What do you think?
Rate this book
Catfish Alley
A moving debut novel about female friendship, endurance, and hope in the South. Roxanne Reeves defines her life by the committees she heads and the social status she cultivates. But she is keeping secrets that make her an outsider in her own town, always in search of acceptance. And when she is given a job none of the other white women want-researching the town's African-American history for a tour of local sites-she feels she can't say no. Elderly Grace Clark, a retired black schoolteacher, reluctantly agrees to become Roxanne's guide. Grace takes Roxanne to Catfish Alley, whose undistinguished structures are nonetheless sacred places to the black community because of what happened there. As Roxanne listens to Grace's stories, and meets her friends, she begins to see differently. She is transported back to the past, especially to 1931, when a racist's hatred for Grace's brother leads to events that continue to change lives decades later. And as Roxanne gains an appreciation of the dreams, courage, and endurance of those she had so easily dismissed, her own life opens up in new and unexpected ways.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2011
30 people are currently reading
2051 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Bryant
6 books100 followersLynne Bryant’s forty-plus years as a nurse and nursing academic have prepared her well for creating intimate human stories featuring the unheard voices of ordinary women. Lynne is the author of two previous novels: Catfish Alley and Alligator Lake. She and her wife share a home with their three dogs—and occasionally their three children—in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where she attempts to grow flowers that deer don’t like and writes novels featuring delightfully flawed women in all their complexities. Find Lynne online at www.lynnebryant.com.
Follow Lynne on Instagram.com/lynnebryantauthor or Facebook.com/authorlynnebryant/
Follow Lynne on Instagram.com/lynnebryantauthor or Facebook.com/authorlynnebryant/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
February 29, 2012
It’s rare that I read a book that leaves me feeling like Catfish Alley: simultaneously a bit raw and heartbroken; joyful and hopeful. I couldn’t immediately talk about it, and even now, I’m sure I’m not doing justice to this amazing, wonderful story.
Set in the mid 2000′s in a fictional Clarksville, Mississippi, Lynne Bryant’s Catfish Alley tells the story of Roxanne Reeves and Grace Clark. Roxanne has clawed her way into her small town social strata, hiding her poor Cajun upbrining. As she’s preparing to lead the annual tour of antebellum homes, a newcomer suggests including prominent places of local African American history in the tour. Roxanne teams with a reluctant Grace Clark, an elderly black woman and lifelong resident of , to learn more of the African American history of the town. Grace and her friends take Roxanne back to the pivotal year of 1931 as they relay their history. As Roxanne learns more about the local history, her own life changes in previously unimaginable ways.
At first glance, Catfish Alley will garner comparisons to The Help. But the more accurate comparison, to me, is To Kill A Mockingbird. The book’s examination of race, especially in the context of small southern towns, is painfully honest. Roxanne’s initial reactions to her first real exposure to African American culture are not unlike things I have heard throughout my life. The shameful history of the deep south is unflinchingly revealed here with a storyline interweaving the Klan and lynchings- things that even now people prefer to brush under the rug of history, preferring instead hoop-skirted tours of old plantations.
At the same time, the rich culture of the African American community is examined more broadly than in The Help. Not everyone simply works for the whites in town. Catfish Alley has a black doctor. Grace attends a teaching college and teaches for years. Adelle, Grace’s best friend, is a nurse. That being said, the book in no way glosses over the racial struggle that is in many ways still not over. The lives of Grace and the people in her community were marked with discrimination and tragedy.
Yet, there’s a pervasive sense of joy with Grace and her community, too. The love between Grace and Adelle and their friend Mattie is almost palpable. Despite the tragedy and sadness in their lives, they choose to see the joy and love in life as well. As she learns more about her new friends, Roxanne discovers what really matters in life, and allows her to fundamentally change her life.
In her author’s note, Lynne Bryant remarks that it wasn’t until years after she left Mississippi for graduate school that she realized that “my whiteness was accompanied by privilege whether I chose to exploit it or not.” I think that is an incredibly honest statement to make, and more than one reader will identify with it.
Catfish Alley left me speechless, and I urge you to read it. Now.
Set in the mid 2000′s in a fictional Clarksville, Mississippi, Lynne Bryant’s Catfish Alley tells the story of Roxanne Reeves and Grace Clark. Roxanne has clawed her way into her small town social strata, hiding her poor Cajun upbrining. As she’s preparing to lead the annual tour of antebellum homes, a newcomer suggests including prominent places of local African American history in the tour. Roxanne teams with a reluctant Grace Clark, an elderly black woman and lifelong resident of , to learn more of the African American history of the town. Grace and her friends take Roxanne back to the pivotal year of 1931 as they relay their history. As Roxanne learns more about the local history, her own life changes in previously unimaginable ways.
At first glance, Catfish Alley will garner comparisons to The Help. But the more accurate comparison, to me, is To Kill A Mockingbird. The book’s examination of race, especially in the context of small southern towns, is painfully honest. Roxanne’s initial reactions to her first real exposure to African American culture are not unlike things I have heard throughout my life. The shameful history of the deep south is unflinchingly revealed here with a storyline interweaving the Klan and lynchings- things that even now people prefer to brush under the rug of history, preferring instead hoop-skirted tours of old plantations.
