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Five Smooth Stones
This gripping bestseller, first published in 1966, has continued to captivate readers with its wide-ranging yet intimate portrait of an America sundered by racial conflict.
David Champlin is a black man born into poverty in Depression-era New Orleans who makes his way up the ladder of success, only to sacrifice everything to lead his people in the civil rights movement. Sara Kent is the white girl who loves David from the moment she first sees him, and who struggles against his belief that a marriage for them would be wrong in the violent world he has to confront. And the “five smooth stones” are those the biblical David carried against Goliath.
By the time this novel comes to its climax of horror, bloodshed, and hope, readers will be convinced that its enduring popularity is fully justified.
David Champlin is a black man born into poverty in Depression-era New Orleans who makes his way up the ladder of success, only to sacrifice everything to lead his people in the civil rights movement. Sara Kent is the white girl who loves David from the moment she first sees him, and who struggles against his belief that a marriage for them would be wrong in the violent world he has to confront. And the “five smooth stones” are those the biblical David carried against Goliath.
By the time this novel comes to its climax of horror, bloodshed, and hope, readers will be convinced that its enduring popularity is fully justified.
933 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Ann Fairbairn
5 books28 followersAnn Fairbairn (Dorothy Tait) was best known for "Five Smooth Stones," but also published two other books: a biography of New Orleans jazz clarinetist George Lewis, whose tours she managed, and a 1970 novel, "That Man Cartwright". During the 1930s she was involved with the WPA project as a writer. She worked as a riveter in the shipyards in San Francisco during World War II. In the 1940s she worked in Bakersfield for a newspaper and also a radio station. She lived for many years in New Orleans and died in Monterey, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 471 reviews
February 12, 2017
This huge novel should be required reading for anyone who thinks it's no big deal that Barack Obama spent eight years in the White House. Five Smooth Stones spans four decades of American history, from the Great Depression to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. David Champlin, a black man, grows up impoverished but in an emotionally rich environment in his grandfather's household in New Orleans, where white supremacy is unquestioned and officially sanctioned discrimination is rampant. Despite the odds against him, he gains an education and becomes a lawyer. On the eve of marriage and a career in international diplomacy, a key event inspires him to turn his back on a secure future and join the struggle of his people in the South. The struggle, as we all know, is ongoing, and each triumph comes at a great cost.
August 4, 2021
“Five Smooth Stones” was written in 1966. Its a LONG….900 page turner-engrossing story….with wonderful characters, (such intimacy in the storytelling), set in the era of the American civil rights movement.
The length will scare readers away….(too bad). It didn’t me.
When my close friend, Lisi, *lit up* when she mentioned how good this book was….I instantly knew I wanted to read it - pushed it to the top of my reading. (Thanks, Lisi).
The title comes from the biblical story of David and Goliath, of The First book of Samuel: “Then he [David] Took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in a pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Phillistine [Goliath]”.
We meet protagonist David Champlin, a black man, with a limp from a bad leg, from an accident he had as a child, called a chile as a baby, the grandson of Lil’l Joe Champlin, who was born into poverty during the depression era in New Orleans. We follow his story as he ages from birth to adulthood….from poverty to success….from his education- a scholar- at Pengard, Harvard, and Oxford…..
and becomes a lawyer, with the help of a great professor, Bjarne Knudsen, from Denmark……and the complexities of love and marriage to Sara Kent, a white girl, who loved David from the moment she first saw him.
There is a lot of ugliness that is revealed about racism, and injustice…..
At the same time this book is so so so damn good……powerful as can be! It has everything important in it: love, loss, family, hard work, death, morality, horrors, integrity, injustice, adversity > all in the context of phenomenal storytelling.
I don’t think I’ll forget it. Ann Fairbairn was a masterful storyteller. It left a deep personal impact.
The ending is heartbreaking.
“Lying to whites was a fact of life; it was like keeping your head up and your eyes up when you worked on the docks around the cranes, because the cranes could mean a horrid death. But if he gave his word to any man, colored or white, he kept it. If they did not keep theirs, his’s was not given again”.
