Reading Black Books

Reading Black Books: How African-American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just by Claude Atcho belongs on your shelf if you are a literature buff or professor, an avid reader who wants to diversify your reading, or a Christian who wants to learn more about racial issues. In this recent book published by Brazos Press, author Claude Atcho combines his degrees in both literature and theology to help readers more fully see and grasp theological themes in 10 works by African-American authors.

Reading Black Books is not a book to read quickly. While one can read the book by itself simply for the content, this book is much better when read in tandem with the books Atcho is analyzing. Another option would be to read Atcho's commentary before reading the book that he analyzes to help readers watch for these themes. With a background in both theology and literature, Atcho easily pulls from both disciplines and weaves in his own experiences as well. As such this is a delightful work. Reading Black Books would be a wonderful textbook for a course in African-American Literature or would serve as a reading guide for book clubs or study groups who wish to encounter diverse literature. Highly recommended for academic libraries.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Reading Black Books from Baker Publishing-Brazos Books via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tomorrow Will Be Better

Tomorrow Will Be Better was originally published in 1948 by Betty Smith, best known for her novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Recently republished as "A Rediscovered Classic," Tomorrow Will Be Better returns to Brooklyn with another look at the poverty in the 1920s. Readers meet Margy Shannon as she leaves high school and embarks on her journey into the workplace and adulthood. However, in order to understand the Shannon family dynamics, Smith uses flashbacks to share a time when Margy was lost as a child and how her mother reacted. This specific episode is referenced throughout the book. While Margy Shannon is the main character throughout the book, several other prominent characters and their stories are also told as the individuals interact with Margy.

In Tomorrow Will Be Better, Smith uses rich, descriptive writing to tell the story of the hard-scrabble life endured by the families portrayed and their efforts to improve their lives. As the title indicates, the main theme in the book is a hope for the future in the midst of being held back by family and community expectations. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy literary fiction and coming of age stories.

The Gospel in Dickens: Selections from His Works, edited by Gina Dalfonzo with a foreword by Karen Swallow Prior, highlights the many ways in which Charles Dickens highlights various aspects of the Gospel message through the characters in many beloved novels. Dalfonzo begins by providing an introduction to Dickens' life, his religious viewpoints, and works. After this introduction, Dalfonzo groups excerpts from Dickens' novels into three sections: Sin and Its Victims, Repentance and Grace, and The Righteous Life. Each section includes an introduction to section followed by excerpts which portray the topic. Dalfonzo offers insights between each excerpt which highlight specific aspects to notice while reading as well as offers enough information regarding the larger novel so that the reader can join a story in progress. This is useful if the reader is not as familiar with a specific novel or has not read it in quite some time.

The Gospel in Dickens is recommended for several different audiences and can be used in a variety of ways. This would be a great resource in a literature class devoted to Dickens or to Victorian literature. If you were teaching a course on biblical or religious themes in literatures, this would definitely be appropriate either as a textbook or for teacher preparation. Ministers, public speakers, or writers may find it useful as a resource when they wish to find an illustration to use as Dalfonzo has done some a marvelous job of categorizing scenes from various novels. Moving beyond the classroom or professional use, this work is wonderful for individuals who simply enjoy great literature ,or Dickens specifically, and wish to read it for enjoyment or who want to have an introduction to the entirety of Dickens writing. You may find after reading The Gospel in Dickens that you wish to re-read your favorite Dickens novel or find a new one to enjoy.