At the same time, the rich culture of the African American community is examined more broadly than in The Help. Not everyone simply works for the whites in town. Catfish Alley has a black doctor. Grace attends a teaching college and teaches for years. Adelle, Grace’s best friend, is a nurse. That being said, the book in no way glosses over the racial struggle that is in many ways still not over. The lives of Grace and the people in her community were marked with discrimination and tragedy.
Yet, there’s a pervasive sense of joy with Grace and her community, too. The love between Grace and Adelle and their friend Mattie is almost palpable. Despite the tragedy and sadness in their lives, they choose to see the joy and love in life as well. As she learns more about her new friends, Roxanne discovers what really matters in life, and allows her to fundamentally change her life.
In her author’s note, Lynne Bryant remarks that it wasn’t until years after she left Mississippi for graduate school that she realized that “my whiteness was accompanied by privilege whether I chose to exploit it or not.” I think that is an incredibly honest statement to make, and more than one reader will identify with it.
Catfish Alley left me speechless, and I urge you to read it. Now.
May 28, 2011
This book was amazing to me because it was totally unexpected. It seems that the past year or so books about the African-American experience is the new wave in fiction. So I hesitantly picked up what I thought might be just another variation of the rest that I had seen. How surprised I was!
This book is very well-written. There are quite a few characters but each one has a voice and is well-developed. The story alternates between present time and the early 1900's. You may think you know where it is going and how it is going to end. But that is where you are totally surprised. Most authors might be tempted to put everything to right in the end so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. But in this story the end shows progress but still no easy answers.
Roxanne Reeves was a woman living with a secret. She craved to be accepted by the socially prominent in Clarksville, Mississippi. To some degree she has been successful. She has a beautiful home, a husband with the proper background and a daughter who was born into society. She is a member of the Junior League and president of the Historical Tour society. But still she walks a precarious line hoping no one will learn her secret.
Enter a new member from Connecticut who thinks it would be a good addition to the tour of antebellum homes to have an African-American tour. Roxanne with great hesitation takes on the quest to research the history of the black community in Clarksville. She meets Grace Clark, an elderly retired school teacher who very warily becomes Roxanne's guide to the history of the black community.
Soon Roxanne is overwhelmed by how much she does not know. How could she have missed most of it having lived here for so long. Was she just blind to it, deaf? Or did it not matter because it wasn't in her realm of reality?
For everything she learns there are many more questions. Roxanne starts to find her comfort zone, a security among these people who allow her into their world and trust her with their secrets. She also finds out who she has become and what she wants to be.
This book is very well-written. There are quite a few characters but each one has a voice and is well-developed. The story alternates between present time and the early 1900's. You may think you know where it is going and how it is going to end. But that is where you are totally surprised. Most authors might be tempted to put everything to right in the end so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. But in this story the end shows progress but still no easy answers.
Roxanne Reeves was a woman living with a secret. She craved to be accepted by the socially prominent in Clarksville, Mississippi. To some degree she has been successful. She has a beautiful home, a husband with the proper background and a daughter who was born into society. She is a member of the Junior League and president of the Historical Tour society. But still she walks a precarious line hoping no one will learn her secret.
Enter a new member from Connecticut who thinks it would be a good addition to the tour of antebellum homes to have an African-American tour. Roxanne with great hesitation takes on the quest to research the history of the black community in Clarksville. She meets Grace Clark, an elderly retired school teacher who very warily becomes Roxanne's guide to the history of the black community.
Soon Roxanne is overwhelmed by how much she does not know. How could she have missed most of it having lived here for so long. Was she just blind to it, deaf? Or did it not matter because it wasn't in her realm of reality?
For everything she learns there are many more questions. Roxanne starts to find her comfort zone, a security among these people who allow her into their world and trust her with their secrets. She also finds out who she has become and what she wants to be.
December 21, 2011
I began to read "Catfish Alley" by Lynne Bryant, thinking it was merely going to be an entertaining book. I did not expect for it to open up rivers of joy and pain inside of me - but that is exactly what this amazing book did.
"Catfish Alley" chronicles the lives of various Southern women, who are smart, intelligent and pillars of strength in their community. It is quite clear with the way author Bryant writes that she is not only familiar and comfortable with the South, but that these stories come from experience. Taking these Southern characters, the author weaves a tale both beautiful and sad.
Roxanne Reeves' life is disintegrating, and she has no friends to reach out to, because she has spent most of her life trying to create a distance between herself and others so that they don't discover her past. When she approaches Miss Grace Clarke, in order to consult with her about a new African-American tour, the last thing she expects is to find an amazing friend who helps her come face-to-face with her own demons. In taking Roxanne Reeves to the different African-American landmarks within the community, Grace sets the wheels in motion to relate the story of African-American's in 1930's Mississippi, that changed the lives of Grace, her friend Adelle, Junior who was the love of her life, and Zero, her brother. As the story unfolds, the reader is shown both the prim and proper ways of the Southern belles in her circle, and the impropriety of some of these same families in the past; especially in regards to racism. The highlight of the book, however, is the way in which these African-American women handle the injustices and difficulties that come their way; especially in regards to dealing with the ignorance, racism, hatred and violence perpetuated towards them by the Whites in their community.
