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Logans #2
The Well: David's Story
During a drought, the Logan family shares their well water with all their neighbors, black and white alike. But David and Hammer find it hard to share with Charlie Simms, who torments them because they are black. Hammer's pride and Charlie's meanness are a dangerous mixture, and tensions build and build. Narrated by young David Logan, Cassie's father in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, this extraordinary story is filled with characters and events so real that they're unforgettable.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
70 people are currently reading
3044 people want to read
About the author
Mildred D. Taylor
38 books1,585 followersMildred DeLois Taylor is an African-American writer known for her works exploring the struggle faced by African-American families in the Deep South.
Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.
Many of her works are based on stories of her family that she heard while growing up. She has stated that these anecdotes became very clear in her mind, and in fact, once she realized that adults talked about the past, "I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too ..." Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.
Taylor's most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1977, the book won the Newbery Medal. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the middle book, chronologically, in the Logans series that also includes titles such as The Land, Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Road to Memphis. Her collective contributions to children's literature resulted in her being awarded the inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.
Taylor was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but lived there only a short amount of time, then moved to Toledo, Ohio, where she spent most of her childhood. She now lives in Colorado with her daughter.
Many of her works are based on stories of her family that she heard while growing up. She has stated that these anecdotes became very clear in her mind, and in fact, once she realized that adults talked about the past, "I began to visualize all the family who had once known the land, and I felt as if I knew them, too ..." Taylor has talked about how much history was in the stories; some stories took place during times of slavery and some post-slavery.
Taylor's most famous book is Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1977, the book won the Newbery Medal. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the middle book, chronologically, in the Logans series that also includes titles such as The Land, Song of the Trees, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, and The Road to Memphis. Her collective contributions to children's literature resulted in her being awarded the inaugural NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature in 2003.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
March 12, 2009
My daughter's teacher planned to use this book as a tie-in to a multidiscinplinary unit on water, but ended up not using it because some parents objected to the presence of the n-word in the book. Naturally this type of censorship made me trot right out to the library to check it out, and I finished it quickly and will be reading it with my daughter next.
Thought-provoking. Would help open up conversations about racism in America during early part of 20th century, and also about resource inequalities here and elsewhere in history and today.....
Thought-provoking. Would help open up conversations about racism in America during early part of 20th century, and also about resource inequalities here and elsewhere in history and today.....
April 10, 2013
Loved the way this book ended but I have to say that the story caught me off guard. Here's why. I knew it was based back in the early 1900s, but I didn't know it was going to be written the way it was. This author stayed true to the times of racism/prejudice in the way she wrote it. An inappropriate word was used throughout the entire story-because that was the language that was common during that time period. THAT was the reason why it caught me off guard and was hard to read.
The story itself taught a great lesson-when you do bad things to people sometimes you get more than you bargained for in the end. So I liked the way it ended-REALLY liked it.
I'm not sure how my 5th or 6th graders would take to this book. I'll try it out on someone and see. :)
The story itself taught a great lesson-when you do bad things to people sometimes you get more than you bargained for in the end. So I liked the way it ended-REALLY liked it.
I'm not sure how my 5th or 6th graders would take to this book. I'll try it out on someone and see. :)
August 12, 2021
3.5 stars
This brings the tale of the Logans from the end of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century. This take place during a drought, when the water and wells everywhere are running dry, except the Logans' well.
This is a short story, told all in one go with no chapter breaks, and feels very much like a story your grandpa or uncle would tell around the fire one night. David details the grudge between the Logan family and the Sims family (a white family) and how the well plays into it.
There isn't as much depth to this one as with The Land, since it is very short, just barely over two hours long in the narration, but it was well-told and the narration was well done. Andre Montgomery gives the story a lot of life and verve.
This brings the tale of the Logans from the end of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century. This take place during a drought, when the water and wells everywhere are running dry, except the Logans' well.
This is a short story, told all in one go with no chapter breaks, and feels very much like a story your grandpa or uncle would tell around the fire one night. David details the grudge between the Logan family and the Sims family (a white family) and how the well plays into it.
There isn't as much depth to this one as with The Land, since it is very short, just barely over two hours long in the narration, but it was well-told and the narration was well done. Andre Montgomery gives the story a lot of life and verve.
April 27, 2023
"But don't go destroying God's earth to do it."
Such a Marvelous little book. ❤
Such a Marvelous little book. ❤
March 13, 2009
Good multicultural book and a good author.
