Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South [Hardcover]

James McEachin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1996

A subtle and richly textured first novel....[Kirkus Reviews] set as slavery ends following the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Years after the Civil War, Moses, a 17-year-old former slave, journeys back to the isolated North Carolina town where he had been born to arrogant white plantation owner Archie McBride and his young slave mistress. Posing as a pro-slavery journalist, Moses enters a general store where he buttonholes four old codgers who pine for "the good old days of servitude." Though these unreconstructed racists don't recognize their visitor, they once had committed arson and murder that had shattered the young man's childhood. As Moses indirectly confronts them with tales of the buried past (tales in which he is the unnamed protagonist), a powerful drama of one man's search for identity, justice and vengeance unfolds. Moses's narrative, shot through with Faulkneresque overtones, tells how he was raised by ex-slave "Uncle" Ben, a loyal laborer on Archie's estate; how, though an illegitimate, mixed-race child, he inherited the entire property, thanks to the machinations of Archie's vengeful wife; and how his dream went up in flames, making him an orphan. The subtext of McEachin's stunning first novel is the moral rot of slavery, its harmful effects on both white and black and its lingering legacy in deep-rooted prejudice. (Feb.) ~ FYI: McEachin, a veteran film actor (True Grit), was among the first African American actors to be the sole lead in a dramatic series (Tenafly).
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA?McEachin captures the flavor of the oral tradition upon which the rural South has been built. He sets his story in decidedly unreconstructed, small-town North Carolina, where Moses, a young slave, spins a riveting tale about his dignified "uncle" Ben; a disastrous plantation fire; and, above all, his own distant white father who will not acknowledge paternity. Moses tells his story to an audience of four old-timers who are passing the time of day in Millan's General Store. YAs will readily comprehend the moral stain of slavery upon the national psyche. The message resonates in 1996 as clearly as it did in the post-Civil War era: Emancipation generated bitterness and anger among whites even as it sparked those same emotions in blacks. McEachin's writing adds serious history to the folksy mood, resulting in an effective use of the folk genre. The magic of storytelling dominates the writing, thus avoiding the unpalatable "preacher's tale" effect.?Margaret Nolan, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press (June 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089141584X
• ISBN-13: 978-0891415848
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,882,210 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:

4.0 out of 5 stars well worth reading despite the slow beginning, January 10, 1998

By 

LovesBooks "LovesBooks" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (Paperback)

As a professional in the publishing business, I feel the Amazon.com reviewers who knocked this book were unfair. Sure, it was slow to get into the story, but worth reading because the author was carefully building a solid foundation for the conclusion. I'm left feeling desolate and saddened by the ending, yet it was fitting for the situation and characters and teaches important lessons to the reader. This book gives one insight into the South and slavery from both the the white and especially from the black point of view. Thank you, James McEachin, for coming up with this unique method of story-telling! Please write more!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tell Me A Tale, October 6, 2008

By 

Ms. 90 (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (Paperback)

And what a tale it is. Years removed from slavery, a teen-aged Moses leaves his caretakers and makes his way to Red Springs, North Carolina. When he reaches his destination, a ramshackled country store, he finds a group of men and while liquoring them up, begins to tell them a tale. As Moses' tale ends, one of the men realizes that this just isn't any old tale but his realization comes just a little too late.

If you can get past the first couple of chapters, you'll find that this is a decent piece of storytelling. I found the story pretty far-fetched, but it's well-written and finely crafted with nifty twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I must admit, it took about two weeks for me to finish this because while I found the story quite interesting, it was hard to read. I didn't find a rhythm or flow to the writing, so I was only able to read a few pages a day. It's pretty solid, though - different from my norm but not something that I would read again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars POWERFUL, May 10, 2008

By 

D. Meyers (Grand Rapis, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South (Hardcover)

I have read this book twice - once several years ago and again at this time. The book haunted me with an otherworldly memory and needed to be revisited. I found McCachin's skill as an author and storyteller compelling and very deep. Some passages verged on sheer poetry. The plot unravels in such a way that, just as the reader senses predictability, new surprises arrive.

Good characterization also deserves note. Each person is iconic and simply but well developed. Mildred is the old fearful aristocracy and Archy is the change agent that victimized the South. Ben came forth as the old guard slave, Ms. Pratt the voice of hope, Moses, the new generation of liberated slave, and of course there was the ever present representation of ignorance and hate. The last chapter deserved two readings.

I am hoping that the author continues to write. I am also hoping this book is made into a screneplay. I would love to see it acted out.