Told by many viewpoints, both White and Black, the backbone of this novel is the camaraderie that exists between the characters, despite the hardships they may face together. The various chapters told by various perspectives adds immense depth to the story. Character development is excellent, and the author most certainly knows how to steer the reader into the direction that the story is going towards. This novel, although compared to it, in my opinion may even be better than "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, in some ways. Although, "The Help" is supposed to have more humor and has a different theme - the books do have similarities, but are not about the same thing. Either way, this book is most definitely worth a read, and I thoroughly loved it, finishing it within a day!
"Catfish Alley" chronicles the lives of various Southern women, who are smart, intelligent and pillars of strength in their community. It is quite clear with the way author Bryant writes that she is not only familiar and comfortable with the South, but that these stories come from experience. Taking these Southern characters, the author weaves a tale both beautiful and sad.
Roxanne Reeves' life is disintegrating, and she has no friends to reach out to, because she has spent most of her life trying to create a distance between herself and others so that they don't discover her past. When she approaches Miss Grace Clarke, in order to consult with her about a new African-American tour, the last thing she expects is to find an amazing friend who helps her come face-to-face with her own demons. In taking Roxanne Reeves to the different African-American landmarks within the community, Grace sets the wheels in motion to relate the story of African-American's in 1930's Mississippi, that changed the lives of Grace, her friend Adelle, Junior who was the love of her life, and Zero, her brother. As the story unfolds, the reader is shown both the prim and proper ways of the Southern belles in her circle, and the impropriety of some of these same families in the past; especially in regards to racism. The highlight of the book, however, is the way in which these African-American women handle the injustices and difficulties that come their way; especially in regards to dealing with the ignorance, racism, hatred and violence perpetuated towards them by the Whites in their community.
Told by many viewpoints, both White and Black, the backbone of this novel is the camaraderie that exists between the characters, despite the hardships they may face together. The various chapters told by various perspectives adds immense depth to the story. Character development is excellent, and the author most certainly knows how to steer the reader into the direction that the story is going towards. This novel, although compared to it, in my opinion may even be better than "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, in some ways. Although, "The Help" is supposed to have more humor and has a different theme - the books do have similarities, but are not about the same thing. Either way, this book is most definitely worth a read, and I thoroughly loved it, finishing it within a day!
September 23, 2011
Where do I begin? This book was absolutely amazing. Well written. Tons of twists and turns. It made me angry, happy, sad, frustrated, and joyful. The entire book took me on an emotional journey. I loved the relationships that developed between Grace, Adelle, and Roxanne. I am happy that Rita and Roxanne became the best of friends. Ola Mae and Mattie were hilarious. Zero's character was brilliant and so was Junior's. I totally despised Ray Tanner, Del Tanner, and the other KKK members. YUCK!! When I think of them, all I can remember is the "noose!" There were many other characters that I enjoyed reading about as well (Billy, Daniel, Jack, the Purvis', Ellen, etc.). The ending of this book was beyond amazing. I imagined myself there, as it seemed so real to me. Lynne Bryant tied everything together at the very end. This book will capture you from the very first page, and hold your attention until the very end. It's a MUST read!!!
May 9, 2011
Although this book was compared to The Help I'm glad it was so much more. Bryant did a good job giving realistic portrayal of black characters, they were three-dimensional and honestly appeared to be concerned about them and how they were portrayed. The only similarities between this book and The Help are they're both written by white authors about black experiences in the South during segregation. I would read another book by Lynne Bryant...not so much by Kathyrn Stockett as I don't think she's well-rounded enough to express the black experience beyond her limited view. Bryant gets kudos for doing research and a actually being concerned regarding how blacks were portrayed in her books...she didn't base her writing on her limited experiences or views...she sought to find out what it really means, feels like to be black in America. I commend her for a job well done.
January 23, 2020
The stories in this book were heart breaking, but I really loved it. It had a kind of Fried Green Tomatoes vibe between the Roxanne and Grace. It's one of those books that I would really love to read a follow up or sequel of all the characters.
November 25, 2016
This book starts with Junior Leaguer Roxanne, who has spent her life hiding her background, agreeing to investigate the possibility of an African-American historical tour for The League in a small town in Mississippi. Resistance comes from all directions - blacks and whites.
The book kept me interested through the 300 pages. New friendships and the heart aching stories discovered while Roxanne researches the past of the town were the magnet drawing me in.
The ending seemed to come on too quickly without complete satisfaction for me, but I would still recommend this book.
The book kept me interested through the 300 pages. New friendships and the heart aching stories discovered while Roxanne researches the past of the town were the magnet drawing me in.