“Some of the colored guys hole up and won’t have anything to do with anyone, and some of them throw their weight around, and either way it’s not good. Most of the students are all right. Some of them stink. Where would you find it different? Faculty’s O.K.
Most of it. You have to feel your own way”.
“A guy didn’t have to bother about Crow in New Orleans because it was always there,
but here you had to sniff it out, go around like a damned ol’ houn’ dawg with your nose twitching”.
Incredible novel!!!
The length will scare readers away….(too bad). It didn’t me.
When my close friend, Lisi, *lit up* when she mentioned how good this book was….I instantly knew I wanted to read it - pushed it to the top of my reading. (Thanks, Lisi).
The title comes from the biblical story of David and Goliath, of The First book of Samuel: “Then he [David] Took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in a pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Phillistine [Goliath]”.
We meet protagonist David Champlin, a black man, with a limp from a bad leg, from an accident he had as a child, called a chile as a baby, the grandson of Lil’l Joe Champlin, who was born into poverty during the depression era in New Orleans. We follow his story as he ages from birth to adulthood….from poverty to success….from his education- a scholar- at Pengard, Harvard, and Oxford…..
and becomes a lawyer, with the help of a great professor, Bjarne Knudsen, from Denmark……and the complexities of love and marriage to Sara Kent, a white girl, who loved David from the moment she first saw him.
There is a lot of ugliness that is revealed about racism, and injustice…..
At the same time this book is so so so damn good……powerful as can be! It has everything important in it: love, loss, family, hard work, death, morality, horrors, integrity, injustice, adversity > all in the context of phenomenal storytelling.
I don’t think I’ll forget it. Ann Fairbairn was a masterful storyteller. It left a deep personal impact.
The ending is heartbreaking.
“Lying to whites was a fact of life; it was like keeping your head up and your eyes up when you worked on the docks around the cranes, because the cranes could mean a horrid death. But if he gave his word to any man, colored or white, he kept it. If they did not keep theirs, his’s was not given again”.
“Some of the colored guys hole up and won’t have anything to do with anyone, and some of them throw their weight around, and either way it’s not good. Most of the students are all right. Some of them stink. Where would you find it different? Faculty’s O.K.
Most of it. You have to feel your own way”.
“A guy didn’t have to bother about Crow in New Orleans because it was always there,
but here you had to sniff it out, go around like a damned ol’ houn’ dawg with your nose twitching”.
Incredible novel!!!
June 24, 2007
This was on the bottom of an extra-credit reading list my freshman year of high school. For a 14-year-old white girl living a very insulated life, this book was a world-shaker. I still refuse to believe it's a novel - the story was so vivid the characters will always be to me, more than fiction.
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 28, 2023After reading the first 160 pages, I accidentally found out how this ends. I can't bear to read another 600 pages, knowing that David is fated to die at the hands of racist arseholes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2007
This is an incredible story of an African-American young man growing up and pursuing his education during the turbulent sixties. My mom recommended this book to me, which she hadn't read since the year it was published sometime in the sixties.
Written during the period during which it takes place, the book explores the complexities of growing up black in the South, single parenthood, interracial relationships, and, of course, prejudice. I loved this book.
Written during the period during which it takes place, the book explores the complexities of growing up black in the South, single parenthood, interracial relationships, and, of course, prejudice. I loved this book.
November 23, 2014
This is with out a doubt my favorite book of all time. I read it first in High School--lost if for a while and rediscovered it in the early 80's and have read it at least once every year since. Powerful and moving--I like to give it as a gift.
September 2, 2009
This book was a contradiction in terms for me, like a lot of woman my age I read this when in the early 70's. it was first published in 1966. its the story of David Champlin an african american growing up in New Orleans in the 50's/60's. Really engaging charactors.
