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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Perseverance and Faith Will Get Us Through May 07, 2008
Samuel T. Jones died before he could publish his manuscript, Cool Water, but his daughter Jewelle Jones later edited and published this fictional story that was inspired by a true story. Set in rural Georgia and Philadelphia, this novel illuminates the trials and tribulations of Black folk in the early years of the 20th century.
Life in Oak Grove, Georgia was a hard road for sharecropping families, living from hand to mouth, never getting from under the insurmountable debt incurred when it was time to settle with the white landowners. Ira Johnson was a restless, angry young man. He just could not see working himself to death in the fields, only to come up short and remaining in poverty. He decided to work in the lumber business that had opened up to Black men. The Pines paid more money and after he married Minty, a preacher's daughter, Ira encourages other men to work in the Pines. It was not long before the Whites felt threatened and concocted a scheme to get the Nigras running back to the fields. When the proverbial lie "he raped a white woman" backfired, Ira knew it was time to leave redneck Georgia and head north to the City of Brotherly Love.
At first, Philadelphia seemed like pie in the sky but it did not take long for Ira to realize that segregation and racism had followed him. While Minty embraced religion, Ira believed that Black people used religion as a crutch and God helped those that helped themselves. The couple went about the business of making a living and raising a family in the Depression era. A chance encounter lead Ira to be a spokesperson about racial injustice but of course Mr. Charlie objected in one of the towns where he spoke and Ira was yet running again.
Though the book had a somewhat dismal theme, there were some great moments such as the sense of community and familial ties during hog killing time in Oak Grove where people came together to work and socialize as a solidified unit. Furthermore there was emphasis on how African Americans persevered to find a way out of no way. The story had most of the ingredients that make it my kind of story: southern roots, social issues, and the joy of Black family life. There were times that the story was more telling then showing and there were not always smooth transitions from one topic to the next. This book showed a slice of life that may not be pretty but is necessary in the telling of Black migration in American history.
Dera R. Williams
APOOO BookClub
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Cool Water Apr 14, 2008
What an excellent family time book. It was loaded with positive characters and teachable moments. It was impressive, fast-paced, suspenseful - and at the same time you were treated to a love story. It left you wanting to know more about this family and the next generation. It was just a wonderful find.
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