1959 | 1959

At a glance:

Author: Thulani Davis
First Published: 1992
Type of Work: Novel
Type of Plot: Social realism
Time of Work: 1959
Setting: The Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia
Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Social realism
Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, Civil rights, Dictators, Discrimination, Girls, Justice, Maturation or coming of age, Segregation or integration, Social action, Teaching or teachers, Virginia
Locales: Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

Willie Tarrant, the narrator, a bright twelve-year-old girl who, in 1959, is preoccupied with boys, kissing, and music. After she is selected to be one of six African American students to integrate the all-white Patrick Henry Junior High, Willie’s mundane world is shattered. She and the all- black community of Turner, Virginia, become embroiled in the civil rights struggle. As this naïve yet spirited young girl comes of age during this turbulent period in American history, she shares her eloquence and sense of dignity with her community. Willie’s...

1959 | 1959

At a glance:

Characters Discussed

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