My entire book club read this book and most had also read it 30 yrs ago. Here is the overiding thought. 40 years ago, this book with it steamy romance between Sara and David was pretty racy and generated much controversy. America and the prevailing views of the topics raised in this book have changed so much (for the better thank goodness) that this book is more a period piece. The picture it paints regarding race relations, interacial dating, 40 years ago are no longer the case.
To enjoy ths book in 2009, I suggest reading it in the context that this was the perception in the late 50's and early 60's. v what most people experience now.
My entire book club read this book and most had also read it 30 yrs ago. Here is the overiding thought. 40 years ago, this book with it steamy romance between Sara and David was pretty racy and generated much controversy. America and the prevailing views of the topics raised in this book have changed so much (for the better thank goodness) that this book is more a period piece. The picture it paints regarding race relations, interacial dating, 40 years ago are no longer the case.
To enjoy ths book in 2009, I suggest reading it in the context that this was the perception in the late 50's and early 60's. v what most people experience now.
Read
August 14, 2011I first read this in high school (early-mid 1970's) and loved it. I read it again in 1983 and was captivated once more. I have often referred to it as a favorite book but really couldn't remember much about it so thought I should re-read it for a third time twenty-eight years later. It is an amazing civil rights story but it is definitely dated. I still enjoyed it and still had tears streaming down my face at the end. The main character, David Chamberlain, is poor, black, religious, smart, and from Mississippi in the 1950's. He goes to a northern, private college on a scholarship where he meets Sara - middle class, white, non-religious, smart and from the mid-west. The story is primarily David's -- as he struggles with his identity, his love for Sara, his devotion and love for his people during a time of crisis. Two things date the story -- the role and status of women and the use of rumors of homosexuality as an accepted method for discrimination. A good book for its time.
July 2, 2011
The first time I read this book was in 1976. I have an original hard cover from 1966. I periodically pick it up most recently in February of this year and every time I am drawn into the storyline. It is an inter-racial love story in a time when that was not acceptable. The main character, David Champlain, is trying to help his "people" during the Civil Rights movement while juggling his love of Sarah Kent, a white woman who fell in love with him when she met him. Ann Fairbairn has written this to where you can really "see" the emotional struggles, the anguish of the two lovers and she really captures the challenges of the era.
December 16, 2008
I loved this book! It is the story of a black man born in New Orleans during the Great Depression. It is his life story and goes through the Civil Rights movement. I learned things I didn't know about this time in history and it made me step back and reassess my own prejudices. This is a long book, but it moved quickly. Rated PG for a little bit of language. It dealt with some tough issues and I thought it was done very tastefully.
April 24, 2008
Wow. I first read this as a teenager and remember it being one of my all time favorite books. That said, as an adult, I couldn't remember it at all, so I decided to reread it. Part of me was so disappointed. Not with the writing.......for that alone I would give it 5 stars. I just wanted it to be more about the main characters and their love story. It's a really, really long book, almost 800 pages. The last third could have been cut down dramatically. The time period is so interesting, but she just spent way too much time on the inner workings of the civil rights movement and I got totally bored. She created some wonderful characters and I just wish she had spent more time developing that.
October 5, 2007
my mentor recommended this book to me and stated, "this is the besk book i have ever read." coming from someone who loved kingsolver, plath and salinger, this really meant something to me. this is a wonderful novel that touched me in many ways, it is well written and would be interesting to anyone who is even remotely intrigued by prejudice, jim crow laws, and the struggle between races. this is a heavy and emotional novel that takes a lot of investment with 900 pages but i would recommend it to other avid readers.
August 16, 2018
I read this book 50 years ago in 1968 the summer before I started high school. I still remember it as one of the best books I EVER read and it had such an impact on me at very young age. I want to read it again
April 3, 2009
My mother had to hide this from me in high school--I was supposed to be studying but i couldn't stop reading. This was the first book that changed my life, the first book that made real a world beyond my sheltered, all-white suburban experience. It's also an insanely romantic love story, which made the bitter pill of its message (about race in America in the Civil Rights era) a lot easier for my 16-year-old throat to swallow. It's terribly sad and, I think, completely out of print, but I loved this book when I read it. Who knows? I might find it to be embarrassingly dated and corny if I read it today. But oh my god! I love thinking about the first time I encountered it.
