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This Side of the Sky by Elyse Singleton
Rating:
 PENS!!!!
Historical
Fiction at Its Finest
While the above
title may not sound interesting to some, Elyse Singleton's This Side of the
Sky, is a glimpse into the complex lives of Black women during the 1930s and
1940s. Singleton creates an epic story of the lives of two women, capturing
their tumultuous childhood and adolescence and their remarkable lives as
adults.
Throughout their childhood,
Lillian and Myraleen believe that there is more to the world than what Nadir,
Mississippi can offer. As Lillian says, "…Mississippi was just the slow,
painful way of spelling hell." Lillian's inquisitive spirit cannot soar to
it's full potential with the limited opportunities that life in rural
Mississippi offers. The customs and expectations of life in Nadir continually
stifle Myraleen's feisty and headstrong nature. What
Nadir lacks in opportunity, it
is enriched with characters who shape Lillian and Myraleen's lives – Mudear
and Mercy, Lillian and Myraleen's well-intentioned mothers; the Taylors, the
only Black family in Nadir to own their own farm, and Kellner, a mysterious
German POW, who works on the Taylor's farm.
At 26, Lillian and Myraleen act
on the realization they have held since childhood, and head for Philadelphia.
Here they find the hustle and bustle of city-living exciting, but still
encounter the harsh realities of life in the North as Black women. When the
opportunities in Philadelphia do not meet their expectations, they take
another bold step, and join the Army, towards the end of World War II.
Although they spent their time in the military away from the battlefield, the
lessons learned in war leave an indelible impact in their lives. At the end
of the War, Lillian stays in Europe, going to school and searching for a lost
love, while Myraleen returns to Philadelphia, regretting the marriage proposal
her willful nature would not let her accept.
Singleton is truly a gifted
writer. The structure of this book held my attention and kept me turning the
pages to find out what happens next. Her descriptions were so vivid that the
heat of Mississippi, the confines of tenement living, the exhilaration of
doing the jitterbug for the first time, the fear and exhilaration of falling
in love, and the war-torn streets of London came to life as I read this book.
In fact, I strongly believe that this book would make a wonderful television movie or
miniseries.
Tameshia
R.E.A.L. Reviewers
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