Blacker Than a Thousand MidnightsNamed one of the outstanding novels of 1992 by Publishers Weekly, The New York Times Book Review, and USA Today, I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots established Susan Straight as one of America's foremost chroniclers of African-American life. In Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights, she fulfills the promise of the earlier book, and reintroduces readers to the inhabitants of fictional Rio Seco, California. This is the story of Darnell Tucker, and black firefighter and workingman trying to work the toughest turf of all: the straight and narrow. As his friends disappear around him - victims of the streets, of police dogs, of drugs, of an addiction to cheap thrills and guns - Darnell struggles to establish his own business, facing a thousand midnights before he's home free, with a job that supports his young family. Yet even as he gains a tentative sense of self, Darnell Tucker is drawn to the destructive beauty of fires, and to the wilder, untamed forces beyond the structure of domesticity. This search for balance in a dangerous world propels the quiet heroism of a beautifully evoked and very moving story. |
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ain't ain't gon arms asked baby Batiste breath Brenda Bronco brotha Brother Lobo called Camino chaparral Charolette Charolette's chest couch Daddy Damn dark Darnell felt Darnell heard Darnell looked Darnell saw Darnell stared Darnell thought Darnell watched Darnell's father doin Donnie door driveway drove dude eucalyptus eyes face fingers fire Floyd King Fricke frowned gettin goin gotta Grayglen guys hair hand hard homey I'ma Jackson Park laughed leaned Leon lips Louis mama Melvin mother mouth moved Nacho neck nigga night nodded nothin okay olette palm park pecan Pops pulled remembered Rio Seco riverbottom Roscoe Scott shit shook his head shoulder smell smiled smog smoke Snooter somethin stood stopped street talk talkin tell Terracina tiny told trees Trent truck tumbleweeds turned Vernon voice waiting walked Westside whispered Wild Wild West window workin yard Yeah