Night Talk [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Cox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

At night, under the same roof, under the same moon, nothing divides the girls, Evie and Janey Louise. Talking in their beds they discuss their mothers, Agnes and Volusia; their absent fathers, one dead, one on the other side of the country; and their brothers, one fighting polio, the other fighting in the U.S. Army.

Their closeness blinds Evie to the divisions of daylight-- that she is white and her best friend is black; that it is her family's house they live in; that Janie's mother is the housekeeper for Evie's family. For years the inequities of race so permeate their lives that they remain invisible to Evie. It is only later in life that a startling series of events forces Evie to ask Jane for forgiveness.

With elegance and compassion, Elizabeth Cox charts the course of two unlikely friendships, between two daughters and their remarkable mothers. Largely set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights days of the fifties and sixties, Night Talk also confronts the unexpected challenges of the present day. Throughout the novel, Cox exposes the insidious and persistent barriers that prevent us from being honest with each other.

Night Talk is a compelling novel by a passionate writer who cares deeply for her characters and for our world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sisterly love is not always simple and steadfast. Disturbing in its portrayal of tolerant blindness to race as part of the problem of racial hatred, Night Talk traces the friendship of two girls, one white and one black, as they grow up in the same environment but in different worlds. Janey's mother is the housemaid for Evie and her mother. Evie accepts Janey readily into her world and as her roommate, a secret that must be kept from the neighbors. Yet Janey begins to view Evie's acceptance of her as blind to the issues of society and race. The rift between them reaches a critical test when Janey, as an adult, is accused of murder.

From School Library Journal

YA?The day Evie's father leaves home, Volusia, their maid, and Janey Louise, her daughter, move into the house. At first, both sleep in the room off the kitchen, but after a while Janey Louise moves into Evie's bedroom, and the night talk begins. In a small Georgia town in 1949, white and colored do not share a room, much less their secrets. But over the years, Volusia and Agnes, Evie's mother, become friends and business partners and Evie and Janey Louise share their feelings about boys, their worries about school, and their thoughts about their families. Evie's parents eventually divorce, and her younger brother struggles with polio. At first, the girls go to different schools, but Janey Louise and another student begin the 1956 school year by integrating the high school, accompanied by the press and the National Guard. Violent reprisals result, and the bond between the two girls is strained as their own fears and prejudices surface. The story of this enduring friendship spans a period of 40 years, and is told with humor, understanding, and compassion. YAs will be caught up in this tale of two young women struggling against the reality of black and white society in the civil rights era. Its lessons about love, friendship, and the cost of being different are unforgettable.?Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Graywolf Press; 1St Edition edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555972675
• ISBN-13: 978-1555972677
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,418,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves much to think about, February 6, 2003

By 

N. Paige "miznic" (GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Talk (Hardcover)

- in our own everyday interactions with people.

If there is anything I learned from this view through Evie's eyes, it's that nothing can be taken for granted. There are not enough words for me to describe this book... it gave me a new window into the Civil Rights movement.

The ending of the book, though, just blew me away. Who would have known...? I won't say much more here because I'll give the book away, but it's definitely something that belongs on anyone's bookshelf.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful work, skillfully written., December 27, 1997

By 

Bonnie (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Talk (Hardcover)

I am in awe of her talent. This is a beautiful work, skillfully written and a wonderful, full story. It covers all the important issues of friendship, family, and love. It also covers integration, hate, rape, and biology! There is even a courtroom scene. It is deep and beautiful. A very great read.

Cox moves easily back and forth between the 1940's and the 1990's in the voice of Evie who has a keen insight into the world and its beauty. Issues of divorce, integration, mental illness, rape, lynching, but also love and friendship, especially friendship between girls and women, are not too big for Cox. This is a work of high quality.

5.0 out of 5 stars NIght Talk, September 23, 2009

By 

K. Cunningham "novascotialandry" (eufaula, al) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Night Talk: A Novel (Paperback)

This book is worth buying. The story is engaging and really makes you think about our society now and how we interact together. I truly liked this book.