About This Book
This powerful historical fiction, presented as Nellie Lee Love's diary, offers a deeply personal account of the Great Migration. Nellie's family flees the brutal racism of rural Tennessee after a KKK murder, seeking a better life in Chicago. However, they soon discover that while segregation may be less overt, prejudice and violence, including the devastating 1919 Red Summer race riots, still plague the North. The book explores themes of family bonds, resilience, grief, and the search for justice, providing a poignant look at a pivotal moment in American history through a child's eyes. It is suitable for middle-grade readers ready for mature themes.
An ordinary girl living extraordinary events. Her family, Love, characterizes her comfortable, secure world in Bradford Corners, TN. Until Uncle Pace is murdered by the KKK. The Author gradually exposes the prejudice & segregation existing even though slavery has been abolished over 50 years. All discover, how whites live on one side of the only road, & Colored live on the other. We recognize the fear in the adults' faces when the sheriff warns against reading NAACP materials. & while Nellie's father & uncle attempt to find the only Colored doctor in 2 counties - who's far away delivering twins Nellie & her sister Erma Jean watch Uncle Pace's life slip away. With his death, Erma Jean's voice abandons her. In order to find better treatment for his daughter, Mr. Love & Erma Jean leave for Chicago. Soon, Nellie Lee & her mom join them. Life in Chicago even with less apparent segregation - isn't the promised land her family hoped. However, all that sustained the family in TN hold them together there. Home, once a large 2-story with trees, becomes a 2 room with a shared toilet. Religion, becomes Nellie & Erma's deliverance. Underneath the refined exterior, Chicago is a city of secrets. Mr. Love finds that bribery opens or shuts doors as he struggles with his business. Lake Michigan, a refuge for summer days, ignites racial rioting. The family watch in horror as a friend drowns while white's hurl rocks at Colored swimmers trying to rescue him. For over 2 weeks, all are held hostage & rioting consumes the streets: 38 dead, 100's injured, De facto segregation becomes more firmly rooted there. Mos later, Nellie reflects on her family's time there. The lynchings, rioting. James Weldon Johnson called 1919 the Red Summer - so much blood spilled. they survived battered & torn, but standing." Her diary ends New Year's Eve, 1919 with a summary
Discussion Prompts
1
How did Nellie's experiences in Tennessee compare to her experiences in Chicago? What was similar and what was different about the racism she encountered?
2
Nellie's sister, Erma Jean, loses her voice after Uncle Pace's death. What does this tell us about the impact of trauma? How does the family try to help her?
3
The book describes the 'Red Summer' riots in Chicago. What caused these riots, and what was their impact on Nellie's family and the city?
4
What does 'home' mean to Nellie and her family throughout their journey? How do they carry their sense of home with them?
5
What acts of bravery and resilience do you see in Nellie's family? How do they support each other through difficult times?
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