NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This book and its stories are as relevant in 2024 as they were in the 1960s. Each of the characters represent a faction of Black America and their struggles. This book is not for the weak nor those who do not wish to understand the struggles of those whose real life stories mirror those in the book. Poignant and emotive.

The news of Diane Oliver's passing at 22, before her career could even begin, is deeply saddening. However, knowing that her work is still being discussed in 2024 reassures us that she would have continued to produce remarkable literature. We can still enjoy her short story collection, Neighbors and Other Stories, which explores the everyday lives of Black families across different social classes. The stories draw you in as they delve into themes of wealth, poverty, and the emotional and physical well-being of Black families. From a young boy whose family must decide if he will be the first in his neighborhood to attend a desegregated school, to a teenage girl navigating her first sit-in while grappling with the emotional fallout of her crush wanting to continue the fight, each character's perspective is vividly rendered. As we immerse ourselves in their experiences, we witness the complexities of Black female lives in the 1960s, with no clear resolution in sight but rich in authenticity.

honestly i wanted to like this more, but it just made me realize short story collections are not my cup of tea. i found it hard to stay engaged, which is why it took me almost a year to finish 200 pgs. this may have been lost on me, but there are some real gems in here, and anyone who enjoys short stories would definitely have a better time. i do encourage anyone interested to look into the backstory of the author, who died in 1966 at age 22, and how these stories were found and finally shared :)

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the ebook!

Neighbors and Other Stories" by Diane Oliver is a gem of a book! It dives deep into human relationships with stories that are so real and touching. Each one stays with you, making you think. Definitely worth a read if you love stories that tug at your heartstrings!

Beautifully told. It's impossible not to think about what Oliver would have accomplished if her life was not tragically cut short... though this collection of work is something to be proud of, regardless. The stories reminded me a bit of Kathleen Collins' Whatever Happened to Interracial Love. I recommend this book to short story lovers all the time at work.

4.5 Stars

Every single story was though provoking and well written. I devoured this book. I'm sad that I did not discover Diane Oliver sooner. It's clear she was a marvelous talent and a legend that we lost too soon.

Highly recommend reading this and all her works.

Exceptional collection of short-fiction. Highly intelligent character studies and always very moving scenarios.vWritten decades ago these stories have not aged. A master work of short fiction.

Tayari Jones, who penned an introduction for this collection, describes these stories as 'time capsules'. Most of the stories describe the situation of African American families in the 1960s, especially the women, who are caught between two opposing forces. The progressive elements of society want integration, with blacks being able to participate equally in society along with others. But there are the regressive elements that violently oppose it, with silent support from those in power, as is subtly suggested in some of the stories. Caught in the crossfire, many families are unable to decide what they actually want—to support and participate in the struggle for socially elevating themselves or to prioritise the safety of their loved ones and maintain the status quo.

"I keep trying," he said to her, "to tell myself that somebody's got to be the first one . . ."

As a little boy plays quietly in his room, his family frets over the fact that the next day that sweet youngster will be the first black child to set foot in a segregated school.

Diane Oliver delved deeply into what it was like to be the first: the first to walk into a school while ignoring a jeering crowd, the first to boldly sit at a restricted lunch counter, the first young woman to attend an all-white university.

"She had a difficult time trying to think of something in which to major . . . She was fairly adept in biology, but the department scheduled field trips throughout the year. And even if the motels were supposedly integrated, she hated to be involved in testing them, so she had to major in something that didn't involve people or embarrassing scenes."

So much to consider before taking that first move . . .

Oliver was quite the chronicler of the black life in America during the tumultuous fifties and sixties, but her writing encompasses much more than that. With strong characters, and genre bending themes, this young author was set to go far. She died in a motorcycle accident in 1966, her life and promising career cut short. In 2022, her sister discovered eight unpublished stories that were collected here with the few that were published in magazines and anthologies before her death. Her work offers a strong voice, and a unique perspective.

"Sometimes Meetrie didn't believe her when she told the children about the food the Nelsons had for breakfast. Talking about bacon and waffles made Meetrie's eyes shine. 'For real?' she would ask, pulling her top pigtail. 'For real?'

And sometimes when she was pouring those cornflakes into the four cups and stretching the powdered milk with more water than the welfare lady ever intended, she didn't believe herself."

The author of these short stories died in 1966 at the age of 22. At that time, only 4 of her stories had been published. Although they were excellent, it took until now for someone to track down her unpublished stories and publish them all in this collection. Her work showed a lot of promise, and it is a great loss that we did not get to see how her work progressed.

The stories are of their time, but also timeless. Her characters are well-developed, the situations are realistic and she was also very good with dialog. The protagonists are chiefly southern Black women.

My favorite story was “Neighbors” about the conflicted feelings of a family that is about to send their young son to integrate an all white school. “The Closet on the Top Floor” also deals with the pressures of being the only black face in a white environment. In “Mint Juleps Not Served Here”, a family goes to great lengths to escape. The ending reminded me of Patricia Highsmith. In “Banago Kalt”, a young woman is treated as an exotic specimen when she visits Switzerland. The only story that really didn’t appeal to me was “Frozen Voices”, a structurally experimental work that went on too long.

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

This was an interesting collection of 14 short stories following a slew of characters delving deep into the day-to-day perils of Jim Crow racism. Each story was perfectly layered and varied with its own uniqueness. The reader never really knows how much the author is going to give before bringing the story to a close. We get themes surrounding trauma, the day-to-day reality of growing up black in America, and heart-breaking revelations of being a parent in this era.

Of the 14 stories the last two Our Trip To The Nature Museum and Spiders Cry Without Tears were the longest and most in-depth but none of the stories felt incomplete or rushed. There were a couple that did leave me wanting more so I see that as a good thing.

With any collection there are always a few that stand out among the rest. But each story written highlights characters being placed in unconventional situations.

Neighbors- follows a family as they prepare for their son Tommy to attend a desegregated school.

The Closet On The Top Floor- follows Winifred (Chicken) attending college as the only black student where her presence is immediately recognized.

Health Service- We follow Libby a mother of many children which she can’t seem to handle on her own as she takes them to the clinic only to never receive care.

Mint Juleps Not Served Here- Mr. & Mrs. Mack lost their first son Alvin 3 days after being born; when their son Rabbit was born they vowed to do whatever it took to protect him even commit murder. Miss Langley a rude case worker looking into the family ended up being a victim.

Key To The City- Nora was headed off to school and her family packed up to go with her. When they arrived in the new city her father was supposed to pick them up from the terminal but never came.

The Visitor- Katie arrived in town from school in Memphis. After only being there a few days Katie packs her things to return home. Alice who was married to her father didn’t want Katie in the picture anyway.

Frozen Voices: Jenny had to prove that men needed her and that she didn’t need a man; and Gab had to prove that women needed him, that he didn’t need a woman.

Overall, this was a pretty good collection definitely something I’d recommend. Special thanks to the author & @groveatlantic publishing for my gifted copy‼️

dnf

i’m not finishing this solely because it fell flat and dragged on. however, i was completely hooked by the first story and its important themes that it projected to everyone. that being said, it’s a me problem. as much as i don’t want to dnf an arc, I had to.

I really enjoyed this short story collection. I had never heard of Diane Oliver prior to learning of this book and I was heartbroken to learn of her tragic fate. I am really grateful for the preservation of her stories that will allow her voice to live on forever. These short stories told the stories of African American during the 50s and 60s. They kind of explore these peoples lives as they navigate racism, relationships and even mental health. I think that despite these stories being told decades ago they still feel relevent in the present day. I really like the mysticism of some of these stories. They felt kind of eerie as times, but I didn't mind it.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This short story collection is beautifully written. It's set in the 60s, but still feels highly relevant in todays' age. More people should read this.

Stunning writing that sets the tone for African American lives during the 60s.
Short stories that reflects on social integration, interracial dating and racism that are still very relevant today.

I really enjoyed the short stories in this collection. Oliver has a way of capturing relationships so perfectly and intriguingly.

These stories feel as urgent and important today as they would have when they were written. This collection is important in telling this part of history.

BOOK: NEIGHBORS AND OTHER STORIES
AUTHOR: DIANE OLIVER
PUB DATE: 13 FEB 2024
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This is the second short stories collection I read this month and I'm on a roll. This collection was very good, set in the mid- late 1900s. There was a lot of racism, Jim Crow laws were in existence then too. So I felt everything. But, my favorite part of this selection was how realistic it was. It was like reading a collection of every day living of black people, mostly women and I liked that. I liked almost every stories here too except Frozen Voices, I didn't even finish it. It's definitely worth your time.
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NEIGHBORS
Okay. Took a long time to get a gist of the book. But, I wanted to see the aftermath of what happened with Tommy and his school
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THE CLOSET ON THE TOP FLOOR
Winifred is the only black person in her college. She has some sort of mental illness like ocd. The book was totally about her mental illness which went untreated.
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BEFORE TWILIGHT
A poignant short story that showed an inkling at the racism black people went through and are still going through. Very realistic
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HEALTH SERVICE
She walked a long distance to see a doctor but the doctor left without seeing much of the patients including her. She's struggling to raise 4 kids on her own after her husband left. My heart broke for her, she was going through a lot
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MINT JULEP NOT SERVED HERE
I think both Mr and Mrs Mack are crazy. I don't understand the reason for their drastic actions and paranoia.
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KEY TO THE CITY
It was okay. I just didn't like the mother's drastic actions. She had a perfect life, she could have stayed.
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THE VISITOR
I liked this,but I didn't like the FMC. She cared too much about appearances and I didn't like the way she acted towards her husband's daughter from another marriage
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BANACO KALT
Millie. 23. Went to Switzerland on an exchange program. I loved reading her mundane experiences in Switzerland. I'm sure it was a huge culture shock for her. V
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WHEN THE APPLES ARE RIPE
Jonnie-boy, a boy with a brother who's leaving home soon. And Mrs Gilkey, a old woman living alone. Probably white. The focus on the story was Jonnie's older brother who was moving away for activism and his father didn't want that.
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TRAFFIC JAM
I don't know why it was named Traffic Jam. But, the book is about a maid, Libby with 5 children and a negligent husband. I only read a day in her life and I got tired alread
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NO BROWN SUGAR IN ANYBODY'S MILK
Funny, but kinda sad too when you reach the ending. I'm glad Essie T was not whom i thought she was
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FROZEN VOICES
My least favorite. I didn't even understand the write up and I didn't finish it. Something about a cheating woman, Jenny who played with the emotions or men
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OUR TRIP TO THE NATURE MUSEUM
A day in the life of Miss Spears, a concerned class teacher of Latonya. A black girl from a poor home. The book described Latonya's difficult situation and Miss Spears thoughts about it.
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SPIDERS CRY WITHOUT TEARS
Follows a white woman, Meg who got into a relationship with a light skinned black man. The ending was actually very sad, but realistic
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Like I said, realistic.

The stories in this book, written in the 1960s, describe scenarios from the lives of African Americans during attempts at desegregation in the South. The collection is essential reading for understanding today’s remaining inequities in the social determinants of health in the United States. I think these stories should be studied as a historical source. Oliver paints nuanced pictures of Black, white, and biracial characters of that period, and Tayari Jones provides a framework for understanding them in her erudite introduction. It’s truly a privilege to be able to read these stories today, I’m just so thankful that Diane Oliver’s precocious work was discovered before her untimely death, and finally brought together in this collection today.

Wow, what a treat. This is a collection of short stories written by Diane Oliver before she died at just 22 years old in 1966. These stories explore racial issues in the 50s and 60s in America. A lot of her storied have an eerie feel too them, particularly "Mint Juleps Not Served Here" which was my favorite story in the collection. I love short stories but sometimes have a bit of trouble feeling connected to the characters since they are shorter than a novel, I did not have that issue at all with Oliver's stories. The way she writes her characters make them seem so real, and you really care for them. Another story that was a stand out for me was "Health Service", I just felt so much for this family even though I only saw a tiny glimpse into their day. Some other stories that were 5 stars for me were "Neighbors", "Before Twilight", and "Key To the City". There was only one story I didn't feel invested in which is incredible for a short story collection. Definitely check this one out, a perfect read for Black History Month (but don't forget to read Black books all year)!

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Press for the ARC.