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sommerblond's review against another edition
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Racism
robyn1998's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful writing, I loved this. It was funny and heartbreaking in equal measures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Rape, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Daddy was a Number Runner is a little known classic by Black author Louise Meriwether. Published in 1970, and set in Harlem during the Great Depression, it is a coming of age story of Francie Coffin, a young Black girl. In tone and content it reminded me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, also about a young girl named Francie, but with race layered over and interacting with other factors like poverty.
The writing was straightforward yet powerful. No over exaggerating or embellishing was required. Sadly, I was repeatedly struck by how much things have stayed the same since the period depicted in this book. Getting accepted for government assistance is still difficult and degrading. It is still often insufficient to meet the needs of a family yet any extra earnings are penalised. Gambling still offers false hope. Wearing second-hand altered clothing can feel as demeaning now as it did then. Girls, especially Black girls, growing up in poverty are still more likely than others to suffer from sexual harassment and assault, while gangs continue to attract their brothers. And as we all know police discrimination, prejudice and brutality is not a thing of the past. In other words this classic still feels very timely and relevant.
I was especially struck by the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault that Francie had to routinely deal with and accept. It was especially rage-inducing to think of storekeepers preying on young girls in such a calculated way.
Overall I found this a quietly compelling story, one that highlighted the factors that combined to make life so difficult for Black families, to disillusion Black children like Francie and her siblings, to make hope, progress and improvement seem so unattainable. It left me thinking a lot about children, especially children of colour, who are living in poverty today and what needs to be done to give them a fair chance. It’s certainly a book that is worthy of a much wider readership.
The writing was straightforward yet powerful. No over exaggerating or embellishing was required. Sadly, I was repeatedly struck by how much things have stayed the same since the period depicted in this book. Getting accepted for government assistance is still difficult and degrading. It is still often insufficient to meet the needs of a family yet any extra earnings are penalised. Gambling still offers false hope. Wearing second-hand altered clothing can feel as demeaning now as it did then. Girls, especially Black girls, growing up in poverty are still more likely than others to suffer from sexual harassment and assault, while gangs continue to attract their brothers. And as we all know police discrimination, prejudice and brutality is not a thing of the past. In other words this classic still feels very timely and relevant.
I was especially struck by the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault that Francie had to routinely deal with and accept. It was especially rage-inducing to think of storekeepers preying on young girls in such a calculated way.
Overall I found this a quietly compelling story, one that highlighted the factors that combined to make life so difficult for Black families, to disillusion Black children like Francie and her siblings, to make hope, progress and improvement seem so unattainable. It left me thinking a lot about children, especially children of colour, who are living in poverty today and what needs to be done to give them a fair chance. It’s certainly a book that is worthy of a much wider readership.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual assault
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