tsmom1219
This was a difficult book to read, but it was completely worth it. The point of view switches between Sarah, a black teenager who is one of the first to attend Jefferson High School and Linda, a white teenager who is the daughter of one of the town's most vocal opponents of integration. Forced to
Sarah's descriptions of what the black kids endure from the white students are incredibly painful, as are Linda's justifications for the behavior of both white kids and adults. Talley does a really good job of writing from both points of view. Both Linda and Sarah have very strong, unique voices and both changed as a result of knowing the other.
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work together on a school project, Linda and Sarah eventually become to see beyond the color of each other's skin to the person underneath. Sarah's descriptions of what the black kids endure from the white students are incredibly painful, as are Linda's justifications for the behavior of both white kids and adults. Talley does a really good job of writing from both points of view. Both Linda and Sarah have very strong, unique voices and both changed as a result of knowing the other.
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Publication
Richmond Mira Ink 2014
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
9781848452923
