A review by ja3m3
A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines

5.0

I’m going to start off by stating that A Gathering Of Old Men is the best book that I have read so far in 2013. Though it is a short novel, barely 200 pages, it packs a powerful punch as it portrays the need of a few elderly black men to finally stand up to the injustices that they felt living with Jim Crow. The raw emotion and dignity that is felt as one by one they tell their stories about the horror of being black in the deep south during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s is gut-wrenching. There are so many lessons in this book - letting go of fears, standing up to injustice, when does something wrong become something right? that I found myself pausing to rethink what I know about history especially racism in the late 1970's.

Gaines does an amazing job capturing the essence of the people living in a small parish in Louisiana who will all make choices that will shape the direction of their lives. Highly recommend.