The ending seemed to come on too quickly without complete satisfaction for me, but I would still recommend this book.
September 29, 2014
this is no "The Help" but it is interesting. not a page turner but interesting enough to keep me reading. course that doesn't take much.
July 16, 2019
Powerful, tragic, and lovely
August 21, 2011
A couple of months ago I visited Mississippi to see some friends in Jackson and to attend my 20th high school reunion at the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science in Columbus. When in Jackson, I stopped by Lemuria, my old stompin' grounds and one of the best damned bookstores in the country, to pick up an audio book to listen to on my road trip to Columbus, and while there, a bookseller told me about Catfish Alley by Lynne Bryant, which is set in Columbus and reminiscent of Kathryn Stockett's runaway bestseller, The Help.
The book shuttles back and forth between 2002 and the years 1921-1931. Roxanne Reeves, director of her town's annual antebellum pilgrimage tour, and Grace Clark, a retired and quite elderly school teacher, anchor the modern segments, dipping randomly into the past with tales of Grace's youth, along with tales of her family and friends. When Lousia, a wealthy and influential Yankee suggests that the town add an African-American segment to the pilgrimage tour, Roxanne reluctantly agrees to do some research, with the hope that in doing so she will land the lucrative and prestigious renovation contract for Louisa's gorgeous antebellum home. Little does she realize that the awkward relationship she develops with Grace will become the most meaningful one in her life. Grace takes her on a weekly tour of the places in town with historical significance to the black community, and Roxanne grows less uncomfortable (saying "more comfortable" would, sadly, be overstating things) playing the minority role with each passing week, but she does become genuinely and wildly interested in all of Grace's stories, particularly those involving her beloved brother, Zero.
While this book does not tread fresh ground, and most readers will be able to predict the various turns of the narrative, there is an emotional heft here. It is, of course, incredibly sad and awful to contemplate that a moderate-sized town in Mississippi in 2002 still has a strong racial divide. Like most real people in our country, the characters in this book have a difficult time talking about race in any meaningful or constructive way, and as a reader I felt that lack of substance rather keenly. But despite the many cliches (Roxanne tries to make friendly overtures with her maid after, oh, fifteen years of service; a racist white man learns some unpleasant facts about his father and seemingly overnight turns over a new leaf), there are some very somber and sobering moments, and because of narrative style we get several points of view that drive home just how deeply entrenched racism is, as well as the fear and bitterness that racism engenders--and that its purview is not solely south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Catfish Alley is not a work of literary fiction by any means, but for me it was both an engaging and a quick read--what many people look for in a beach read, for example. I think its aim is higher than its reach in terms of a meaningful dialogue on race, but perhaps that is what will enable it to be widely read, because sometimes folks just don't want to have to face difficult and uncomfortable subjects. As it is, it comes across as a light read about women's relationships and thus will probably find toeholds among bookclubs and book bloggers in that genre.
(Just to bring the point home, here are the Library of Congress classifications, in order, listed on the copyright page of my book. [shakes head in disbelief]: 1. Tour guides (Persons)--Fiction. 2 . Historic Sites -- Mississippi -- Fiction. 3. African-Americans -- Mississippi -- Fiction. 4. Mississippi -- Race relations -- Fiction. Because clearly this is a book first and foremost about tour guides. And once again, race gets relegated to the last position.)
The book shuttles back and forth between 2002 and the years 1921-1931. Roxanne Reeves, director of her town's annual antebellum pilgrimage tour, and Grace Clark, a retired and quite elderly school teacher, anchor the modern segments, dipping randomly into the past with tales of Grace's youth, along with tales of her family and friends. When Lousia, a wealthy and influential Yankee suggests that the town add an African-American segment to the pilgrimage tour, Roxanne reluctantly agrees to do some research, with the hope that in doing so she will land the lucrative and prestigious renovation contract for Louisa's gorgeous antebellum home. Little does she realize that the awkward relationship she develops with Grace will become the most meaningful one in her life. Grace takes her on a weekly tour of the places in town with historical significance to the black community, and Roxanne grows less uncomfortable (saying "more comfortable" would, sadly, be overstating things) playing the minority role with each passing week, but she does become genuinely and wildly interested in all of Grace's stories, particularly those involving her beloved brother, Zero.
While this book does not tread fresh ground, and most readers will be able to predict the various turns of the narrative, there is an emotional heft here. It is, of course, incredibly sad and awful to contemplate that a moderate-sized town in Mississippi in 2002 still has a strong racial divide. Like most real people in our country, the characters in this book have a difficult time talking about race in any meaningful or constructive way, and as a reader I felt that lack of substance rather keenly. But despite the many cliches (Roxanne tries to make friendly overtures with her maid after, oh, fifteen years of service; a racist white man learns some unpleasant facts about his father and seemingly overnight turns over a new leaf), there are some very somber and sobering moments, and because of narrative style we get several points of view that drive home just how deeply entrenched racism is, as well as the fear and bitterness that racism engenders--and that its purview is not solely south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Catfish Alley is not a work of literary fiction by any means, but for me it was both an engaging and a quick read--what many people look for in a beach read, for example. I think its aim is higher than its reach in terms of a meaningful dialogue on race, but perhaps that is what will enable it to be widely read, because sometimes folks just don't want to have to face difficult and uncomfortable subjects. As it is, it comes across as a light read about women's relationships and thus will probably find toeholds among bookclubs and book bloggers in that genre.
