eBook
hoopla Instant
Not Without Laughter
Year
2020
Language
ENGLISH
Publication Information
GENERAL PRESS
Summary
Langston Hughes's Not Without Laughter (1930) is drawn in part from the author's own recollections of youth and early manhood. This stirring coming-of-age tale unfolds in 1930s rural Kansas. A poignant portrait of African-American family life in the early twentieth century, it follows the story of young Sandy Rogers as he grows from a boy to a man. We meet Sandy's mother, Annjee, who works as a housekeeper for a wealthy white family; his strong-willed grandmother, Hager; Jimboy, Sandy's father, who travels the country looking for work; Aunt Tempy, the social climber; and Aunt Harriet, the blues singer who has turned away from her faith. A fascinating chronicle of a family's joys and hardships, 'Not Without Laughter' is a vivid exploration of growing up and growing strong in a racially divided society. A rich and important work, it masterfully echoes the black American experience.