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Book Reviews Title River,
Cross My Heart Fiction-Net
Rating Buy It
From Amazon.co.uk - BUY
NOW! Cover
Story For
twelve-year-old Johnnie Mae Bynum, the thriving
Black community in 1920's Georgetown, Washington,
D.C., was the place that nourished her and her
family's dreams. But after a shocking event one
sweltering summer day, suddenly, tragically,
nothing will ever be the same. Now Johnnie Mae must
find her own way through the guilt and pain that
threaten to tear her family apart. And as she tests
herself against the wider world - and her own
restlessness - her determination to realize what
she can become will ultimately change her life and
community forever. Written with profound emotional
depth, peopled with vivid characters, and offering
a rich glimpse of a time and place rarely if ever
seen, River Cross My Heart heralds a powerful new
American storyteller. We
Say River, Cross My
Heart, by Breena Clarke is an admirable first
novel. The novel is filled with examples of
African-American folklore and history. Clarke takes
her readers on a journey through the African-
American community of Georgetown, Washington, D.C.,
during the 1920's when African-American children
were still forced to swim in the river while the
white children enjoyed the convenience of the
community swimming pool. Racism and segregation are
still a very real part of every day life. Despite
the restrictions placed on her because she is
African-American, Clarke's main character, Johnnie
Mae Bynum is a young woman filled with a certain
fearlessness which she demonstrates proficiently in
the water. Set during a tumultuous time in
America's history, the reader is able to examine
what it was like for the African-American community
living in the more "progressive north" as the fight
for equality was going on. However, the social
changes going on around the Bynum family fade into
the background after the tragic events of one hot
summer afternoon. The examination of how a family
survives tragedy is not new to novels, but Clarke's
characters provide insight into the lives of
African American's living in our nation's
capitol. It is apparent
early on in the novel that things will never be the
same for Johnnie Mae and her family after that
eventful summer day. Instead of an intense display
of her grief, the tragedy causes Johnnie Mae's
emotions to gradually build and gain momentum
throughout the novel like a ripple. While Clarke
does a good job creating believable characters in
the Bynum family I still felt that her development
of Johnnie Mae could have been stronger. Johnnie
Mae's character is elusive and difficult to
understand and while that is inherent to her
character, I still felt like something was being
left out. I felt that Clarke's ability to convey
such a character lacked a certain substance. By the
end of the novel, I still felt that I didn't
understand what was really important to Johnnie
Mae. I was unable to make a strong connection with
Johnnie Mae and this left me with a feeling that
something was missing. When we are first
introduced to Johnnie Mae and her sister Clara,
they seem like any other siblings, determined to
get into mischief and to fight the way that only
sisters can. At first the bond seems to be subtle,
but as the relationship is examined just like any
other family relation, the bond is actually deeper
than it appears. It is this connection with her
sister that Johnnie Mae is forced to examine in
order to overcome the tragedy that occurs on that
summer day. Ironically it is Johnnie Mae's mother,
Alice that captured my interest. I felt her fight
to provide her family with a better life was the
more interesting story. Alice's relationship with
Johnnie Mae was beautifully created and made me
feel that in her quest to provide better
opportunities for her children, Alice was walking a
tightrope and tragedy was inevitable. Overall, I didn't
feel that this novel was as good as many critics
thought. Several reviews compared this work to
those of Toni Morrison. Since Toni Morrison is one
of my favorite authors, I would have to disagree.
While Clarke has potential, I did not feel that
this work could be compared with any of Morrison's
work. River, Cross My Heart, lacked a certain depth
that Morrison's novels have. While the story is
touching and I felt that it was worth my time, I am
unable to muster up an enthusiastic review for this
novel. I am sure that it is destined for great
things since it is a Oprah's Book Club pick, but I
must admit I was a little disappointed. It wasn't a
terrible novel, and it did have its moments, but
overall, I was only moderately
impressed. Review by: Yumi
Nagasaki-Taylor |
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