Author: James Baldwin
This novel is nothing short of a masterpiece. Every single word, sentence, page, is steeped in emotion. The writing is incredibly moving. This is a tale of love in the face of injustice – young love, on top of all of it, a love that is still blooming, the love of a young family in the making. A black man is in prison wrongly accused of rape. Meanwhile his nineteen-year-old pregnant fiancé is trying desperately, with the help of her family, to get Fonny released. But the system works against people like them. The plot is simple and yet the mixing of past memories and the current struggle gives it real depth and really makes the main couple’s relationship come to life. If Beale Street Could Talk is a love story, a tragedy and a work of social criticism all wrapped up together. It offers a unique portrayal of social and racial inequality and how the system always works in favour of the privileged. This book will tear you up inside and will stay with you for a long time. This is one I highly recommend, I’ve never read anything quite like it!
Rating: *****
By Naomi Round
