Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953)

I loved this book - beautifully written, totally believable characters and plot. It would have had five stars except for the final chapter which became more of a stream of consciousness internal vision sort of thing.

John is the step son of a Harlem minister in the years following the Depression. Gabriel, his father, has led a life filled with many wrong choices. He married Deborah, an older woman who had a tragic past which overshadowed their marriage in spite of her deep faith and devotion. While married to Deborah he had an affair with Esther and fathered a child, Royal, whom he never acknowledged. He later marries Elizabeth who is the mother of John and the mother of his three other children. Elizabeth met Gabriel through his sister Florence who deeply dislikes her brother due to his past sins.

Parts of this book read like the King James Bible and is filled with flawed but deeply faithful believing people. The Black church is almost a character in the novel and portrays how it was the life blood of the people and at the same time could be a burden.

Gabriel, Elizabeth, Deborah, and especially Florence will be characters I will remember. No wonder it is a classic. ( )

This is a riveting read! The writing is poetic and the characters mesmerizing. It held my attention from start to finish and is deservedly an American classic,

But is left me feeling frustrated, wanting more, displeased with the ending or lack there of. It was a powerful glimpse into the difficult lives of very religious people facing discrimination, racism, poverty and their own odd ideas about the demands of their god. ( )

We all have secrets in our lives that we hope others never find out about them, As well as we think that we have kept those secrets from the light of day they are always there on the surface. ( )

Beautifully written with some great characters, but just way too much Jesus for me to wade through. ( )

Plus a half star and maybe the full star. I read half this book before I could put it down. I feels part like a long poem, part like a song. A window on another world which is my world too - and I should never forget that. Cultural and institutional pressures are fierce and unrelenting in this book but the people are still portrayed as agents too. You can see how their struggles make changes to their world possible and however heartrending the detail there's a sense of possibility, not doom. ( )