Night Talk: A Novel [Paperback]

Elizabeth Cox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1998

Recently Nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Night Talk has served as an inspiration for honest discussions of race around the country.

A beautiful, moving story of the unlikely and enduring friendship of two girls, one white and one black, who grew up together in the radically divided deep South.

At night, under the same roof, under the same moon, nothing divides the girls, Evie and Janey Louise. Talking on their beds, they discuss their strong mothers, their absent fathers, and they wonder about paths their lives will take. Yet during the day, Evie is blind to their differences-that she is white and her best friend is black. It is only as they grow older that Evie comes to see the inequalities that permeate their lives and to understand that for their friendship to continue she must recognize the different worlds they face.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312195168
• ISBN-13: 978-0312195168
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,693,268 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.