This book is so awesome. It is a beautiful collection of people's stories. It is a text that needs to be read slowly though otherwise it's just so overwhelming.

*An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This was a fascinating, oral history of the Jim Crow South told by interviews executed by the author with elderly folks who remembered and recounted their experiences growing up in the time. It was fascinating to hear the first-person perspective stories directly from the people who lived it. However, many stories were similar and they felt like they were blending together by the midpoint of the book.

I listened to this audiobook collection of interviews with Black men and women in their 70s and 80s. They and their families had experienced Jim Crow laws, segregation and discrimination and were willing to share their memories. All of the interviews are read by professional narrators. The audiobook does not have the Appendix or pictures that are in the physical book, however at the end of the book it does contain tapes of some of the actual interviews. Unfortunately, the audio quality is not great in these interviews.

What impressed me most was the positivity expressed in the interviews. Each of the subjects had lovely memories of their childhoods. Yes, they had to drink out of white-only fountains and use outdated text books, but they had supportive parents and excellent and caring teachers. They drew strength from their association with their fellow students, including in college. Some even remain hopeful about the future of race relations, while acknowledging that the past few years have experienced a reversal of the progress for which they and their parents fought. They are not strangers to the current efforts to suppress voting rights.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing these stories! I think so much of the conversation around the Jim Crow era South is about the fear or act of violence, and while that is part of the narratives in this collection, it does not dominate the story. The daily lives of Black folks in the South during this time were so much fuller and vibrant than what the history books tell us, and this is why oral histories and first-person accounts are so important. Would recommend to teens interested in history and the Black experience.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I knew quite a but about Jim Crow and some of the things that have been pushed under the rug in the history of African Americans. This was a great read. Listening to the various first hand accounts of growing up during Jim Crow.

This is a very timely and eye-opening audiobook. As those who remember life in the segregated South continue to age, this book preserves some of their stories and offers first-hand accounts of what life under Jim Crow was like. Many of the memories talked about in this book are good ones of happy childhoods and educational and professional successes, but nonetheless, segregation and racism were ever present.

Avery structured the interviews very well, tailoring each to the particular experiences of the person she is talking to but always ending with the same question about if they believe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is possible in the US. A few answers surprised me, many were hopeful, and all of these life stories are worth reading about.

The premise of this audiobook is superb. Young people don't fully understand the challenges and struggles that African Americans went through during Jim Crow era. They need to hear these stories in order to truly internalize the work that has been done before them for them. These interviews opens your eyes to exactly how close knit intertwined but also how hard life was for African American communities during the Jim Crow era. I loved every story and as an educator, I learned so much that I can help teach my students about this era.

Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South by Jaha Nailah Avery - Audiobook Version

Wow, this book is important. It's a must read for anyone and everyone who is willing to listen. This is a collection of stories told by people who lived in the south during the time of Jim Crow. These are important oral histories to be remembered and preserved. Not to glamorize or sensationalize the suffering and pain, but to spotlight the atrocities as to learn from them, but also spotlight the victories and accomplishments, despite the unfair and unjustly stacked odds.

Its so sad to think that when people pass on, so do their stories. Unless we ask them to tell those stories, or they are written, or told in some way....they disappear. We can't let this stories disappear. '

What a beautiful book, and so relevant to read in todays world. I wish I could confidently say that we've come so far, but have we? Have I?

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC.

Jaha Nailah Avery has done the essential work of collecting firsthand accounts of what it was like to live in the Jim Crow South. These stories are important for ALL Americans to hear, both now and in the future. This book would make an excellent addition to any school curriculum teaching about this often glazed over point in our country's history.

The interviews are narrated beautifully for this audiobook, and the publisher has included the original interview recordings at the end of the book though the sound quality makes it difficult to understand them.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to the ARC audiobook version of this book. And thank you, Ms. Avery, for preserving this important piece of US History. I look forward to enjoying more of your work in the future.