(Just to bring the point home, here are the Library of Congress classifications, in order, listed on the copyright page of my book. [shakes head in disbelief]: 1. Tour guides (Persons)--Fiction. 2 . Historic Sites -- Mississippi -- Fiction. 3. African-Americans -- Mississippi -- Fiction. 4. Mississippi -- Race relations -- Fiction. Because clearly this is a book first and foremost about tour guides. And once again, race gets relegated to the last position.)
January 30, 2011
Catfish Alley is Mississippi-born Lynne Bryant's first novel -- and in reading it, I feel as if I've stumbled upon a rare gem!
Flashing back and forth between present-day and 1920s-1930s Clarksville, Mississippi, Catfish Alley is a story that puts racism and deep friendship to the test. The novel explores racism and segregation that is still very much present in the South, no matter what people these days are made to believe. Being a Biloxi-born Mississipian myself, I can completely understand and appreciate the complexity and beauty of Catfish Alley.
Roxanne Reeves is a white woman with a highly-coveted social standing who is asked to work on a project that covers African-American history within Clarksville for a touring of Antebellum Homes. For help with her special project, Roxanne meets with elderly Grace Clark, a retired black schoolteacher who has spent nearly her entire life in Clarksville and has witnessed and survived many a heartache throughout her years. While at first Roxanne is slightly put-off and uncomfortable with the project, she finds herself being irresistably lured in by Grace's stories about Clarksville and soon begins to question and explore her own feelings regarding Grace and her friends and racism in general.
Readers can pretty much guess from the synopsis how the story ends; Roxanne and Grace become friends for life and Roxanne steps out of her comfort zone and into the other side of the rainbow, so to speak. But, this is not all that happens and the book's journey is very well worth the ride.
In addition to Roxanne's self-development, readers are drawn in to the mystery surrounding Thomas "Zero" Clark, Grace's loving and charismatic older brother who befalls his own tragedy in 1931. Catfish Alley is told from the viewpoints of several different characters and has an EXTREMELY captivating story that unfolds and will keep you hooked until the very last page. I had a difficult time putting this novel down and I can't wait to let the rest of the world know about it.
My final words on Catfish Alley are regarding my emotional involvement with the novel. While Roxanne was not my favorite character by far, I appreciated her transformation. In the beginning, I really had to bite my tongue and grit my teeth when her snooty, white, high-society acquantainces kept referring to "blacks"-this and "blacks"-that without any interjection from Roxanne. This novel may bring the more sensitive readers to tears, but overall is a pleasurable experience.
I am looking forward to Lynne Bryant's future work and I truly hope Catfish Alley gets the high praise it deserves.
For more reviews, visit http://dreamworldbooks.com.
Flashing back and forth between present-day and 1920s-1930s Clarksville, Mississippi, Catfish Alley is a story that puts racism and deep friendship to the test. The novel explores racism and segregation that is still very much present in the South, no matter what people these days are made to believe. Being a Biloxi-born Mississipian myself, I can completely understand and appreciate the complexity and beauty of Catfish Alley.
Roxanne Reeves is a white woman with a highly-coveted social standing who is asked to work on a project that covers African-American history within Clarksville for a touring of Antebellum Homes. For help with her special project, Roxanne meets with elderly Grace Clark, a retired black schoolteacher who has spent nearly her entire life in Clarksville and has witnessed and survived many a heartache throughout her years. While at first Roxanne is slightly put-off and uncomfortable with the project, she finds herself being irresistably lured in by Grace's stories about Clarksville and soon begins to question and explore her own feelings regarding Grace and her friends and racism in general.
Readers can pretty much guess from the synopsis how the story ends; Roxanne and Grace become friends for life and Roxanne steps out of her comfort zone and into the other side of the rainbow, so to speak. But, this is not all that happens and the book's journey is very well worth the ride.
In addition to Roxanne's self-development, readers are drawn in to the mystery surrounding Thomas "Zero" Clark, Grace's loving and charismatic older brother who befalls his own tragedy in 1931. Catfish Alley is told from the viewpoints of several different characters and has an EXTREMELY captivating story that unfolds and will keep you hooked until the very last page. I had a difficult time putting this novel down and I can't wait to let the rest of the world know about it.
My final words on Catfish Alley are regarding my emotional involvement with the novel. While Roxanne was not my favorite character by far, I appreciated her transformation. In the beginning, I really had to bite my tongue and grit my teeth when her snooty, white, high-society acquantainces kept referring to "blacks"-this and "blacks"-that without any interjection from Roxanne. This novel may bring the more sensitive readers to tears, but overall is a pleasurable experience.
I am looking forward to Lynne Bryant's future work and I truly hope Catfish Alley gets the high praise it deserves.