March 31, 2011
I chose this book to read together with Hannah and talk about it with her. So far so good. Each day, I read few pages and this morning, she asked for "Mommy, please read me more.", but it was time to go to school :_))
January 12, 2020
***As part of our 2020 reading challenges, my mom and I are revisiting the old works of her favorite YA author, Mildred D. Taylor, and will soon get to read All the Days Past, All the Days to Come for the very first time.***
The Well is the second book in the Logan family saga, a story that takes us one generation forward: to David George Logan, Paul-Edward’s youngest son, and Cassie’s father. One summer while his father and older brothers are away, David attempts to manage the competing issues of a local drought, a hotheaded brother, an increasingly senile grandmother, and a competing duo of white brothers (aka “scounds”) who would love nothing more than to cause trouble for David and his brother Hammer.
This story is one that you can see becoming Logan family legend before your eyes—it is a perfect tale to be repeated over family reunion picnics tables years later, when the danger seems less present.
However, despite Taylor’s use of David as an even-tempered, ever-so-patient narrator, you still sense the very present danger for these characters. For preteens in this community, lynching is an everpresent reality feared by the black boys and threatened by the white ones.
While the pre-2020 books in the Logan family saga were all written by the time I was reading them as a child, I’m not sure that I ever paid close attention to the sequential order of them. For this reason, I enjoyed being able to read The Well directly after the Land. It’s nice to witness all the references: for starters, I can’t help but think the Sims are tenant-farming on the same “40 acres” Filmore Granger scammed away from Paul and Mitchell! Both Ma Rachel and Paul-Edward share stories we’ve heard in The Land, but with some new details or vantage points. Through his recounting of his falling out with Robert, you can see that Paul-Edward has inherited his parents’ skill for using storytelling to impart wisdom, and you also see the growth he’s experienced over the years. He’s clearly come a long way from struggling to successfully share this story with Nathan and being saved by the bell—I mean Mitchell.
I’m enjoying my more linear time with the Logans, and am excited to continue on soon!
The Well is the second book in the Logan family saga, a story that takes us one generation forward: to David George Logan, Paul-Edward’s youngest son, and Cassie’s father. One summer while his father and older brothers are away, David attempts to manage the competing issues of a local drought, a hotheaded brother, an increasingly senile grandmother, and a competing duo of white brothers (aka “scounds”) who would love nothing more than to cause trouble for David and his brother Hammer.
This story is one that you can see becoming Logan family legend before your eyes—it is a perfect tale to be repeated over family reunion picnics tables years later, when the danger seems less present.
However, despite Taylor’s use of David as an even-tempered, ever-so-patient narrator, you still sense the very present danger for these characters. For preteens in this community, lynching is an everpresent reality feared by the black boys and threatened by the white ones.
While the pre-2020 books in the Logan family saga were all written by the time I was reading them as a child, I’m not sure that I ever paid close attention to the sequential order of them. For this reason, I enjoyed being able to read The Well directly after the Land. It’s nice to witness all the references: for starters, I can’t help but think the Sims are tenant-farming on the same “40 acres” Filmore Granger scammed away from Paul and Mitchell! Both Ma Rachel and Paul-Edward share stories we’ve heard in The Land, but with some new details or vantage points. Through his recounting of his falling out with Robert, you can see that Paul-Edward has inherited his parents’ skill for using storytelling to impart wisdom, and you also see the growth he’s experienced over the years. He’s clearly come a long way from struggling to successfully share this story with Nathan and being saved by the bell—I mean Mitchell.
I’m enjoying my more linear time with the Logans, and am excited to continue on soon!
September 6, 2020
This book is very short. But, it hurt my heart. It is a depiction of the blatant racism and hate that existed in Mississippi in the early 20th century. (And still exists today, though in a different, more subtle way.
This is the third book I've read in Taylor's The Logans series and I am enthralled by her talent in telling a story ostensibly written for * young adults* but so deep and meaningful to at least this adult.
This particular story, which she says was told by her father, is a metaphor for the hurt that whites caused for everyone with their hate.
This is the third book I've read in Taylor's The Logans series and I am enthralled by her talent in telling a story ostensibly written for * young adults* but so deep and meaningful to at least this adult.
This particular story, which she says was told by her father, is a metaphor for the hurt that whites caused for everyone with their hate.
November 25, 2016
Those who have read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will recognize David Logan as the father of Cassie and her brothers. In this short novel, David is ten years old and his brother Hammer is fourteen. It's 1910 in Mississippi, a summer of drought, and the well on the Logans' land is the only one that hasn't run dry. The Logans are willing to share water with black and white alike, but their generosity isn't appreciated by everyone.
