In the enduring tradition of great African-American literature reminiscent of such luminary women writers as Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, sisters Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza have blended their voices to sing as one in co-authorship of a brilliant kaleidoscope of heritage and culture ~
Some Sing, Some Cry: A Novel.
Never do the authors miss a beat in this factual and fictional account of African-American life spanning seven generations of the Mayfield family. With dialogue which is authentic and convincing and often capturing the innermost thoughts of its colorful characters, the authors deliver a compelling narrative in a single harmonious voice and not once does that voice stray off key. Theirs is a powerful story driven by the rhythm of life, beginning at the emancipation of slavery and proceeding until the present day 21st century. The theme is exemplary ~ "Slavery leaves telling marks lasting generations, still every word out of our mouths is a song."
From the very first pages on, music pulsates from every beautifully composed sentence. The prose is so lyrical it sings. The first chapter, vastly rhapsodic and lushly poetic, is a rainbow of perfectly chosen words in celebration of color and every rich hue of blackness. I was compelled to immediately reread Chapter One over and over again for the shear beauty of its language ~ the sweeping poetic prose is so arresting.
In fact, color and music give solid structure to this very unique novel of African-American history and culture. For me it is was like reading the libretto of a contemporary lyric opera; I thought of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess often. The pacing is cleverly set to a progression in musical tempo, ranging the entire spectrum from primitive rhythms pounded out on hollow gourds and spirited shouts arising from the ancient soul to the gentle Negro spirituals, and on to jazz, R&B, Motown, hip-hop, rock-n-roll, folk music and songs of protest. Even great classical and opera are blended passionately throughout this superb story. Every sentence reads with a musical flow which drives the storyline and causes every page to pulsate with passion, spirit and love.
Half way through
Some Sing, Some Cry: A Novel when the slow spiritual pace of country life in the Old South explodes during World War I into an undulating new age of city life, fast living and newly born jazz, a very telling conversation takes place between two major characters, Osceola and Europe~
"The world is changing, Osceola. Somehow what has captured it is the music-our music. It changes up, improvises, shines, groans and growls-it speaks to the soul-because it comes from there." The lieutenant's body shook violently as if another spell or frenzy were about to descend upon him, but it was a rapture. "Take away from a man everything that he knows, his family, his name, his land, his language"-Europe drew up his arms as if shackled-"his freedom-what is he to do?-He sings. He dances. He plays duh bones. He wails...It's our path, our way out, Osceola. It is the door and the key. Ain't it grand?"
It seems from this point on in the narrative that the pacing picks up along with the music. The first half, representing the earlier Mayfield generations, is almost a different book. Story is emphasized more, told slowly with more depth and detail. The characters are more deeply developed and more attention is made to them. The second half following World War I is paced more briskly, following the rhythm of a more modern, hurried life with less story and character development but a dizzying amount of musical name dropping. Still, I continued to find the narrative engaging and entertaining.
The story is so factual and the history so authentic and raw that at times I found myself ashamed of my own white skin and the disgraceful part my race played in African-American history. I don't believe that was the point the authors were intending however. Rather that there's a place for every reader inside the skin and the minds of the powerful characters of the Mayfield family. Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeaza have created in seven generations of the Mayfield family a celebration of Black heritage, a novel of affirmation, a story of love. It is really a song of life's joys and sorrows, of identity and pride, of resilience and faith.
It is in the telling of this story that makes it unique and so captivating. I was so completely taken in that I couldn't put it down.
Some Sing, Some Cry: A Novel is brilliant storytelling and I enthusiastically recommend it!
