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ladysilver915's review
5.0
This was really an outstanding story. I was prepared to not like it and found myself deep into the story and the characters.
tariqah's review
4.0
As one of the ratings states, McGlothin is a splendid and talented storyteller. It takes an alienable amount of skill to create such an emotionally-provoking dystopia as a fiction. Personally, that's what makes it so impressive: the fact that it's a fiction (not even based on a true story).
Hampton Bynote is your typical, victimized, devalued Black man in the state of Louisiana during the mid-to-late 50s. In spite of this, he takes his chances with a considerably-wealthy White male, Bones Arcineaux, who appeared in his life by chance. At first, I suspected Bones to have some sense of sympathy for Hampton, which is why I figured he invited this man as a "partner in crime". Bones was fair; he tipped Hampton handsomely and helped him out in situations of dire need. Putting Bones to the side, Hampton had his own host of issues.
The emotional roller-coaster began when Pearl Lee, Hampton's sister, revealed to a student of hers the torment she'd been under since her family had to work beneath a wealthy White family. Now, the reader is introduced to the horrific, painful, and down-right disgusting relationship that most Black families had to endure with their slave-masters in order to survive. If it isn't the slave-master sneaking through the back door for Hampton's sister, its his daughters being assaulted by a priest, and if not that, he's in bad-standing with the law (Bones asserting a hand in the mess somehow).
The Secrets of Newberry is a great depiction of how Jim Crow worked as a system of oppression, only appearing lighter than slavery. I applaud McGlothin for the talent he has successfully infused in such a controversial dilemma.
Hampton Bynote is your typical, victimized, devalued Black man in the state of Louisiana during the mid-to-late 50s. In spite of this, he takes his chances with a considerably-wealthy White male, Bones Arcineaux, who appeared in his life by chance. At first, I suspected Bones to have some sense of sympathy for Hampton, which is why I figured he invited this man as a "partner in crime". Bones was fair; he tipped Hampton handsomely and helped him out in situations of dire need. Putting Bones to the side, Hampton had his own host of issues.
The emotional roller-coaster began when Pearl Lee, Hampton's sister, revealed to a student of hers the torment she'd been under since her family had to work beneath a wealthy White family. Now, the reader is introduced to the horrific, painful, and down-right disgusting relationship that most Black families had to endure with their slave-masters in order to survive. If it isn't the slave-master sneaking through the back door for Hampton's sister, its his daughters being assaulted by a priest, and if not that, he's in bad-standing with the law (Bones asserting a hand in the mess somehow).
The Secrets of Newberry is a great depiction of how Jim Crow worked as a system of oppression, only appearing lighter than slavery. I applaud McGlothin for the talent he has successfully infused in such a controversial dilemma.
bigbooklife's review
2.0
The Secrets of Newberry followed the life of Hampton Bynote, a young Black man living in Lousinana in the mid 1950s. Hampton meets an unsavory man named Bones who works with him in robbing houses. Soon burgarlary turns into something that Hampton never saw coming. The book could have ended 150 pages before it did. The last 20 chapters were like the story that never ended. The secrets of Newberry were not woven together properly. The extra pages were tacked on to the end to make sure that there was more than one secret in Newberry. The book was okay, but I don't highly recommend it.
amtl73's review
4.0
I started to give this 3 stars...but further reflection made me change it to 4. My hesitation was that there was a ton of things going in. When you have s lot going on, it feels like each plot point is unfinished. That happened with a few if the "secrets" but others were very well done.
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