I consider Roll of Thunder to be one of the best middle-grade books ever. Ms. Taylor's voice not only captures the spirit of her young protagonist but also crafts some lovely prose. She writes with a sort of effortless assurance, a quiet wisdom that doesn't try to be profound; it simply is. Her characters are real people, struggling against their inner selves as well as one another, making mistakes and making me root for them to grow strong and true. The Well is exactly what I would expect from a short novel by this author.
In less than a hundred pages, Taylor portrays racism with not just honesty but intimacy, layering her depiction with the stories of Ma Rachel and David's father in addition to David's own experience. David and Hammer react as individuals, each of them hurt and humiliated but processing and expressing these emotions in different ways (reflecting their different responses as adults in Taylor's other works). Every scene of this story peels back another layer of racism's reality, of the fight for one's dignity as a person to be acknowledged by those with power and agency. David's parents expect him to know how to behave in front of white people; but just as strongly, they remind him that he has worth whether it is acknowledged by others or not.
The storytelling craft is strong, weaving unspoken layers that a very young reader might not pick up on. For example, the scene between Caroline Logan and the sheriff (in which she tries to keep Hammer out of jail after he knocks down a white boy) is a subtly complex interplay between a civilian and a law officer, but also between a black woman and a white man in the turn-of-the-century South. Though Caroline knows that deference is her only option, she also knows how to make necessary appeasement work for her. For a moment, there's almost a sense that, with her people-smarts and her unquestionable dignity, Caroline is winning the day.
The story offers no happy ending. The Simms family, who resent the Logans for being black and yet having more land, more water--they don't suddenly admit to their prejudice and ask forgiveness. This is a children's book, but it is tough and unflinching and therefore moving, no matter the age of the reader. All of which make this a worthy installment of the Logan family saga. I loved getting a glimpse into David's heart, seeing him and Hammer as boys. I love this fictional family, and someday I hope to read all of Taylor's work.
I consider Roll of Thunder to be one of the best middle-grade books ever. Ms. Taylor's voice not only captures the spirit of her young protagonist but also crafts some lovely prose. She writes with a sort of effortless assurance, a quiet wisdom that doesn't try to be profound; it simply is. Her characters are real people, struggling against their inner selves as well as one another, making mistakes and making me root for them to grow strong and true. The Well is exactly what I would expect from a short novel by this author.
In less than a hundred pages, Taylor portrays racism with not just honesty but intimacy, layering her depiction with the stories of Ma Rachel and David's father in addition to David's own experience. David and Hammer react as individuals, each of them hurt and humiliated but processing and expressing these emotions in different ways (reflecting their different responses as adults in Taylor's other works). Every scene of this story peels back another layer of racism's reality, of the fight for one's dignity as a person to be acknowledged by those with power and agency. David's parents expect him to know how to behave in front of white people; but just as strongly, they remind him that he has worth whether it is acknowledged by others or not.
The storytelling craft is strong, weaving unspoken layers that a very young reader might not pick up on. For example, the scene between Caroline Logan and the sheriff (in which she tries to keep Hammer out of jail after he knocks down a white boy) is a subtly complex interplay between a civilian and a law officer, but also between a black woman and a white man in the turn-of-the-century South. Though Caroline knows that deference is her only option, she also knows how to make necessary appeasement work for her. For a moment, there's almost a sense that, with her people-smarts and her unquestionable dignity, Caroline is winning the day.
The story offers no happy ending. The Simms family, who resent the Logans for being black and yet having more land, more water--they don't suddenly admit to their prejudice and ask forgiveness. This is a children's book, but it is tough and unflinching and therefore moving, no matter the age of the reader. All of which make this a worthy installment of the Logan family saga. I loved getting a glimpse into David's heart, seeing him and Hammer as boys. I love this fictional family, and someday I hope to read all of Taylor's work.
June 15, 2011
At first the lack of chapters was frustrating to me. However, it helped make the book read more like a story that was being passed down from a family member. The lack of chapters in the novel definitely moves the reader quickly through this action packed story!
I enjoyed this work of historical fiction, but the ending left me wanting more. The authenitc dialect really helped bring me back to that era int he early 20th century. .
Another important cultural aspect was the relationships between the Logan family – the grandmother who lives with them and the closeness of the aunt and cousin who live on the land as well. The family was interwined not just with their imediate relatives, but with their extended family as well.
The author shows the variety in human relationships and does not generalize the actions or thoughts of either group. She did not play into steroetypical roles, but presented well rounded characters.
