I recently finished "If Beale Street Could Talk". Amazing book, really easy to listen to, easy to follow, easy to lose yourself in. Which to me is the mark of a good book. A great book is one that I put in the "Life Changing" category. Meaning it made me think hard about something or made me want to improve myself in some way. Anyway, this book was a good book.
First I was thrown off because I instantly recognized the voice. Bahni Turpin also narrated the audiobook for the "The Hate U Give". The first couple hours of listening was a real throw for me, it seemed like the story was set maybe 1950's. That's the vibe I got, it was never stated so I could be completely wrong on that but that is what I was picturing as I listened. 1950's New York. But I was hearing the voice of Star from "The Hate U Give" and it threw me for a massive loop.
However the book was good and within a few hours of listening I was swept away in the story. Rooting for Tish and Fonnie (No idea if that’s how the character’s names are spelled as I was listening to this story and not reading the actual novel).
I thought the entire story was a really interesting expose. The way the different characters related to each other. The simple fact of a man in prison for something he didn’t do. How at times you even questioned if he did it because of the way people portrayed it. The moment when you realize exactly what happened. The corruption.
I thought it was particularly interesting the way you wanted to hate Mrs. Rogers, but also the way you felt for her, at least I did. This poor woman who was put through hell and then given an option for as Tish’s sister put it could be “over, for her” whether it was really the truth or not. She could move on, it could be “over, for her”. That conversation between Tish and her sister was extremely powerful to me, it really made me think. If I was in Mrs. Rogers’ position would I have the strength to mentally re-live that experience...on purpose? To be sure? Or would I take the out, the police saying it was this guy, press charges against him. I would like to think that I would, but really can any of us know without being in that position.
I found the conversation between Mrs. Rogers and Tish’s mother equal thought provoking. At first I was surprised that Mrs. Rogers wasn’t telling Tish’s mother not to let Tish marry Fonnie. But one has to consider the level of mental anguish the woman was going through. Given the timely miscarriage one might assume the baby was the rapists. To not only be having to live through that experience but to be carrying a child from it must have been mental anguish. What really resonated with me about this conversation was Mrs Rogers not telling Tish’s mother that she was wrong. She didn’t disagree, she didn’t say Fonnie was a bad person, she didn’t say, he’s evil, don’t let your daughter marry him. She told Tish’s mother that yeah Tish’s mother knew a wonderful man, she knew a man who treated her daughter right. But Mrs Rogers, she knew a man who had done something horrible to her. That, that man could be one and the same. It resonated with me because it is extremely true in this life, you may know someone as wonderful, but everyone may not know that same person as wonderful. Merely because someone is a nice person in some situations, does not mean they are not capable of horrible things in other situations or with other people.
They never told you if Fonnie did it. Based on certain flashbacks with officer Bell. I don’t think he did. However Mrs Rogers point is something that I think will never leave me. So maybe this book was life changing. Our perception of someone does not mean not only that everyone has the same perception of them. But also that they can be two people at once, or multiple people and you may not ever know.
Either way I would recommend this book. It’ll make you think.
“If Beale Street Could Talk” James Baldwin https://www.google.com/books/edition/If_Beale_Street_Could_Talk/lclWAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
Also mentioned in this post:
“The Hate U Give” Angie Thomas https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Hate_U_Give/OTwYDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
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