Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: Early 20th Century Eatonville, Florida
Themes: social justice / injustice, race relations, discrimination, prejudices, racial identity, economic class, poverty, employment, migration / migratory workers
Highly Recommended : Grade 4 Up
Awards: Corretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award
Zora and Me won the 2011 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award, and I can see why. I loved this book. Told in first person narrative, this fictional story introduces middle grade readers to American literary great Zora Neale Hurston, author of the classic Their Eyes Were Watching God.
The fictional story is very loosely based upon events from Hurston's autobiography, Dust Tracks on the Road. Hurston spent much of her early life in the town of Eatonville, Florida, one of the few all black incorporated towns in the US in the early twentieth century. Told through the first person narrative by Zora's fictional best friend, Carrie, the prose begs to be read aloud. It is through Carrie's rich voice that readers discover Zora's insatiable curiosity, tenaciousness, and her greatest gift -- the ability to spin stories that could capture anyone's attention.
The authors do not shy away from the issues and violence faced by African Americans living during this time. Zora Neale Hurston's indomitable spirit shines through as she explores the swamps surrounding her community and discovers that the gators are not the only monsters in the area. The girls also ponder and seek answers to the questions they have about their own identity (both personal and racial) -- who they are, how they see themselves, and who they want to be. Thus, this novel, though short, is not a book for readers younger than nine or ten. It is a serious work, told with a child's sense of wonder, that should be savored and discussed.
Parents and Educators: Be aware that the "n" word is used in its historical context. (For the record, I do not believe in sanitizing such language in children's books as it was a part of our history. If we refuse to acknowledge this, it is impossible to learn from it and move on from there. I merely mention this to alert parents and educators to be ready to discuss these issues with their children and students.) In addition, there are a few instances of mild swearing (exclamations of Deity). While the violence of the area and period is present, it is not graphically described, although there is a incident where a decapitated body is found.
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