Stand the Storm: A Novel

Clarke, Breena

3.4

467 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 1400108780 ISBN 13: 9781400108787

Publisher: Tantor Audio, 2008

Even though Sewing Annie Coats and her son, Gabriel, have managed to buy their freedom, their lives are still marked by constant struggle and sacrifice. Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, where the Coatses operate a tailor's shop and laundry, is supposed to be a "promised land" for former slaves, but it is effectively a frontier town, gritty and dangerous, with no laws protecting black people.

The remarkable emotional energy with which the Coatses wage their daily battles-as they negotiate with their former owner, as they assist escaped slaves en route to freedom, as they prepare for the encroaching war, and as they strive to love each other enough-is what propels Stand the Storm and makes the novel's tragic denouement so devastating.

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About the Author:

Breena Clarke's novel River, Cross My Heart was an Oprah's Book Club selection and an international bestseller.

From AudioFile:

Richard Allen has it all: the man carries a story as if it were a beloved child, sings as if his heart will break, and expresses emotion as if he invented it. In this novel he takes the Coats family from slavery to freedom and an uncertain future. His depictions of men and women are equally good, and his ability to interpret the author's directives is flawless. Allen is most amazing when he reads emotional passages. His depiction of freedman Gabriel's outrage at a new regulation that may enslave his daughters transports the listener to the very scene. And Allen's handling of death is so reverent the words almost go unnoticed. The story's shocking details and heartbreaking conclusion underscore the complex dimensions of slavery and the struggle for freedom. J.J.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

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