For more reviews, visit http://dreamworldbooks.com.
February 21, 2012
Catfish Alley by Lynne Bryant is a fiction book set in Clarksville, MS with the main character, Roxanne Reeves, discovering the history of the culture around her.
Roxanne Reeves is afraid of being alone; also, she is nervous for someone possibly discovering her true upbringing. While feeling these ways, Roxanne gets put in charge of heading up an African-American tour in her town, which is still very segregated, even in 2002.
Because she must get this tour going, she forces herself to meet many African-Americans, and finds hidden history - especially from 1931 - of which she'd been ignorant. Through her discoveries, she discovers more than just the past, she finds her own present.
I enjoyed reading about Mississippi, as I lived there a small portion of my life, although I was born and raised in Louisiana. I've often wondered how life was between the races before the 1980s, when I came along.
This book showed how very horrific life was for the African-Americans living in this time. The story reminded me that God created all men equal, and we should treat every person as we'd like to be treated ourselves. Period. So sad for all mistreated human beings.
*Beware I am giving spoiler details below!*
My two criticisms of the book are:
1) That everything worked itself out in the end, predictably. Good books don't need a perfectly wrapped up ending; they can have one, but this was one was predictable.
2) Wasn't it a bit too unrealistic that Jr. didn't come back home to see his fiancée or sister EVER in the 70 years he'd been gone? Fearing for your life would make you stay away a long time, so it's possible that this could have happened, but 70 years is nearly a life-time, and staying away from your fiancée and close sister all this time and never once contacting either of them via mail, even, seems highly unprobable.
Besides those above thoughts I mentioned, I greatly enjoyed this touching and entertaining story, and I am looking forward to Bryant's next book coming April 2012.
Roxanne Reeves is afraid of being alone; also, she is nervous for someone possibly discovering her true upbringing. While feeling these ways, Roxanne gets put in charge of heading up an African-American tour in her town, which is still very segregated, even in 2002.
Because she must get this tour going, she forces herself to meet many African-Americans, and finds hidden history - especially from 1931 - of which she'd been ignorant. Through her discoveries, she discovers more than just the past, she finds her own present.
I enjoyed reading about Mississippi, as I lived there a small portion of my life, although I was born and raised in Louisiana. I've often wondered how life was between the races before the 1980s, when I came along.
This book showed how very horrific life was for the African-Americans living in this time. The story reminded me that God created all men equal, and we should treat every person as we'd like to be treated ourselves. Period. So sad for all mistreated human beings.
*Beware I am giving spoiler details below!*
My two criticisms of the book are:
1) That everything worked itself out in the end, predictably. Good books don't need a perfectly wrapped up ending; they can have one, but this was one was predictable.
2) Wasn't it a bit too unrealistic that Jr. didn't come back home to see his fiancée or sister EVER in the 70 years he'd been gone? Fearing for your life would make you stay away a long time, so it's possible that this could have happened, but 70 years is nearly a life-time, and staying away from your fiancée and close sister all this time and never once contacting either of them via mail, even, seems highly unprobable.
Besides those above thoughts I mentioned, I greatly enjoyed this touching and entertaining story, and I am looking forward to Bryant's next book coming April 2012.
July 26, 2015
I really enjoyed Catfish Alley. I enjoy historical fiction. I read history books as well but this just brings me closer to the people and the events.
Roxanne Reeves is a woman in Clarksville, Mississippi who is president of the antebellum home tours group. This year a newcomer to Clarksville and the antebellum home tours group has suggested adding important African-American sites to the tour. Of course, this would be a totallly different view of Southern history. This will cause people, Roxanne to begin with, to see a world that they have never acknowledged in their hometown. The story starts out in 1931. Then we move to 2002 and start finding out through interviews with Grace and several other older African American residents of Clarksville stories about the people in Clarksville in the 1930s, the fledgling start of the Civil Rights movement, life for African-Americans and how people dealt with each other, black and white.
If you enjoyed The Help, you will enjoy Catfish Alley. Both talk about life in the south during a period of social upheaval and change. Both books tell moving stories. There were times in the book that I had to stop reading for a bit before I could move on in the story. Jumping from one time period to the other is an effective method to build up suspense.
Lynne Bryant is a professor of Nursing at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. So she is close by.
Good book for book clubs. The book has a conversation guide in it which is great.
Her next book will be released in April 2012.
Roxanne Reeves is a woman in Clarksville, Mississippi who is president of the antebellum home tours group. This year a newcomer to Clarksville and the antebellum home tours group has suggested adding important African-American sites to the tour. Of course, this would be a totallly different view of Southern history. This will cause people, Roxanne to begin with, to see a world that they have never acknowledged in their hometown. The story starts out in 1931. Then we move to 2002 and start finding out through interviews with Grace and several other older African American residents of Clarksville stories about the people in Clarksville in the 1930s, the fledgling start of the Civil Rights movement, life for African-Americans and how people dealt with each other, black and white.
