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River, Cross My Heart
River Cross My Heart
Author: Breena Clarke
A remarkable new writer makes her debut--with a novel of tragedy and triumph in the life of an African American family in Georgetown, circa 1925. Eight-year-old Clara Bynum is dead, drowned in the Potomac River in the shadow of an apparently haunted rock outcropping known locally as the Three Sisters. In scenes alive with emotional truth, R...  more » weighs the effect of Claras absence on the people she has left behind: her parents, Alice and Willie Bynum, torn between the old world of their rural North Carolina home and the new world of the city, to which they have moved in search of a better life for themselves and their children; the friends and relatives of the Bynum family in the Georgetown neighborhood they now call home; and, most especially, Claras sister, twelve-year-old Johnnie Mae, who must come to terms with the powerful and confused emotions sparked by her sisters death as she struggles to decide and discover the kind of woman she will become. This highly accomplished first novel resonates with ideas, impassioned lyricism, and poignant historical detail as it captures an essential part of the African-American experience in our century.
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ISBN-13: 9780316899994
ISBN-10: 0316899992
Publication Date: 10/13/1999
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 10

3.4 stars, based on 10 ratings
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

SanJoseCa avatar reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 328 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This is a novel about a close-knit African American community, living in Georgetown in 1925. The author paints a wonderful picture of the culture and what life was like for the people who were not too far descended from slavery. The story is centered around a young girl who has to deal with the aftermath of her younger sisters accidental death.
This is a feel good story and I would highly recommend it, especially to teenage girls and their mothers.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 81 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is a story of a black family in 1925 Washington DC. They must deal with the drowning of one of the children. It was a bit slow and I felt the author strayed away sometimes so I would loose track of which character was being addressed at the time. I didn't really enjoy the book but finished just to see what happened.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 240 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This remarkable novel brings to life an entire community---the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., circa 1925---as it weighs the effect of a young girl's tragic death on the people she has left behind.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 67 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very good read. I loved every minute of it. It painted a great picture of the DC area in the 1920's reguarding race.
dulcimer42 avatar reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 107 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
One of Oprah's Book Club selections, and for good reason. Such a moving story about one little girl's life, tragedies and more. Keeps your attention riveted all the way through.
Read All 46 Book Reviews of "River Cross My Heart"

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reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 7 more book reviews
Excellent book. Tells a great story about survivor guilt.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 70 more book reviews
I truly enjoyed this book. The description of Washington, D.C. in the 1920's was historically interresting. Communities coming together in tragetic situations and individuals rising above adversity make up the basis of this story. A good read!
MrsEFP avatar reviewed River, Cross My Heart on
A little slower than I had expected and not much plot
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 59 more book reviews
Like this. Oprah picks good books.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 35 more book reviews
A story of how a family copes after the death of a child. Very interesting, though sad.
tripletmom avatar reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 225 more book reviews
Unabridged. Story of a young black girl & the obstacles she faces.
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 185 more book reviews
Interesting story
reviewed River, Cross My Heart on + 39 more book reviews
A beautiful, emotionally engaging story. It brings to life an entire community -- the Georgetown neighborhood of Wash DC in the mid 1920s about the effect of the tragic death of a young girl and its effect on those she left behind.

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