March 15, 2012
I read this book for the first time when I was either in high school or just starting college...anyway it really touched me to the soul & I never forgot this book in all the years since! The very first book I wanted when I purchased my E reader was a copy of this book - so that I could Read It Again! I mean to tell you that it touched me - just as much - this time as it had done the first time. This was almost the only book that Ann Fairbairn ever wrote - and actually I believe they say that that is NOT her real name. It seems there is a mystery of sorts surrounding the author...and maybe someone should dig deeper into that and write a book about her, too?!?
This is a love story; but that is a very simplistic view of the book - since it is way more than that - it explores and bares to the light the times and the horrors that were OUR country in the early 1950's when the first breaths of the Civil Rights movement were felt. It is a story of David (a young, intelligent & motivated) black man from the South (New Orleans) and his only love - Sara - a white girl born and raised in the North. He tries over and over again to NOT have a relationship with Sara; but their love keeps pulling them back together. The book is a long one - but it holds your interest and keeps you turning the pages to see what comes next & if they will end up happy at the end. It is a history lesson within this very touching love story. It brought me to tears twice - and I think that tells you how deep this book is!
I also purchased online a hardback first edition of the book - because I just wanted to always have it and be able to share it with others.
This is a love story; but that is a very simplistic view of the book - since it is way more than that - it explores and bares to the light the times and the horrors that were OUR country in the early 1950's when the first breaths of the Civil Rights movement were felt. It is a story of David (a young, intelligent & motivated) black man from the South (New Orleans) and his only love - Sara - a white girl born and raised in the North. He tries over and over again to NOT have a relationship with Sara; but their love keeps pulling them back together. The book is a long one - but it holds your interest and keeps you turning the pages to see what comes next & if they will end up happy at the end. It is a history lesson within this very touching love story. It brought me to tears twice - and I think that tells you how deep this book is!
I also purchased online a hardback first edition of the book - because I just wanted to always have it and be able to share it with others.
February 8, 2017
This is a novel that I have never forgotten. I was fourteen and I recall that it actually was my mother's, and we were on holidays and I got to read it first. I was sitting on the beach when I came to the end, and I flushed and broke out into tears and promptly had to tell my mom all about it. My mom wasn't delighted. I need to read this again...
February 21, 2017
David Champlin will go down as memorable as Atticus Finch, although, in this instance, he (Champlin) takes a much bigger stand on the subject of race. This book was phenomenal from beginning to end. The storylines, the friendships, the love stories and heartaches, but deep down it's a positive message to those of us who come later. A must read.
June 30, 2020
Once again I have finished Five Smooth Stones. It is at least the 20th reading since my first when I was 19 years old. You would think I could recite it by now. Again, though I can't. Every time I read this loved, treasured and important novel, I sit. I wonder "how can people treat another person, other people, with so much hate?". And that is what it is. Every reading leads me to a new awareness, and sadly, of the weaknesses of humanity. Now in light of the atrocities such as the killing of Michael Brown in Furguson, the death of Eric Garner in New York and shooting of Walter Scott in the back in South Carolina to only site a few, I wonder how far this country has really progressed in ensuring the civil rights of every living soul. Yes we have an African American President, legislation exists to prohibit segregation and "ensure equal rights", (though voting rights are again being stomped on in some states), how would, protagonist, David Champlin, feel about the struggle he and so many people fought in the 60's. Has there been REAL change? As always I come away from reading this book with a new thought and feeling. The practice of the presence of God, whomever and what ever that God may be. God is the force which moves within us to understand and behave with grace. It is this presence (which is personal and individualized) in which we should define how we live, how we treat one another and most importantly, how we raise our children. I will reiterate what other reviewers have stated, this novel should be required reading beginning at least in the 7th or 8th grade when young minds begin to sort out and understand right from wrong, begin to establish individual sense of these concepts and can begin to act on individual concepts of human understanding and appreciation of the differences that enable humanity to feel love, laughter and fulfillment in this life.
