Night Talk

by Elizabeth Cox

At night, under the same roof, under the same moon, nothing divides the girls, Evie and Janey Louise. Talking in their beds they discuss their mothers, Agnes and Volusia; their absent fathers, one dead, one on the other side of the country; and their brothers, one fighting polio, the other fighting in the U.S. Army.

Their closeness blinds Evie to the divisions of daylight-- that she is white and her best friend is black; that it is her family's house they live in; that Janie's mother is the housekeeper for Evie's family. For years the inequities of race so permeate their lives that they remain invisible to Evie. It is only later in life that a startling series of events forces Evie to ask Jane for forgiveness.

With elegance and compassion, Elizabeth Cox charts the course of two unlikely friendships, between two daughters and their remarkable mothers. Largely set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights days of the fifties and sixties, Night Talk also confronts the unexpected challenges of the present day. Throughout the novel, Cox exposes the insidious and persistent barriers that prevent us from being honest with each other.

Night Talk is a compelling novel by a passionate writer who cares deeply for her characters and for our world.

Genres: Novels, American

267 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I picked up this book with trepidation. (bought at a library sale). Stories like these, a black child and white child and their experiences in the Jim Crow and Civil Rights era South can often be shallow, simplistic and patronizing to both races. I am so happy to say that this book creates such a lush, vivid portrait of their lives that I will never look at a book of this genre with the same prejudice again.

Ms. Cox has first and foremost created a tale of true friendship and love between women and families. What that can really mean when the world is not perfect. Not with petty "who stole my man or look what I'm wearing that you're not, or who's sleeping with who" insipid trivialities, but how people can go through some extreme pain and rely on each other. The nuances of the two mothers in this story, their friendship and bond is so well developed I was shocked. The story that flows around them and the protagonist child and her best friend is a very intimate look at the pain that people suffered in the deep South when this country was still in the dark. (or more in the dark than it is now, I at least can hope)

I read a lot of history, and am always more interested in what happened to everyday people, not just the ones who are famous that the whole world knows about. This novel reads almost as a historical telling and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't loosely based on someone the author knew. I highly recommend it for your library. I managed to avoid crying at parts, but I was definitely moved.

It took me 24 hours to read this book.

[Sharelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting to read Night Talk on the heels of The Help--the word-of-mouth book-of-the-day that book clubs all over town are reading. Night Talk is about the same time and place (almost) and deals with the same changing sensibilities as The Help. Cox's story is wonderfully told. Quiet. Important. Honest. Hopeful.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving story of two girls: one white and one black. Set in the 1940's. Some disturbing sex scenes, but beautifully written.

[Billy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Go into this one expecting every Southern cliche and you will not be disappointed. In the first section, the story is fairly original though moderately uninteresting. In the second and third sections, the story starts to pickup, and the predictable To Kill a Mockingbird type plot begins to unfold. Throw in Elmer Gantry and O'Connor's "Good Country People" and you pretty well understand where this one is going.

Well written and entertaining- if you don't mind the Southern bashing cliches being used to carry the plot and the predictability of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon.


**Spoilers**
Assuming the typical cliches would be used, one can pretty well predict where a character was going upon introduction. Some examples:
- Revival Preacher- total charlatan, obvious Elmer Gantry type, know he's going to take advantage of Evie
- Albert- this guy isn't going to last long, probably will be lynched in his fight for civil rights
- Robert Turnbull- quintessential WASP and he's rich- you know he's going to do something bad, particularly because he (predictably) has marital problems.
- Janey Louise- one of the first students used in school integration, probably not going to go well for her though she is too central to the story to kill, so that gives a general idea.

Does this predictability make the book bad? I don't know, but for me I grow bored and weary of the same old, same old. Maybe if I had not read as many books along these general lines I would have enjoyed this book. But as it is, I was simply aggravated.

[Lee Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a college class, so I did not choose this novel. However, saying that, I actually quite liked this book. I especially enjoyed the second and third sections. The first section, however, while necessary to the plot, felt incredibly bare when compared with the rest of the book. I would have been happy with this novel being 200 pages longer if I could have gotten more out of the first section. Almost immediately upon hitting the second section of the book,the writing suddenly becomes richer and meatier, and the story becomes far more interesting.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. This is a meal beautifully prepared and served to The Helps processed mac & cheese. I love this book. The author moves back and forth between the 1950's small southern town and the present day and there are a couple of spots that got a tiny bit confusing. But, the writing is a rich blend of literary genius with plot twists and turns that kept me smiling as I turned the pages.
Elizabeth Cox has a new fan. After enjoying Night Talk, I'll read everything she writes.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was a little convoluted. Too many characters with walk-on roles. Other than that, I felt it was a good read, especially the character development of the main characters. It's a shame that novels about race and prejudice are still too real rather than historical.

[Lauren]

Gwinnett County's at it again (high school book challenge.)