An Eighth of August [Hardcover]

Dawn Turner Trice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2000

With Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven, Dawn Turner Trice established herself as a powerful and unique new fiction writer with a first novel called "touching and memorable" by the New York Times. Now, with An Eighth of August, she delivers on the promise of her stunning debut with an eloquent, evocative novel about the strong ties and haunting memories that bind family and friends in a small town.

Since the late 1800s, Halley's Landing has commemorated the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation with one of the grandest festivals in the Midwest. Year after year, celebrants come from near and far to show off their best clothes, cook up special dishes, and pay tribute to the rich heritage of the former slaves who settled the Illinois town, hoping to piece together a life. But along with stories of the good times come unbearably painful memories and long-buried resentments.

Narrated by a chorus of voices, An Eighth of August begins with the Sunday church services of the 1986 celebration, a year after a terrible tragedy rocked the people of this close-knit community. The festival provides the backdrop for a vividly moving story that weaves together the lives and voices of the residents of Halley's Landing. We hear from strong-willed Flossie Jo Penticott and her estranged daughter, Sweet Alma, whose relationship has been torn apart by an unimaginable sorrow; Flossie's scatterbrained sister-in-law Thelma and her salt-of-the-earth husband, Herbert, who remain steadfastly devoted despite life's ups and downs; Aunt Cora, whose humor, generous spirit,  and large home provide refuge for the weary; and May Ruth, an eccentric older white woman who fits in like any other family member.

As we grow to know and love these characters, we witness how this Emancipation Festival will offer up its own particular brand of freedom and herald a change in each of their lives. Like Gloria Naylor, Dawn Turner Trice draws us into a remarkable world in An Eighth of August and invites us to spend time with a group of extraordinary individuals who linger long after the story is complete.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Appealing characters overpopulate Trice's (Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven) solid but top-heavy second novel. Each year in August, the small African-American town of Halley's Landing holds a festival to commemorate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. As longtime resident "Aunt" Cora Hoskins begins preparations in 1986, she is joined by Henry Gray and his wife, Thelma, whom Cora raised; Henry's sister Flossie Jo, who is coping with a divorce and is estranged from her pregnant teenage daughter, Sweet Alma; and May Ruth Morgan, an eccentric white woman who visits Cora each year to attend the festival. Sadly, this year's events also cause the celebrants to recall the untimely death of Flossie Jo's son, 11-year-old El, the year before: That tragedy is set in motion when a seedy visitor to town who calls himself Mr. Paul is unable to find a room, and is invited to stay with Cora. Befriended by El and his 16-year-old cousin Pepper, Mr. Paul betrays the family's trust with a heinous act. The episode deeply unnerves El, whose plan to punish the man goes awry, resulting in the fatal accident. Unable to forgive himself for his imagined complicity in El's death, Pepper's behavior becomes erratic and he lands in jail. Flossie Jo knows her absolution will assuage Pepper's guilt, but first she must contend with her daughter and resolve their dispute. More will happen before the festival closes, but at its end all are left with a sense of peace and relief. Each of the characters is well delineated, with interesting foibles and strengths, but the novel is too short to do justice to their stories; it feels uncomfortably dense with incidents, encounters and conversations. A streamlined cast and sharper focus would have strengthened this otherwise promising tale. 4-city author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In Halley's Landing, a small Illinois town, the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation has been celebrated on August 8 since the late 1880s. The festival is one of the grandest in the Midwest. Yet each year, along with the good times, there are painful memories, heartfelt confessions, and dark secrets. In 1986, the community has gathered to celebrate another festival one year after the unfortunate death of a young boy. Among the great cast are Aunt Cora, the outspoken family elder who provides refuge for those in need; Thelma, the wife, mother, and sister who has compassion yet difficulty dealing with others; Herbert, Thelma's husband; May Ruth, the older woman who visits year after year; Flossie, the unpredictable sister-in-law; and Sweet Alma, Flossie's daughter. What brings them back to Halley's Landing for this celebration is special and unique for each one of the characters; their past and perspective add flavor to the celebration and to their gathering. Trice's second novel, after the successful Only Twice I've Wished for Heaven (1997), will assuredly have commercial success. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Crown; 1st edition (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517705893
• ISBN-13: 978-0517705896
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,189,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So, So but not Great, November 13, 2000

By 

D. LEE "dml48221" (Palo Alto, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Eighth of August (Hardcover)

I read the authors previous novel 'Only Twice I've Wished For Heaven' and enjoyed it so much that I was eagerly anticipating this novel. I was however somewhat disappointed.

This novel is about the events surrounding a celebration of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation which occurs every year in the Midwest. This story is told from the perspective of several different characters which at times renders the novel difficult to understand. Although the author takes the time to convey to the reader which character is speaking and the time frame (year) in which they are recounting their story, the novel jumps back and forth between time periods and characters in a manner which is often very confusing.

At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Flossie who pulls a gun on a minister in the middle of a church service. The reader is made aware that she, Flossie holds the minister responsible for some "un-Christian like" behavior. However it is not until the middle of the book, after much discussion of Flossie and her life after this event ( attempted shooting of the minister), that the reader discovers what that event is. After the reader is made aware of the event, the author incorporates the same opening scene into the novel at a later date and continues the story from that point.

The reader also is told that a tragic event occured which resulted in the death of one of the children, EL of one of the characters, (Sweet Alma, Flossie's daughter) and we know that another of the characters (Pepper) feels to blame and feels responsible but by the end of the novel, it is unclear, based on the circumstances of the death, why he feels that way. The author also tells us that Flossie, El's grandmother feels as if Pepper is to blame for the death. However, the reason why she holds him responsible is never fully explored. Additionally, the reader is made aware of an incredible rift between Flossie and Sweet Alma however once again, although the basis of the rift was there, the author didn't seem to fully explore the impact that it had on the parties.

The story is also told from the perspective of May Ruth, a white English woman who, although a charming character, somehow becomes involved in the festivities and lives with the main family.

All in all, although the story could have been a good one, the events and characters jumped too much and too drastically. Once again, although the story surrounded the celebration, it was incredibly difficult, based on the way the novel was written, to understand how the stories told by each character directly fit into the celebration.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't finish it!, December 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: An Eighth of August (Hardcover)

I tried to read this book,but I couldn't follow it. I got to about page 55 when I just couldn't take it anymore. I usually try to finish any book I start, but this one was torture. She jumps from character to character, and I just couldn't follow her. I wasn't sure who was who, or what was what. I was still waiting to find out what happened to El. I'm willing to give her first book a try, because I've read some pretty good reviews about it, but I wouldn't suggest this one to anyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love the time frame, February 17, 2002

By 

"July Lady" (MS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Eighth of August (Hardcover)

An eighth of august is the story of a just everyday family in the 60's going through problems. The story is told through different members of the family. The story is centered around El, the young nephrew, death a year before. The family is again getting ready to attend the county festive where the tradgedy struck the year before. The story setting is before and after the death took place. I like reading books with the time frame of the 60's I throught the book was good, but kinda of confusing with the years.