This is Grace
“This—this thing of the spirit you call God—and I thoroughly understand your differentiation between the exterior entity some people worship and the interior presence—cannot occupy the human soul at the same time that it is occupied by hatred. A simple matter of what might be called spiritual physics.”
Excerpt From: Fairbairn, Ann. “Five Smooth Stones.” Chicago Review Press, 1966. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/jGc3x.l
This is Grace
“This—this thing of the spirit you call God—and I thoroughly understand your differentiation between the exterior entity some people worship and the interior presence—cannot occupy the human soul at the same time that it is occupied by hatred. A simple matter of what might be called spiritual physics.”
Excerpt From: Fairbairn, Ann. “Five Smooth Stones.” Chicago Review Press, 1966. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/jGc3x.l
July 2, 2010
David is a poor black man raised in New Orleans during the depression era. He’s mentored by a white benefactor and attends college, ultimately meeting Sarah Kent, the white woman who will, one day, become his wife. It will be years, for they will struggle with the extraordinary pressures of interracial relationship, which force them apart. He will move on to do great things, become a highly visible leader in the black struggle, and will rise above the obstacles of race and poverty to obtain an education at Harvard and Oxford.
Five Smooth Stones is one of the best books I have ever read that left a resounding impact on me the reader. I read this book as young teenager, remembering how the words affected me, made me cry, made me hope. The story was about undeniable love between a black man and white woman. It’s about the Civil Rights Movement, and sacrifices to make the world better for a group of people. This is one the most positive imageries of blacks rising above racism to demands their worth in life.
I love this book for its positive image. I cried, for it reminded me of Martin Luther King. I felt despair for two people who loved and simply wanted have a normal family life together. Written in 1966, the themes still prevail in current society. We still talk about RaceFail 44 years later but in a broader sense incorporating all people of color
Five Smooth Stones is one of the best books I have ever read that left a resounding impact on me the reader. I read this book as young teenager, remembering how the words affected me, made me cry, made me hope. The story was about undeniable love between a black man and white woman. It’s about the Civil Rights Movement, and sacrifices to make the world better for a group of people. This is one the most positive imageries of blacks rising above racism to demands their worth in life.
I love this book for its positive image. I cried, for it reminded me of Martin Luther King. I felt despair for two people who loved and simply wanted have a normal family life together. Written in 1966, the themes still prevail in current society. We still talk about RaceFail 44 years later but in a broader sense incorporating all people of color
August 20, 2010
It was an eyeopening book for me, letting me see into the world of civil rights and the huge problem that existed in our country for so many years that I typically don't think about at all.
Even though it was a huge book, I was drawn through it, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but pushed onward in hopes of a happier future for the main characters.
Huge spoiler:
If I had stopped reading the book 16 pages sooner, I would have given it five stars. Instead, when it ends in a tragedy so quickly after it was finally all getting resolved, it just makes me frustrated! Maybe its because it was written when there was still so much unhappiness in the country (1966), the author might have felt that she couldn't give the book a happy ending because there was no happy ending for the United States at that point. I don't know. My biggest wish at this point is that either I, or the author had stopped just a bit earlier, and then I could have felt resolved instead of frustrated and disappointed.
Overall, interesting read, very eye opening, disappointing ending.
Even though it was a huge book, I was drawn through it, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but pushed onward in hopes of a happier future for the main characters.
Huge spoiler:
If I had stopped reading the book 16 pages sooner, I would have given it five stars. Instead, when it ends in a tragedy so quickly after it was finally all getting resolved, it just makes me frustrated! Maybe its because it was written when there was still so much unhappiness in the country (1966), the author might have felt that she couldn't give the book a happy ending because there was no happy ending for the United States at that point. I don't know. My biggest wish at this point is that either I, or the author had stopped just a bit earlier, and then I could have felt resolved instead of frustrated and disappointed.