If you enjoyed The Help, you will enjoy Catfish Alley. Both talk about life in the south during a period of social upheaval and change. Both books tell moving stories. There were times in the book that I had to stop reading for a bit before I could move on in the story. Jumping from one time period to the other is an effective method to build up suspense.
Lynne Bryant is a professor of Nursing at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. So she is close by.
Good book for book clubs. The book has a conversation guide in it which is great.
Her next book will be released in April 2012.
April 20, 2011
This is a great book about the differences in people,prejudice and involvement with other races.Roxanne Reeves hiding her own beginnings,putting all her energy into fitting in and chairing the tour of Clarksville,Mississippi antebellum homes gets a challenge.She is asked to create a tour that explores African American historical sites.She enlists the aide of elderly Grace Clark who shares her own secrets.Roxanne meets Grace's old friends,tours significant sites and begins to realize that there has always been and still exists a great deal of bias and ill treatment for that group.She becomes involved in righting some of the past wrongs, makes new friends and decides to share her own heritage. As she sponsors change she herself changes and is willing to risk her position in the community to become a person more accepting of the differences in others.This book gave me a warm feeling and hope for the future.
July 17, 2015
This is the debut novel by southern author Lynne Bryant. The story takes place in Clarksville, Mississippi in the present, but flashes back to the 1930’s when being black and living in the south was a dangerous combination. It is primarily about Roxanne, a middle-aged woman, member of the junior league and restorer of antebellum homes who reluctantly finds herself in charge of developing an historical tour of African American sites. My favorite part of this book is seeing how Roxanne changes from a superficial, ignorant woman with no true friendships as she learns about the racial history of her town and begins to develop friendships with several African American women. Some people have compared this book to The Help. I would say this is a very good book, but the depth of the writing didn’t pull the emotion out of me the way The Help did. Nevertheless, it is a good book for a first novel and a very worthwhile read.
August 23, 2011
i am sometimes weary of white authors writing about souther blacks from first person perspective. they tend to miss something. you always get the feel for life in antebellum regions below the mason-dixon but there is a gap knowledge. something about the characters always seems like you are on the outside looking in; as opposed to looking at the world through the character's eyes. there is an ebb and flow to it. a hit and miss. a well written prose can compensate for the misses, but you notice the tiny knicks and scratches....i would say that this novel is well within those lines. you can really feel the human element manifest in the author's words. you can tell that some of the imaginary is based on real life experience/or really good historical investigation. its comforting. not exactly a female version of faulkner; but as mississippi author's go lynne bryant does her state proud!
November 4, 2011
Roxanne Reeves didn't take on the task of adding African-American history to the town’s famous annual Antebellum House tour, because she had an interest in, or some deep desire to examine Black history, no, she did it so that she could get the contract to do the restoration at Riverview – the most beautiful property in Clarksville; not only would it be a feather in Roxanne’s cap, but the money she’d earn from getting the contract to restore it, would be substantial. However, she thought it was going to be some simple little list of places that Grace Clark would come up with and they'd be done- Roxanne never thought she would get so pulled into their lives and their history. Read More
Review copy provided by publisher.
Review copy provided by publisher.
April 5, 2011
Actions and deeds often resonate throughout history being felt for generations. Such is the case in Catfish Alley. While working on a community historical project, Roxanne Reeves must deal with the sins of the past and the scars of the present.
Set in modern day Mississippi, the book is interwoven with recollections and memories of the 1930s South. The book deals with race, family, and friendships, both then and now. The characters are genuine and wise. The relationships are full of all that real life is made of.
Even when writing outside her realm of experience, Ms. Bryant’s observations are keen and accurate. She has done her homework. She has tried to depict the South with its people and history in a broader sense. She has done it well, and its people proud.
June 12, 2011
I met Lynne Bryant at a book signing event at a local book store in Denver. I enjoyed her so much I invited her to visit our book group and lead the discussion of her book. She graciously accepted and we all went out for a lovely dinner and discussion. There were sixteen of us present. We had all really enjoyed the book and we were able to enjoy it all over again through Lynne's eyes. Having been raised in Colorado it is easy to forget that things described in Catfish Alley actually did (and still do) happen. I think it is important to never forget and to learn from these events. This is a very good read - I highly recommend it. And if you should get a chance to meet the author - jump at it! She is a wonderful woman!
November 29, 2011
I took a chance on this one because I thought here we go again a copycat story after "The Help" little did I know that they would be completely different stories. It took me a few days to really get into the story but when I finally immersed myself into it I was sucked in. The book is a story of loss, pain and self discovery. You have to take the blinders off to really see the world as it is and not as you think. The characters were so real and strong and chose to Live and not be sucked in and under by the world around them. Wonderful story harsh as some of it was this was a history of the South that I'm surprised that a white woman would write about even in a work of fiction. Great book wonderful story.
May 12, 2011
I won this book through First Reads, and I have to say this was the best book yet that I have received through the program.
