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A review by libbysbookshelf
Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether
DADDY WAS A NUMBER RUNNER by LOUISE MERIWETHER
I was in @mrbsemporium one day; one of those visits that was supposed to be for browsing only (like they ever go to plan) when this book jumped into my hands. After @reggiereads introduced me (and the rest of Bookstagram) to Ann Petry, I became obsessed. I’ve always enjoyed and sought out literature by Black writers and Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde, Gayl Jones, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor are just a few of my favourites. So whenever I see a classic written by a Black woman, I just have to have it.
This did not disappoint.
This might be one of my favourites. Where CORREGIDORA and THE STREET follow women living in Harlem in a certain period of history, Number Runner follows a young girl. Where the women have already given up hope, the young girl still holds on to it. All three novels feature poverty like you’ve never seen before, maybe The Street and Number Runner more so. Poverty that makes you want to reach into the pages and give the characters some food and a blanket. MERIWETHER writes about the rats and the bedbugs and the men who flash or touch up the young girl; all three pests of Harlem. It’s heartbreaking to see the girl have to put up with the fondling because that’s the only way to get a little extra for her family.
The theme, of course, that unites these books, aside from the systematic racism, is the strength of these characters. And that’s what brings a tear to your eye. The characters who face so much hunger and pain and degradation on a daily basis. These books are a snapshot of the life of a Black American in the twentieth century and not only are they exquisite works of literature, they are also revolutionary in a societal and political sense. Anyone who reads this book will have a greater understanding and empathy and isn’t that where we need to start?
Anyway, I need you all to read this because it’s a great book and MERIWETHER is a great writer. The rest is extra.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewfeatures #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookrecs #daddywasanumberrunner #louisemeriwether
I was in @mrbsemporium one day; one of those visits that was supposed to be for browsing only (like they ever go to plan) when this book jumped into my hands. After @reggiereads introduced me (and the rest of Bookstagram) to Ann Petry, I became obsessed. I’ve always enjoyed and sought out literature by Black writers and Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde, Gayl Jones, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor are just a few of my favourites. So whenever I see a classic written by a Black woman, I just have to have it.
This did not disappoint.
This might be one of my favourites. Where CORREGIDORA and THE STREET follow women living in Harlem in a certain period of history, Number Runner follows a young girl. Where the women have already given up hope, the young girl still holds on to it. All three novels feature poverty like you’ve never seen before, maybe The Street and Number Runner more so. Poverty that makes you want to reach into the pages and give the characters some food and a blanket. MERIWETHER writes about the rats and the bedbugs and the men who flash or touch up the young girl; all three pests of Harlem. It’s heartbreaking to see the girl have to put up with the fondling because that’s the only way to get a little extra for her family.
The theme, of course, that unites these books, aside from the systematic racism, is the strength of these characters. And that’s what brings a tear to your eye. The characters who face so much hunger and pain and degradation on a daily basis. These books are a snapshot of the life of a Black American in the twentieth century and not only are they exquisite works of literature, they are also revolutionary in a societal and political sense. Anyone who reads this book will have a greater understanding and empathy and isn’t that where we need to start?
Anyway, I need you all to read this because it’s a great book and MERIWETHER is a great writer. The rest is extra.
#book #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewfeatures #bookrecommendation #bookreader #bookreviewer #bookreviews #bookrecs #daddywasanumberrunner #louisemeriwether