Overall, interesting read, very eye opening, disappointing ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2012
I read this many, many years ago and just recently decided to read it again! It had a huge impact on me then, but now, with experiences I've had it has even more. The writing is excellent! The story is real and makes the reader feel what the characters are feeling. I, personally, think this book should be required reading in every high school in the states. I lived through this era and saw much of this on the evening news. I have come to know many young African-Americans who know very little of the history of their ancestors. They take things for granted and I think they should be aware of the battles that took place for them. The battle still goes on, as it must. In too many places in this country things haven't changed for the better enough.... in others it hasn't changed at all.
March 14, 2020
This book changed my life. I was raised in Texas during overt racist times: separate drinking fountains, back-of-the-bus rules, etc., etc. I read this the year it came out (I was 22), and it rocked my world of white privilege. Even now, in 2020, white privilege is a real thing, and it's awful and wrong. I'm glad I read this book way back when, and I believe it could still impact in a positive way regarding the heinous racism that has reared its ugly head during the current administration. Racism has always been here, I know that. But now? OMG! Some people think it's their god-given right to be totally out and vocal regarding their white privilege. What these white supremacists need to do is educate themselves, find their empathy, and behave!
July 3, 2007
Hands down my favorite book. Hard to find (especially since it is now out of print) but definitley worth it.
Read
April 12, 2024I am not going to lie, I heftily skimmed a large majority of this book. I’m not going to give it a rating because this is not the type of book I’d normally read, I just don’t typically enjoy literary fiction or fiction that just tells the story of a person through their life. I read this because it is my mom’s favorite book and she annotated it for me.
I think it is worth noting that I feel like book was GOOD. This was a good in a way that I could appreciate, especially given what was going on in the world at the time it was written and the author’s personal story.
It was sad. I feel the ending is predictable, but of course, it is probably meant to be. It still upset me, and that’s probably what the author intended. I’m not sure, but in any case, this is a great work of fiction in general and it focuses on important topics. I’m glad I’ve read this.
I think it is worth noting that I feel like book was GOOD. This was a good in a way that I could appreciate, especially given what was going on in the world at the time it was written and the author’s personal story.
It was sad. I feel the ending is predictable, but of course, it is probably meant to be. It still upset me, and that’s probably what the author intended. I’m not sure, but in any case, this is a great work of fiction in general and it focuses on important topics. I’m glad I’ve read this.
November 23, 2014
The cover of Five Smooth Stones describes the story as "A monumental novel of forbidden love." It purports to be the story of a marriage between a black man and a white woman during the civil rights movement. But the fact is, it is much more a novel of the civil rights movement; the relationship (which is on again, off again throughout the book, mostly off) is a secondary plot line.
The story focuses on the life of David Champlin who is raised by his grandfather in New Orleans, wins a scholarship to a college in Ohio (in a foreshadowing of Affirmative Action, he is one of several black students chosen to attend this almost all-white college), attends law school at Harvard, becomes a lawyer in Boston, then is moved to join the forces that are just beginning to mobilize in the South. In the background is Sara, whom he met when he first went to Ohio. She falls in love with him from the first moment, and he quickly follows suit. Yet through most of the book he resists marriage with her because he does not believe she can deal with the repercussions of being a white woman married to a black man.
The book is an education for anyone who is either white, grew up somewhere besides the South, or both. I grew up in Miami (FL) and am old enough to remember water fountains labeled "white" and "colored" in the Miami courthouse where my mother sometimes worked. But my first-hand experience is limited, and I appreciate the perspective I gained from the book.
That being said, it was a chore to read. The writing seemed tedious, and at first I got bogged down in paragraphs that didn't always make sense. After awhile I quit trying to digest everything and simply read through until the story picked up again.