What an amazing story of pain, loss and racial struggles. There is so much in this book to relate to. How often do we ignore what is going on around us because it's just easier than to get involved or to feel the pain of it. This story takes place in the present day but retraces through the 20's and 30's in the south and how one small town's history has shaped it's future. The author retells the story of what it was like to grow up in the south from both both an African American and white perspective.
Very well written, an excellent first for Lynne Bryant.
What an amazing story of pain, loss and racial struggles. There is so much in this book to relate to. How often do we ignore what is going on around us because it's just easier than to get involved or to feel the pain of it. This story takes place in the present day but retraces through the 20's and 30's in the south and how one small town's history has shaped it's future. The author retells the story of what it was like to grow up in the south from both both an African American and white perspective.
Very well written, an excellent first for Lynne Bryant.
June 6, 2011
I sometimes feel like I've read more than my fair share of stories about slavery, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era but this book offers a unique and interesting take on black/white relations in Mississippi. The story starts in 2003 with Roxanne, a white woman, who finds herself with the task of creating an African American Tour. She calls on Grace, an elderly black resident, to help her identify historical points of interest. Grace and a cast of other characters call up memories from the 1930's to help tell the story of their town. Each person's memories help to complete the complex story and heal some festering wounds.
July 18, 2011
I had just finished reading "The Help" so I was a little unenthusiatic to pick up another book about race relations but I am so glad that I continued reading. "Catfish Alley" was very different with a great story that, while fictional, was based upon many true events. The authoress and I had one big thing in common: I have been very naive and sheltered and just plain LAZY about learning about my brothers and sisters on this planet. This book made me wish that I had done more to make the world a better place. I will try to spend the rest of my life doing just that. Ok....do ya get the POINT? This was one inspiring book!
April 24, 2011
Being Southern, I was excited to read this book. I enjoy reading books about my area of the country. This book is set in a small town in Mississippi during the early years of the 21st century, with a back story in the 1930's. It follows the lives of Grace and her family and friends. And how racism affected them and how it has and hasn't changed in modern times. The back story was gripping and emotional and had me unable to put the book down. The modern day part seemed a little harsh on the racism to the South I know. All in all an enjoyable book that I would recommend.
April 19, 2011
This is one of those books that I am so glad I stumbled across. It goes back and forth between the early 2000's and 1930's Mississippi and tells an amazing story of the racial issues that all characters go through, past and present. I was feeling some of the same emotions as the characters and the story that eventually came out was very sad, but very true of those times. I would recommend this to anyone who liked The Help!
July 19, 2011
If you liked The Help you must read this. Key difference between the two books is the timeframe, Catfish Alley takes place in 1931 and 2002. I do have to admit that I didn't really think that the attitudes of southern whites in 2002 was as racist as portrayed in the book. I am sure that is a reflection on my understanding not the reality.
January 15, 2014
This was a really good book. Although the storyline was somewhat predictable, I stilled enjoyed reading Roxanne's growth. The ending left me wanting a little more closure surrounding the characters but all in all, it was a good (albeit sad) story
February 21, 2012
I loved this book!!! It made me laugh and cry. Quite an eyeopener of life in the south during the 1930's.
January 4, 2014
The evolution if Roxanne Reeves was for me the best part of this book.
July 21, 2020
A debut novel, the writing not nearly as beautiful or memorable as the last several books I’ve read - and yet, the characters and storyline quickly dug beneath my skin, moving me, distressing me, with the unconscious racism not only in the 1930s (which this novel heartens back to) but of the early 2000s, where the main body of the story takes place.
Roxanne seemed two-dimensional and unbelievably blind to me - but, then again, I grew up in the northeast, not in Louisiana and Mississippi. Grace, Adele and Zero were utterly like able and I wanted to know them even more! The mystery surrounding Zero’s story unfolded at just the right pace to keep the suspense while slowly opening the reader’s eyes to the accepted brutality of racism in the Jim Crow South of the early 1900s.
Reading the authors note at the end, where she explains how similar her own experience was to Roxanne’s, my jaw probably dropped. Really - her small town Mississippi high school had both a white homecoming queen and a black homecoming queen - in 2002?!
This book was a painful, insightful, helpful read. Being reminded of the racial barriers - stemming from cultural blindness as well as overt prejudice- that still exist in the 21st century is so important if we are to recognize and overcome our own blindness and advocate for valuing every human life.
Roxanne seemed two-dimensional and unbelievably blind to me - but, then again, I grew up in the northeast, not in Louisiana and Mississippi. Grace, Adele and Zero were utterly like able and I wanted to know them even more! The mystery surrounding Zero’s story unfolded at just the right pace to keep the suspense while slowly opening the reader’s eyes to the accepted brutality of racism in the Jim Crow South of the early 1900s.
Reading the authors note at the end, where she explains how similar her own experience was to Roxanne’s, my jaw probably dropped. Really - her small town Mississippi high school had both a white homecoming queen and a black homecoming queen - in 2002?!
This book was a painful, insightful, helpful read. Being reminded of the racial barriers - stemming from cultural blindness as well as overt prejudice- that still exist in the 21st century is so important if we are to recognize and overcome our own blindness and advocate for valuing every human life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews