Zora Neale Hurston made a name for herself in the 1920s. She was the only black student at Barnard College. During this time, she wrote short stories to capture African American culture. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick is a collection of eight (8) stories found in the archives. Themes include love, independence, migration, racism and social class.

Bookhearts, this review is difficult. How do you rate a new release by a deceased legendary author? A writer of remarkable classics. One of the greats! How do you rate a new book filled with all the elements of a Harlem Renaissance novel but is not easy to follow?

There are a couple stories that touched the literary side of my heart. Other stories that were just okay. However, I struggled through the entire collection because of the dialogue. It totally threw me off. I understand the language is indicative of how people spoke during this time, but it was so hard to keep up with. I spent more time trying to decipher a sentence than enjoying the story itself. This definitely took the pleasure out of my reading experience.

The cover is a work of colorful art though. So eye-catching! And I found the title fitting once I finally completed the short story collection. Is this enough reason to read a book? Well, it is your choice. Go ahead and pre-order. Or wait to read other reviews. Then decide if this collection of short stories from the Harlem Renaissance tickles your fancy.

Happy Early Pub Day to the late Zora Neale Hurston! Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick will be available Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

LiteraryMarie

A powerful collection of well-written words from an author to appreciate. Need I say more? This book is worthwhile for readers who wants to enjoy one of the most notable literary voices in the last hundred years.