New Novel -- *Some Sing, Some Cry*

Some Sing, Some Cry is a long, multi-generational novel by two sisters, Ntozake Shange, author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, and playwright, Ifa Bayeza.

Two pulls from the NY Times Sunday Book Review:

"A rich mix of storytelling and African-American history, it follows seven generations of black women who, largely through music, are able to survive the violence of their national and personal histories even as they find themselves too battle-scarred to mother their children with real joy."

and

"And yet, despite such soap-operatic indulgences, this story of lifesaving music and heartbroken maternity is engaging from start to finish. The Mayfield women are hilarious and sexy, gorgeous and strong. They all work the same refrain: “Never go backward. Always be movin’, movin’ forward. Life is in front of me, not behind.” After every near defeat, these women pick themselves up, sometimes literally off the ground, and take the next impossible step. And while they all take that step differently — choosing to run or to work, to curse or, yes, to sing — not one of them spends much time crying."

Few novels published this year have sounded in the least appealing to my tastes. This one, however, seems right my little historical fiction preference alley. We're going back to NYC next weekend and I'm going to be there at least a week while his Nness gallivants around to New Orleans and assorted places, so I can pick it up then.