Go tell it on the mountain, by James Baldwin

 

I really enjoyed this powerful, semi-autobiographical, first novel by James Baldwin. It tells the story of John Grimes on his 14th birthday. The book is divided into sections; in the first we learn about his family and his relationships with his parents and siblings, as well as his relationship with the Pentecostal church in which his father preaches. The middle section provides the back stories of John's stepfather, mother, biological father, and Aunt Florence. The final section describes John's experience of being born again in an emotion-filled, lengthy night of prayer at church. Although many of the reviews describe this as the best part of the book, I liked it the least, finding the first and section sections more interesting. John's aunt and parents were part of the migration of Black Americans from the south to northern cities. This book shows the racism and other challenges they faced both prior to and after their respective moves. I love Baldwin's writing, and look forward to catching up on more of his novels and essays.