One interesting sidebar was when our hero (David), in his second year of college, resisted the advances of a drunk (male) student, resulting in that student, with the help of a closeted professor, starting a rumor that he (David) was gay. David fully expected to be expelled for this infraction of school policy until his friends and their powerful families rallied, forcing the professor to resign instead when his seduction of numerous male students was uncovered. This novel was written a few years before Stonewall and the gay liberation movement, and the subplot was a reminder of how easily life for gays and lesbians could (and still can) be turned upside-down.
The story focuses on the life of David Champlin who is raised by his grandfather in New Orleans, wins a scholarship to a college in Ohio (in a foreshadowing of Affirmative Action, he is one of several black students chosen to attend this almost all-white college), attends law school at Harvard, becomes a lawyer in Boston, then is moved to join the forces that are just beginning to mobilize in the South. In the background is Sara, whom he met when he first went to Ohio. She falls in love with him from the first moment, and he quickly follows suit. Yet through most of the book he resists marriage with her because he does not believe she can deal with the repercussions of being a white woman married to a black man.
The book is an education for anyone who is either white, grew up somewhere besides the South, or both. I grew up in Miami (FL) and am old enough to remember water fountains labeled "white" and "colored" in the Miami courthouse where my mother sometimes worked. But my first-hand experience is limited, and I appreciate the perspective I gained from the book.
That being said, it was a chore to read. The writing seemed tedious, and at first I got bogged down in paragraphs that didn't always make sense. After awhile I quit trying to digest everything and simply read through until the story picked up again.
One interesting sidebar was when our hero (David), in his second year of college, resisted the advances of a drunk (male) student, resulting in that student, with the help of a closeted professor, starting a rumor that he (David) was gay. David fully expected to be expelled for this infraction of school policy until his friends and their powerful families rallied, forcing the professor to resign instead when his seduction of numerous male students was uncovered. This novel was written a few years before Stonewall and the gay liberation movement, and the subplot was a reminder of how easily life for gays and lesbians could (and still can) be turned upside-down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2010
This book brings to acute understanding the life of David Champlin, a black born in the south, educated at Harvard. David's personality and how he sees things through a black man's eyes is so well written that the reader feels as though she were black and the undercurrent of fear and racism is always with her. When David's grandfather is killed in a racist street attack, David leaves his high powered career and goes back to the south to help his people. Omstead of the sword that David was to use to slew Goliath, he, like the David in the Bible uses the 'five smooth stones'. These stones represent skill, wisdom, dedication, nonviolence and love. The character development in this book is outstanding as the reader comes to love David and all of his friends and associates.
July 10, 2019
While I really liked this book I didn't give it 5 stars because I thought it was a little long, David Champlin was almost too good to be true and I thought the dialogue was stilted. Having said that it made me think more about that time in our history and how hard life was for black people. Even though I lived thru those times I'm ashamed to say I didn't pay a lot of attention. Today's black youth should have to read this book and be very thankful that some people (both black and white but mostly black) were strong enough and brave enough to face what they did to make a better world for all of us. Now that I'm thinking about it again I think I should have given itt 5 stars.
August 26, 2012
I finished reading this book a few days ago and it's still with me. It was one of the most incredible books I've ever read. For me, it was one of those books that changes you. The story spans some 30 years and you get to know the characters intimately. From the depression to the civil rights era, the journey with the characters is moving, heart-aching at times and very thought provoking. It was one of several books I've read in my life that I cried very hard while reading. For anyone interested in a not-so-light, intense story, it's a must read.
October 7, 2013
Read this with a book club. The majority of the 20 women felt that the length of the book and lengthy details caused some parts of the story to drag. Great description of a horrible part in history but wish it would have been more concise to hold every readers attention. This book made for wonderful book club discussions.
June 5, 2011
This book is about an interacial relationship which was pretty controversial in the 60s. I just got drawn in by the story and couldn't put the book down. It covers many years which was the kind of story I liked at the time. I often wonder if I would still love this book at much now.
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