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aliceboule's review against another edition
3.0
There is something in the timelessness of Kevin Boyle's book that is frightfully relevant to today's events.
The Ossian Sweet case and the injustice it represents for early 20th century America continues to exist today - and that is terrifying.
To think that we, as a nation and as a people, have not changed in almost century, and yes, lynchings are over and Jim Crow is over but the problem hasn't been solved. The government put a band-aid on a sweltering wound and is surprised at the problems popping up everywhere?
Until the mind set of the people has changed from the foundational racial inequality that Boyle discusses and represents through Ossian Sweet's case and life into one of acceptance, problems will continue to develop.
Are we a nation of progress?
The Ossian Sweet case and the injustice it represents for early 20th century America continues to exist today - and that is terrifying.
To think that we, as a nation and as a people, have not changed in almost century, and yes, lynchings are over and Jim Crow is over but the problem hasn't been solved. The government put a band-aid on a sweltering wound and is surprised at the problems popping up everywhere?
Until the mind set of the people has changed from the foundational racial inequality that Boyle discusses and represents through Ossian Sweet's case and life into one of acceptance, problems will continue to develop.
Are we a nation of progress?
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
3.0
This was the Michigan Reads book for 2011. While it wasn't always a page-turner, I'm really glad I read it. The author, Kevin Boyle, is an historian with a keen eye for rich detail. He tells the story of Ossian Sweet - a young, talented and ambitious doctor living in Detroit in the mid-1920s. Sweet, the son of slaves, grew up in the south and made his way north during the Great Migration. He completed school, college and medical school before establishing a medical practice in Detroit. He and his wife and young daughter didn't want to live in the neighborhoods open to blacks so they took a risk and bought a house in a traditionally white neighborhood. The book tells the story of the subsequent clash, trial, and aftermath of this decision. Clarence Darrow, of Scopes trial fame, became the lead defending attorney for Sweet. Though living in the south could be deadly for blacks in the 1920's, living in the north wasn't all that great either. My eyes were further opened to some of the insidious and underhanded practices that kept people from reaching their full potential. And why do we learn of the Scopes trial in school and hear nothing of Ossian Sweet's situation?
roshk99's review
4.0
A fantastic read. Once the scene unfolds, the reader is held captivated by the courtroom drama and the infallibility of the arguments made by the captivating orators. Prejudice is placed in the spotlight and the true Thomas Hobbes' "nasty, ugly, and brutish" portrayal of human nature seems to come to life. The ingrained role of prejudice can be applied to today's society, and Boyle points out that although this monumental court case and others paved the way for the removal of segregation in institutions, prejudice has not been eliminated in our society today. The serious nature of this case brings this extremely critical issue to our attention today and calls on us to eliminate prejudice in our lives, or simply just fit into Hobbes' pessimistic view of human nature. As humans, we have a duty to do better.
smemmott's review against another edition
5.0
Vivid and fascinating look at racism and race relations in America through the lens of a particular incident in 1927 Detroit. The author's compassion for the subjects, and the details and context of the story make this a truly compelling read.
eerupps's review
4.0
This book was not as long as it appeared. There were many pages of notes and sources since it was nonfiction. I was initially drawn to the book when I found out it was this year's Great Michigan Read selection. I have always been fascinated by the history of Detroit and the role civil rights had there. This is a very detailed account of the struggle of Dr. Ossian Sweet and his friends after a murder of a white man occurred in front of his home during a mob protest. This story was definitely worth reading but it was LONG and difficult to follow at times, especially in the parts concerning the trial. I was surprised and saddened by how Dr. Sweet's story ended.
chandaferguson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
This was a dense, very out of my element novel, but I found it compelling, informative, and so relevant for Black History Month. I was very appreciative of my library choosing this as a book club book for the month of February because of the themes and representation present. This history was uncomfortable and heart-wrenching, but it's so necessary, especially as the preservation of real history is becoming more and more important in society today. These stories must be remembered, honored, and understood in order for us to validate and move on towards progress.
This was a very difficult read at times, which deters me from making it a 4-star would recommend book, although I do think it’s one people should try to read (or at least do research to learn about the case and history itself). This is impactful and I think many people would be surprised by the impact a novel like this can have with careful intention and effort, but I worry it would deter a lot of people from further reading because of how elaborate and researched it is, but I do think for those who enjoy nonfiction or information-heavy stories with themes of justice, American history, true crime, law, and race would thoroughly enjoy this.
