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iceangel32's review against another edition
5.0
Wow...this book was amazing. Maybe it is because it is about Sicilians and it hit home, or maybe i was just a story that stays with anyone that reads it. This is a work of fiction based on a true story of the lynching of 5 Sicilians in Tallulah, Louisiana in 1899. In the afterword we learn that most of the characters were real except the main character in the book, who tells the story.
It is a great story of the relationship of the blacks, whites and Sicilians at the time, along with an Native American. The story shows you love, fear, hatred and hope. I am very glad that my reading challenge lead me to this book and i had the opportunity to read it.
It is a great story of the relationship of the blacks, whites and Sicilians at the time, along with an Native American. The story shows you love, fear, hatred and hope. I am very glad that my reading challenge lead me to this book and i had the opportunity to read it.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
14-year-old Calogero is a recent Sicilian immigrant to Louisiana from Sicily in 1898. He struggles to understand the Jim Crow laws as he doesn't seem to fit in with the blacks or the whites. This historical fiction is based on a newspaper article Napoli read and researched. The story is beautifully written. I felt some of the characters were more developed than others, but the story was interesting and engaging for me. I did feel a bit anxious as I read it, as Napoli seems to frequently foreshadow that something terrible is going to occur. I definitely felt very appreciative that I don't live in such a fearful time period.
beatniksafari's review against another edition
3.0
As the daughter of an Italian immigrant, I was surprised to learn that Italians were lynched in the south just over 100 years ago - and embarrassed by my ignorance. Napoli's book tells the story of an incident in a small Louisiana town, where the small population of Sicilian immigrants is considered neither white nor black. A young boy witnesses the fallout when Sicilian business owners decide to treat their black customers with the same courtesy shown to whites. Gut-wrenching.
bazreads's review against another edition
5.0
i cried i literally cried i have not cried over a book since little women
annakim's review against another edition
2.0
In the Louisiana swamps, where segregation is still the way of life, young Calogero, a Sicilian, falls in love with Patricia, a young African American girl, disregarding the censure and disapproval of the community.
Though this book does a great job exposing readers to the little known history of Sicilians in the south and the injustices they faced, the writing is a bit weak and the pacing tends to be rather slow.
Though this book does a great job exposing readers to the little known history of Sicilians in the south and the injustices they faced, the writing is a bit weak and the pacing tends to be rather slow.
disconightwing's review
3.0
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I think it was an excellent story that teaches a valuable lesson about an overlooked group of people at the turn of the century. On the other hand, the ending was a major downer and I'm not sure I'd want a kid to read it, and the present tense really got on my nerves.
I had a hard time getting into this story, but I'm glad I stuck with it until the end. I had a hard time identifying with any of the characters, but I felt really bad for Calogero at the end, too. So I'm really torn about how I feel about this one.
I had a hard time getting into this story, but I'm glad I stuck with it until the end. I had a hard time identifying with any of the characters, but I felt really bad for Calogero at the end, too. So I'm really torn about how I feel about this one.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
I gave this the Nancy Pearl 50-page shot. The theme is tired and tried. I think there are far too many books about the topic of discrimination based on nationality, and no matter what group is doing what action, it has to chart new territory to gain readers. This one just didn't.
I tried again but just can't do it.
I tried again but just can't do it.
dlarca's review against another edition
3.0
Calogero lives with his uncles and cousin outside of Tallulah, Louisiana in 1899. Their family runs a grocery store, selling the best fruits and vegetables to members of the town. They are the only Sicilians in Tallulah and therefore a target. Not everyone takes kindly to the immigrants, who aren't white but aren't Negro either. Calogero doesn't fit in anywhere. Until he meets Patricia and her brother. Who happen to be black.
For the first time ever, the Scalise family has friends. But fraternizing with Negros makes the white townspeople detest them even more. As tensions mount and lies run rampant, Calogero is forced to make some difficult decisions and bear the brunt of unspeakable bigotry.
Based on a true story, Napoli explores other forms of racism in the south during the American Reconstruction. We often reduce the story to white and black, but forget that others were caught in the crossfire as well. Alligator Bayou is a quick read, but it will leave you pondering the effects of hatred, ignorance, and violence as our country struggled to rebuild itself-and how those forces can still be seen at work today.
For the first time ever, the Scalise family has friends. But fraternizing with Negros makes the white townspeople detest them even more. As tensions mount and lies run rampant, Calogero is forced to make some difficult decisions and bear the brunt of unspeakable bigotry.
Based on a true story, Napoli explores other forms of racism in the south during the American Reconstruction. We often reduce the story to white and black, but forget that others were caught in the crossfire as well. Alligator Bayou is a quick read, but it will leave you pondering the effects of hatred, ignorance, and violence as our country struggled to rebuild itself-and how those forces can still be seen at work today.
lynnlovegreen's review against another edition
Another excellent book from a great author! She brings to life a part of our history I never heard of, in a searing but beautiful way.