A realistic story about prejudices and how people can be so mean! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than 12 though, because of the language , use of the n-word, and the abuse these boys had to endure because of the color of their skin.
I enjoyed this work of historical fiction, but the ending left me wanting more. The authenitc dialect really helped bring me back to that era int he early 20th century. .
Another important cultural aspect was the relationships between the Logan family – the grandmother who lives with them and the closeness of the aunt and cousin who live on the land as well. The family was interwined not just with their imediate relatives, but with their extended family as well.
The author shows the variety in human relationships and does not generalize the actions or thoughts of either group. She did not play into steroetypical roles, but presented well rounded characters.
A realistic story about prejudices and how people can be so mean! I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than 12 though, because of the language , use of the n-word, and the abuse these boys had to endure because of the color of their skin.
August 21, 2013
COOL WATER--HOT PREJUDICE!
This slender volume provides an excellent introduction to Black History--short, dramatic, empassioned. Tensions mount as two black brothers repeatedly suffer at the hands of whites. The well itself, located on Logan property, becomes the only source of water for miles around during a heatwave. But the fact that the family generously shares with all its neighbors--regardless of skin color, with no thought for personal profit--does not endear them to the trashy progeny of Old Man Simms, a vicious brute who encourages his sons to arrogance and violence against Blacks. THE WELL is an excellent prequel to ROLL OF THUNDER, for young David Logan grows up to become Cassie's father. Land ownership is a prized family value, but the next generation continues to suffer social and legal atrocities from the Simmses. This is one suspenseful piece of historical fiction which focuses on the Black Experience in the American South.
(February 2. 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
This slender volume provides an excellent introduction to Black History--short, dramatic, empassioned. Tensions mount as two black brothers repeatedly suffer at the hands of whites. The well itself, located on Logan property, becomes the only source of water for miles around during a heatwave. But the fact that the family generously shares with all its neighbors--regardless of skin color, with no thought for personal profit--does not endear them to the trashy progeny of Old Man Simms, a vicious brute who encourages his sons to arrogance and violence against Blacks. THE WELL is an excellent prequel to ROLL OF THUNDER, for young David Logan grows up to become Cassie's father. Land ownership is a prized family value, but the next generation continues to suffer social and legal atrocities from the Simmses. This is one suspenseful piece of historical fiction which focuses on the Black Experience in the American South.
(February 2. 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
May 1, 2015
I think the well was a great book, and the way their parents wanted to share their well with everyone when their water was all dried up and simmses were jealous of them because they were black and had more land than their family. so there's a feud between the family, also Hammer finds it hard to share with the charlie, because he torments him because he is black. And if you want to find out more read the well.
November 13, 2019
This is one of those that's really hard to read because the unfairness and racism make you want to tear your hair out. Still, stories like this are important for depicting things as they were.
A few parts are a direct recap of bits of The Land.
A few parts are a direct recap of bits of The Land.
November 29, 2017
The Well, by Mildred Taylor, was a very short and interesting read. The author presents
a conflict between the Logan family and the Simms family in a way that shows the true nature
behind the racism after the Civil War. The Simms brothers are the one’s that provoke the Logan
family, and it shows how the black family must respond to the white family after the constant
racism and verbal abuse. The dialogue alone was very interesting because it showed a very
southern type of language in the characters’ voices. This story did a great job at showing what it
was like to be black and live in the south in the early twentieth century. I especially liked how the
author presented a theme in the story; one that showed that a black man should not be judged
by the color of his skin, but by his words and his actions.
There was honestly nothing that I didn’t like about this book. It presented an interesting
story line and many thrilling events that made you eager to see what would happen next. The
only thing that some people may not like about this book is the fact that it uses the “N” word
quite a bit. I don’t think that this was necessarily a bad thing in this story though because it
showed the true reality of what it was like to be black at that time. In other words, the author
made the story more realistic this way, and I’m sure that someone who is a fan of historical
fiction would appreciate something like this. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of a
good story and a short read.
a conflict between the Logan family and the Simms family in a way that shows the true nature
behind the racism after the Civil War. The Simms brothers are the one’s that provoke the Logan
family, and it shows how the black family must respond to the white family after the constant
racism and verbal abuse. The dialogue alone was very interesting because it showed a very
southern type of language in the characters’ voices. This story did a great job at showing what it
was like to be black and live in the south in the early twentieth century. I especially liked how the
author presented a theme in the story; one that showed that a black man should not be judged
by the color of his skin, but by his words and his actions.
