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Family
Family | J. California Cooper
14 posts | 6 read | 1 reading | 15 to read
In this wise, beguiling, beautiful novel set in the era of the Civil War, an award-winning playwright and author paints a haunting portrait of a woman named Always, born a slave, and four generations of her African-American family. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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cwarnier
Family | J. California Cooper
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review
Come-read-with-me
Family | J. California Cooper
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Pickpick

This a a great piece of historical fiction. Set during the Civil War, the story follows the life of Always, a slave, and four generations of her family. As with any multi- generational story, you are allowed to follow how the ripples made by one person can impact family in a multitude of ways in the future. California is an amazing playwright and brings a voice that paints a hauntingly beautiful portrait of this brave woman 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Megabooks Great review!! 5y
Come-read-with-me @Megabooks Thank you 😘 5y
81 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Nute
Family | J. California Cooper
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Pickpick

#ReadSoulLit - It‘s a Family Affair: A multilayered family saga arising from a brutal time in history. It is the time of slavery in America. It is the era of the Civil War. It is the establishment of racism. This is a haunting symbolic fictional history of four generations of a slave family. It is painful and sad. It is eerie and disturbing. But👇🏽

Nute like this type of story-the telling of tragic events and unimaginable inhumanity-often is, it is symbolic of perseverance, strength and survival. It is imbued with determination of sheer faith that a people cannot be undone by evil when there is hope for good. It is flowing with affirmation that the power of the human spirit seeking freedom and liberty will always rise up and overcome.👇🏽
5y
Nute This is the writing style of J California Cooper, an African-American author that I often feel is under-hyped. Her writing is honest depictions of black folks every day living and trying to survive the fallout of ugly and unfair historic times with family intact. She wrote 4 novels, 6 short story collections and 17 plays. She was honored as Black Playwright of the Year in 1978 & won many other literary awards in her lifetime. Highly Recommended! (edited) 5y
Anna40 Beautiful review. Have to read it now... Thanks for sharing 5y
See All 12 Comments
BookNAround I have had this one on my tbr stacks for decades. You make me want to finally get to it. 5y
WomanistBibliophile She is a writer whose work I‘ve not read but definitely want to! 5y
BellaBookNook Didi talks about this author often. I own two of her books but haven‘t read them yet. Will correct that but my heart is breaking so much from my current reads so I will have to wait a bit before I pick her books up. 5y
Nute @Anna40 Thank you! I hope that you enjoy her writing.🙂 5y
Nute @BookNAround We all have so many books that we want to read that it is quite easy for a desired read to get away from us. I hope you get the opportunity to connect to her books soon!🙂 5y
Nute @WomanistBibliophile You will enjoy her books. She is an amazing writer!🙂 5y
Nute @BellaBookNook I feel like she is under read. She deserves a wider audience. Her storytelling skills are amazing! What are you currently reading? 5y
WomanistBibliophile I‘ve had her on my to-read list for a while but there aren‘t any of her books my library, I will have to get one soon tho! 5y
BellaBookNook @Nute I am reading a couple of things. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson and The 1619 Project. Both are very good but heavy and I am looking forward to some light reads next month. 5y
81 likes8 stack adds12 comments
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EadieB
Family | J. California Cooper
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EadieB
Family | J. California Cooper
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TheSpineView 💜 6y
52 likes1 comment
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Aseleener
Family | J. California Cooper
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Day 22 of the 30 Days of Gratitude photo challenge: family. I'm very grateful to be spending Thanksgiving with my grandparents. ❤ #gratitude30

CouronneDhiver 🙌🏽🙌🏽 6y
kspenmoll So happy for you that you have them to celebrate with! 6y
Dragon 😀🦃🧡🥧 6y
28 likes3 comments
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EadieB
Family | J. California Cooper
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julesG I agree! 6y
FlowerFairy Exactly! I may not have bio family other than my children, but I have a very extensive family I have built over the years 💜 6y
66 likes2 comments
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EadieB
Family | J. California Cooper
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Lovely family!! ❤️❤️ 6y
EadieB Thanks! 6y
vkois88 Beautiful ❤❤ 6y
70 likes3 comments
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Mdargusch
Family | J. California Cooper
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These books are some of my most prized possessions. My great aunt wrote down family stories and put them in book form. We had copies made for the #family one Christmas. #seasonsreadings2017

Angitron That‘s so cool!!! 7y
AmyG That's wonderful. 7y
Gina That's fantastic 7y
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BookInMyHands Wow, what a treasure! 7y
Eggs That's a great idea! 7y
emilyhaldi So cool! You need to show Jaimie when we meet for bookclub this month. I told her she needs to do something similar since she and her sisters love their family history so much ❤️ 7y
Mdargusch I did so many school reports from this book @gina @AmyG @Angitron @BookInMyHands and @Eggs 7y
Reviewsbylola Such a cool book! 7y
LeahBergen This is amazing. I wish my family had such a treasure. 💕 7y
Mdargusch I am inspired to write down family stories that I remember @LeahBergen 7y
kspenmoll What a wonderful family keepsake! 7y
Cinfhen That‘s awesome 7y
85 likes13 comments
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BrownGirlReading
Family | J. California Cooper
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Here are some orange books I need to get to and a few That I've read and enjoyed. That TBR is forever growing... #orangebooks #TBRtoChina

Louise Very interesting choices. I'm going to look some of these up. My TBR is like yours: endless and endlessly interesting! 😂😂😂 7y
BrownGirlReading @Louise Yes! Let's be ultra positive about the 500+ books on out TBR. 😂😅 7y
Louise Absolutely! I really don't stress about it. To me, it's an inexhaustible list of suggestions! ✨✨✨ 7y
8 likes3 comments
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JoeStalksBeck
Family | J. California Cooper
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Rolling Emma's hair in curlers ❤️#family #backtoreading

BibliophileMomma Omg I used to have those when I was a kid. 7y
alovely26 I think I own every color of these things!!!! Lol 7y
83 likes2 comments
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Lcsmcat
Family | J. California Cooper
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#Family is the main reason I didn't get much reading done. Along with the water disaster at home were the medical emergency my sister had and my mother-in-law's memorial service and inurnment. (Which involved a medical emergency for my sister-in-law). Maybe in September I'll be #backtoreading. 💁🏻 @Tiffy_Reads

Graciouswarriorprincess Hugs!🤗🤗 7y
LeahBergen Hugs! 7y
Lcsmcat @Graciouswarriorprincess @LeahBergen Thanks! It'll be ok, we just had it all at once so next month has to be better, right? 7y
20 likes4 comments
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wisebravegirl
Family | J. California Cooper
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Pickpick

"History don't repeat itself, people repeat themselves! History couldn't do it if you all didn't make it... I want to stay...and I don't want to stay. To see what happens in this world full of so many different colored people. But, I'm too scared to see too much more. Such a wave of hate is being planted up deeper in the world. The devil is the busiest thing I know."

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