<><>Spoilers<><>
Think "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Chamber" elements presented in extended detail and precision. I also have to admit that trying to read it through Covid brain fog definitely prolonged the arduous process, but this was a book was one that kept pulling me back despite being so heavy. I wanted to know if justice would be found, and I suppose it was right at that point I also realized that it may have been too late. It's devastating, and one that will give me a lot to think about for a while. Definitely one that I recommend for the sake of education and better understanding of the immense racial turmoil that has lasting effects, but I will say this is not one for the light-hearted and the closure is not necessarily a positive one because of the overall experience of struggle and injustice along the way.
Book 32/150
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5
This was a very difficult read at times, which deters me from making it a 4-star would recommend book, although I do think it’s one people should try to read (or at least do research to learn about the case and history itself). This is impactful and I think many people would be surprised by the impact a novel like this can have with careful intention and effort, but I worry it would deter a lot of people from further reading because of how elaborate and researched it is, but I do think for those who enjoy nonfiction or information-heavy stories with themes of justice, American history, true crime, law, and race would thoroughly enjoy this.
<><>Spoilers<><>
Think "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Chamber" elements presented in extended detail and precision. I also have to admit that trying to read it through Covid brain fog definitely prolonged the arduous process, but this was a book was one that kept pulling me back despite being so heavy. I wanted to know if justice would be found, and I suppose it was right at that point I also realized that it may have been too late. It's devastating, and one that will give me a lot to think about for a while. Definitely one that I recommend for the sake of education and better understanding of the immense racial turmoil that has lasting effects, but I will say this is not one for the light-hearted and the closure is not necessarily a positive one because of the overall experience of struggle and injustice along the way.
Book 32/150
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5
libkatem's review against another edition
3.0
A few years ago, I would not have picked up this book, because I felt that American history was boring.
It's still not my favorite, but I have a better, deeper understanding of it now. Thanks mostly to the fact that I am no longer in a place where the state decides what I get to learn about. The thing about American History is that you get a very White and Male perspective. That's it. And that is neither interesting nor demonstrative of what was actually happening.
Case in point: I have very little working knowledge of the history of People of Color in America.
Suffice to say, this is a very good picture of what it was like for African American people living in the North, where technically Jim Crow didn't exist. However, you'll find that the prejudices they faced where the same. Northern states were not, and in many cases, are not the havens people want them to be.
So yeah. Read this book. I can tell you what to read, right? No? Whatever.
It's still not my favorite, but I have a better, deeper understanding of it now. Thanks mostly to the fact that I am no longer in a place where the state decides what I get to learn about. The thing about American History is that you get a very White and Male perspective. That's it. And that is neither interesting nor demonstrative of what was actually happening.
Case in point: I have very little working knowledge of the history of People of Color in America.
Suffice to say, this is a very good picture of what it was like for African American people living in the North, where technically Jim Crow didn't exist. However, you'll find that the prejudices they faced where the same. Northern states were not, and in many cases, are not the havens people want them to be.
So yeah. Read this book. I can tell you what to read, right? No? Whatever.
jessreads82's review against another edition
5.0
This book was recommended by a metro Detroit library for unity in 2021, and it lived up to the awards it had received upon release. This is essentially the story of the undercurrent of racism throughout the northern cities in the early years of the 1900’s. Racism that wasn’t explicitly written into laws, but that served as the guidelines for neighborhoods and who could live in them. The book was set in Detroit, but it could easily have been set in any northern city. Although Michigan is still known for the segregation of cities and suburbs that continue to today.
The history in this book was mind boggling—so much I didn’t know about my area and these years. The only drawback would be in the epilogue when the author alluded to the issue of race no longer being as relevant of an issue…however, the housing concerns discussed in this book from the 1920’s continues to this day. It is far from an irrelevant issue.
I highly recommend this book to all Americans to serve as an education on the type of racism that is still being fought to this day
The history in this book was mind boggling—so much I didn’t know about my area and these years. The only drawback would be in the epilogue when the author alluded to the issue of race no longer being as relevant of an issue…however, the housing concerns discussed in this book from the 1920’s continues to this day. It is far from an irrelevant issue.
I highly recommend this book to all Americans to serve as an education on the type of racism that is still being fought to this day
markfeltskog's review
A comprehensive documentation of the Ossian Sweet case that looks to me like the final word on the subject.