There was honestly nothing that I didn’t like about this book. It presented an interesting
story line and many thrilling events that made you eager to see what would happen next. The
only thing that some people may not like about this book is the fact that it uses the “N” word
quite a bit. I don’t think that this was necessarily a bad thing in this story though because it
showed the true reality of what it was like to be black at that time. In other words, the author
made the story more realistic this way, and I’m sure that someone who is a fan of historical
fiction would appreciate something like this. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of a
good story and a short read.
August 31, 2020
This short novella is a prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and tells the story of ten-year-old David (Cassie's father) and his brother Hammer in 1910. The Logan family has a well that despite a drought has not run dry like other family's wells in their region. They are generous with the water, but some white families, especially the cruel Simms, take advantage of them and are not thankful or respectful to the Logan's. There is a showdown between the two Logan boys and the two youngest Simms boys which sets the stage for the continuing antagonism between the families in later years. Taylor hits it out of the park again in this story about racism and standing proud even in the face of oppression and was a welcome window into another generation of the beloved Logan family.
May 26, 2019
The Well: David's Story by Mildred D. Taylor, was a prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and follows one summer with Hammer and David, and how they work to overcome adversity as young black boys in Mississippi. This was a very short, but well-written tale, that felt very much like sitting down and listening to a story your grandma would tell you over a holiday dinner. I felt like I was there, and it really gave more insight into the lives of the characters in this beloved series. I really appreciated this book.
December 24, 2020
I read the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry trilogy many years ago. Going back & reading the rest of the books in chronological order. I quite enjoyed this story about David, his brother, & their moral battle with the boys of the neighboring family. Started it about 8:00 p.m. and finished around 10:00 p.m. that night. I especially liked David, and I appreciated seeing Caroline again after meeting her in the prequel, working her magic here the best she could on the local sheriff.
June 24, 2021
Mildred D. Taylor is an exceptional writer. The way she crafts her stories, she's able to get across everything she wants to say through the character's actions and reactions to events, all show no tell. It's brilliantly done. She doesn't rely on any theory, or awareness of popular discourse in the reader, her stories stand on their own.
March 27, 2020
Honestly this women’s writing is mesmerizing
September 8, 2020
Finally catching up on my favorite childhood series
February 21, 2021
Short story, really, or a novella. But oh so impactful it is! This is a story about an event in young David's life. (David is the father of Cassie from "Roll of Thunder".) One summer, all the wells in the area dry up, except David's family. They share, willingly, with anyone who needs water. But the tension that builds between Hammer, David's brother, and the two riff-raff racist Simms brothers, comes to a boiling head. Ask yourself: Could you do what David's mother had to do? Then, go on and read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, if you haven't already!
December 4, 2022
Tw: Racial slurs, Racism
The audacity of these white folks. 🤬
The audacity of these white folks. 🤬
September 25, 2023
Short Novella about the Logan family well. 3.5 stars.
December 24, 2025
I’ve had this one on my shelves for a while. I read another book by this author years ago and this one was just as good.
December 28, 2025
Short (too short!) and powerful. Taylor writes effectively and evocatively about an experience and time in history I'm keen to understand, however painful.
May 13, 2020
Heartbreaking and important. As a prequel to Cassie's stories, it sheds light on the decades of hatred and animosity that Jeremy's father had for the Logan family. It also demonstrates the pure evil of the doctrine of white supremacy that the Simms family believes in and both how it poisons the minds of even the young and also how it causes the believer of it to dehumanize others.
February 8, 2023
A short but meaningful read. Taylor always adds unique elements to better understand the Jim Crow South, this one adds the importance of sharing resources and kindness in the midst of hate.
October 6, 2023
Just a little book telling about a drought and a well and neighbors and generosity and racism and justice. Great audio narration.
October 20, 2021
This is a short story but can stand alone. It is best to read the first one though to keep track of the characters. David’s brother, Hammer has a temper and socks a White boy who was unfair to David. The Black kids think the White boy was dead and run for home. Luckily, he isn’t but the White father insists on the boys, both of them, being whipped. That is just the beginning of a nasty summer for the Logan kids. Fortunately, kind of, the White boys do something so stupid that even their father couldn’t overlook. David, certainly, even if not his brother, is grateful they got away with their lives. The self restraint that the Blacks had to have was unfair but necessary. I am afraid that is still true. Hopefully that will stop. Recommended but read in order.
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May 14, 2021I can't believe it took me this long to come back to the series. I loved The Land and Roll of Thunder so being reunited with the Logan family was a delight. Lesson from this book, even when others mistreat you without cause,don't allow your heart to be hardened by that. A good lesson to learn at a young age and a good reminder at any age.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews