These are important stories and I am happy they have been put together in this collection. I am privileged to read them. The author really brings the characters and the situations to life.

Neighbors and other stories Diana Oliver
Introduction
The surprising finding of an author that was not shown in Spellman’s college, or other situations. Oliver published 4 stores in her lifetime and two posthumously. Her lack of recognition of the author has made it her purpose to bring the works to light.

Chapter 1 Neighbors
Looking at the busload of neighbors a young black woman questions the history of the passengers in the crowded bus. She thought of the next day, when her little brother was going to school for the first time in an all white school. The violence of the night shows the personal struggle of the family as they face this difficult time.

Chapter 2 The closet on the top floor
A young black girl was in her first semester in her white college. She is tired of being the experiment of integration. Having a roommate was a hard situation, as her roommate did not understand her or how she felt. The division of race caused many misinterpretations.

Chapter 3 Before twilight
The story of a young black woman who joins a protest for a lunch counter of the local department store. Her attempts to protest are turned up on her. She is arrested, and the boys with her are beaten. She is too frightened to risk it all again.

Chapter 4 Health service
A young black mother attempts to take her children to the doctor on her one day off. Her patience is tested by the children, the environment, and the situation that she needed to go to the health clinic. The doctors leave before seeing all the waiting patients. She is unable to see the doctor, and has to return home without help.

Chapter 5 Mint Julips not served here
After the untimely death of their son, a black family moved out into the forest. They had to go to extremes to protect their last child. A dark story of suspicion and accusations.

Chapter 6 Key to the city
The family moves to the city. From steel creek to Chicago. They find that they were abandoned by their father.

Chapter 7 The visitor
The young daughter of a wealthy doctor, returns to his city. The problems of step mother and reluctant daughter.


Chapter 8 Boni go Kite
A student trip to Switzerland has an odd connotation, the only black child is uncomfortable by the attention she gets. Scared by some of the interactions she has to figure out how to explain the events to her parents. It was hard for her to explain her origin to the Swiss men who were imitating.

Chapter 9 when the apples are ripe
Neighbors to an old south granny, the black family finds it hard to reconcile the hatred and prejudices of the past with the Linfield lady next door. Her need and loneliness was a hardship. They worried about her alone in her empty house.
The youngest child required to bring a weekly plate of food was confused by the situation.

Chapter 10 traffic jam
The family is in need of everything. Her man had been gone for a long time. His return with a car, fancy toys, candy, and other things does not pay for. They would spend more on the car than what they have.


Chapter 11 No brown sugar in anybodies milk
The daydream of a poor girl, who makes different choices comes to a dark awakening. She shows the recurring problem of poverty, and racial interaction.

Chapter 12 Frozen voices
Geny learns art history, her past haunts her. All the men at the party ask her to dance. She shows the poetry of the men's voices as they request her to dance. She makes a sad realization of the losses in her life. She shows the power of the memories to her constant requests. The Disappointment of her life keeps questioning her choices. She is destroyed by her vises. The poem shows the building's history, always there always changing, he faces his behaviors.

Chapter 13 Our trip to the nature museum
A teacher visits the homes of her students. Shows the struggle and poverty of her students. Showing extreme poverty and neglect.

Chapter 14 spiders cry without tears
The young divorced mother had a number of concerns. They spoke rarely while he visited her flower shop after he wanted to go to lunch. She felt a connection although he was married. Then it got distance and she dated others. She was a head strong as a child. She associated soldiers against rules. Yet questions of him brought problems. It changed the treatment she was given by her coworkers. She dated Mike, even though Walt was there and gone again. She started a serious relationship with Walt after his wife's death. She was discouraged because of the biracial relationship and later marriage.

Chapter 15 end credits.

This was a great short story collection. I loved each story in it and thought it really illustrated the tension, fear, and frustration that many Black families may have been feeling during the time these stories were set. As a lover of short stories, I’ve added a copy of this book to my shelf.

3.5 rounding up

Okay, so I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this. I really like some of the stories and I do LOVE that several of them went in a direction that I wasn't expecting. It started off as I was thinking, slice of life stories during the controversial school integration time and young black folks trying to fight back against segregation. But several of the stories went in weird directions that I appreciate and was not at all expecting. I did find myself a little bored by a few, but overall I really enjoyed the collection.

Diane Oliver's story is incredible. Her collection of short stories are relatable while insightful. I feel like I learned a lot through the characters' experiences and emotional turmoil they faced. I especially loved the story about the mother with all her children in tow trying to see the doctor.

Overall, this collection should be shelved with other greats in the canon. Thank you again for this opportunity to listen to the audiobook, NetGalley.

Glimpses into everyday life of various characters, this compilation of short stories immerses the reader into the versatile mind of Oliver. She gives a specific voice to each story with its own set of problems and emotions and age groups. I was really taken with story 14. There was a tempo, a build up and rhythm to the entire chapter and it seemed so set apart from the rest.

Currently reconsidering whether short stories collections are really for me or if listening to an entire collection in one go truly was the way to go because I ended up not really caring about this one. Some stories stood out to me like the one in Switzerland or the one about the woman cheating but the rest remains muddled in my brain, especially since several were about women separated from their husbands, working up North or women working as servants. As those are all snipers of the lives of Black people in the 1960s, it makes sense, but they tend to get mixed up because of how similar they were. The characters were pretty well fleshed out, again some truly stood out to me like the one in Switzerland once again but you don’t really get attached to them or anything which I can’t say wether it’s a length issue or just a writing one. I’d still recommend giving it a go, it was interesting but maybe physically reading it would help as well. 3.25 stars

As a reader, I find that it takes a distinct talent to write poignant short stories, and few authors can do it successfully. Diane Oliver, however, managed to do it again and again. I found this collection of posthumously published short stories to be remarkable. Being able to read Oliver's stories today gives us a chance to witness the experiences of Black Americans in the South, from school desegregation to lack of healthcare to voting rights to feminism and more.

Sadly, Miss Oliver died when she was only 22 years old. Considering how immense her talent was in the short time she graced this Earth, I cannot even begin to imagine how her gift and would have developed over time. I am grateful to her family for sharing this time capsule with us all.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me early access to the ARC audiobook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I read and thoroughly appreciated the audio version of the short story collection, Neighbors and Other Stories. Diane Oliver wrote the stories in a period of continued civil rights activity in the United States just when the major Civil Rights Acts were before Congress and ultimately passed. She died in 1966, two years after their passage. Oliver writes about ordinary but extraordinary people, mostly Black southerners living in the Jim Crow South. Libby, with five children, whose husband Hal disappeared, leaving her to take a "domestic" job for an employer straight out of "The Help." In fact, over and over, her stories foreshadow later books by those who survived to write their fiction.

Several of the stories focused on young people becoming engaged in the movement: The white Maryland older teenaged son who plans to head South to help out, with an unusual source of support against his father's ranting; the Black teenaged girl who joins three friends at a Department store tearoom sit in, with small town results; the little boy on the night before he is going to desegregate an elementary school a la Ruby Bridges. Others look at different perspectives on Southern Black family lives, from poor rural families, to well to do professional families to one very disturbing family that is living off the grid before that was a thing. One of the stories is partly feminist, partly a long word poem that feels straight out of the beat generation and partly a tragedy told from the perspective of a not very nice guy. Another examines an interracial relationship from the perspective of the white divorcee who gets involved with a Black man. The flavor of the times, the fifties and sixties is present throughout, but Oliver speaks with a contemporary voice about privilege, about women's rights, about the challenges of being Black and poor in the USA as well as the cultural relationships within the Black community of those who have "made it" and those who have not. 

Oliver would have been right up there with the other writers of her generation and the loss of this sharp voice and writing that immediately connects us to her images of humanity feels devastating. I want more. The publication of this book of short stories is an act of love and I am so delighted to discover her work. She wasn't just a promising writer when she died in a motorcycle accident at age 22, She had published several short stories and was going to be a star. I listened to the audio version of this collection. Tayari Jones, author and academic, wrote an introduction that pays homage to the work and Oliver's talent. Narrator Emma Rachelle slays it.

may diane oliver rest in peace. i'm grateful her stories were published and we get to read from an incredible voice, even if she was gone far too soon. these stories brilliantly explore race in america, and capture a searing image of a bygone era that is not in the distant past.

4/5! Going into this collection, I didn't know much about its content. I was surprised to learn that it was written such a long time ago because, despite the events in the book, the writing feels quite modern and is overall easy to read. I enjoyed this collection and think it offers a unique perspective and insight because of when it was written. I honestly think this is a book that everyone should pick up!

Regarding the audio narration specifically - the narrator did a great job! Often audiobooks are quite dry & lack any emotion from the narrator. It's especially hard to find the characters' voices in a short story collection where POVs and storylines are constantly changing. However, I enjoyed listening to this one and each emotion was portrayed quite well.

Read if you like:
📚Short Stories
🙋🏾‍♂️ Character Driven Stories
🏡 Jim Crow Era Stories
✊🏿 Discussions on Racism
😭 Emotional Story Telling
📚 Fiction that feels real

I really, really enjoyed the short stories in this compilation! It truly felt like reading non-fiction or being immersed into a story being told by friends about their experiences or looking in on other's lives through a thin veil.

Because of this feeling of proximity and raw emotions combined, these short stories truly will stick with me, especially the short story about the desegregation in the school and the deep emotions that this particular story made the reader feel from what the characters were experiencing.

All in all, I am so glad I took the time to immerse myself within these short stories and highly recommend them to others, especially with the context and interest that the author wrote them in the 50’s/60’s so they were so raw and timely to what was happening in the world, and that she died young back in the 60’s.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a well written, thought provoking collection of short stories. I had never heard of this author prior to receiving a copy of this book. Tragically, she died at the young age of 22 in 1966; how I wish she had more time to gift us with more stories.

I started this too late to really dig deep, wish I'd taken more time with it. I struggle with short stories because I feel like the slice of life snippet is not enough... I want to know what happened before and after. These stories, particularly the last one piqued my interest. Great collection for variety. The narrator choice on this was excellent as well.

3.5 I did enjoy this audio book narrator. I fell that their voice was very smooth and throughout the story I was able to differentiate the tone of each. Between the audio book and the egalley which I was gifted I do recommend that if this be read it should be read in tandem. As I think the audio book elevates the experience.

I picked this up on a whim. The cover caught my attention and it was listed as a debut which I always love. I am so glad I did. I was able to pair this collection of short stories with the audio narrated by Emana Rachelle @emanarachelle who gives an impeccable performance. I knew nothing about the book or the author prior to picking it up. I was greeted by a compelling introduction by Tayari Jones @tayari questioning why we’ve never heard of Diane Oliver. She includes her name among the greats like Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and Ann Petry. I am so grateful that I am now familiar with her work.

Each story has it’s own tone and style but one thing unites them - gorgeous story telling. It is astounding to me that she had such a grasp of human nature and the ability to describe life so masterfully at such a young age. It is a tragedy that her life ended so early. I don’t reread often but this is a book I imagine I will revisit again.

I always struggle with short story collections because I'm often left with wanting more from the story. Yet, I didn't get that feeling with this collection. This is a gem. I'm sure Diane Oliver would've been a force to reckon with had she not left us so soon.

I was immediately hooked by the introduction from Tayari Jones. She really set the scene for this gem of a collection. Despite the themes of racism and classism, reading these stories felt like an intimate view into my own family structure and the intergenerational impact that racism and trauma have imprinted upon on family tree. I really enjoyed most if not all of the stories but my favorite was Health Service because of my personal work in public and Black maternal health. I usually don't purchase short story collections but this one will certainly live on my shelves and be revisited year after year.

Thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advanced audio copy of this book!

A crucial literary life cut short at just 22 years old, Diane Oliver, a native of Charlotte, NC, died in 1966 in a car accident in Iowa City, Iowa. A remarkable talent, a devastating loss for African American literature..

However, she left a collection of essential, powerful, and timely short stories, NEIGHBORS AND OTHER STORIES, with a brilliant introduction from Tayari Jones, New York Times best-selling author—out Feb 13, 2024, by Grove Atlantic.

Diane published four short stories in her lifetime and two posthumously, all based on her experiences growing up in the South, the Black middle class of Charlotte, North Carolina, during the 1940s and 1950s

Before popular movies like Jordan Peele's breakout movies "Get Out," "Us," and "THEM" —there was a young writer who wrote about ordinary families, racism, and more from Black communities in the South. She may not have been well-known worldwide until cultural critic and essayist Michael A. Gonzales discovered her writing.

Diane Oliver can undoubtedly be added to the list of authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Ann Petry, James Baldwin, Tayari Jones, and more.

NEIGHBORS is an extraordinary collection of moving, heart-breaking, essential, insightful, powerful, and chilling stories with dark humor and thought-provoking takeaway messages. You will appreciate the honesty and views of everyday families of color from different perspectives. Each story is a gem you will treasure. Some may resonate with you more than others; however, it is hard to pick a favorite as each is unique.

1. Neighbors
2. The Closet on the Top Floor
3. Before Twilight
4. Health Service
5. Mint Juleps Not Served Here
6. Key to the City
7. The Visitor
8. Banago Kalt
9. When the Apples Are Ripe
10. Traffic Jam
11. No Brown Sugar in Anybody's Milk
12. Frozen Voices
13. Our Trip to the Nature Museum
14. Spiders Cry Without Tears

"This breathtaking collection of short stories is a marvel. When I was a young writer, I remember receiving this advice from one of my peers: "Imagine that the world as we know it is over. Now imagine the people of the future trying to sort out the wreckage. Well, that's what books are for—to let the new people know what the hell happened."
I had almost forgotten that scrap of undergraduate wisdom until I read the first few pages of this book. Neighbors evoke the feeling of sorting through a time capsule sealed and buried in the yard of a Southern African Methodist Episcopal church in the early sixties. The political issues of the day—namely racial integration—permeate the narratives, as this is the most significant social shift since emancipation.
Oliver explores the changing America while beautifully documenting the culture of Black Americans living in the South. She remembers the domestic workers who leave their own children home alone to keep house for rich white folks. Boy coats with raccoon collars were all the rage for the wealthy, while poor folks took pride in that their simple clothes were cleaned and ironed. "Up North" and "Chicago" are both shorthand for a promised land where a person could earn a decent wage and send her children to college. This is Oliver's world, and she shines a light in every corner.
—Tayari Jones: Sorting through the Wreckage: The Stories of Diane Oliver THE PARIS REVIEW

Lyrical and bold, a haunting debut story collection that follows various characters as they navigate the day-to-day perils of Jim Crow racism in African American families in situations from a master storyteller. Oliver's perceptive and insightful stories continue to echo into the present day.

NEIGHBORS is an ideal book pick for Black History Month and should be required reading in schools today. Oliver is a striking talent who deserves to be celebrated.

AUDIOBOOK: I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Emana Rachelle, which brings the characters alive for an engaging and entertaining performance.

I grew up in the South and even the Charlotte, NC, area in the 50s-60s. These significant stories rang true then and, unfortunately, today.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audio copy for an honest opinion.

Read More at The Bitter Southerner. by Michael A. Gonzales

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 13, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)
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In the introduction, we the readers were told that the author Diane Oliver died almost 50 years ago. I wholeheartedly believe that if we weren't told we would never know.
These short stories are about being black in America were written in a way that felt very modern to me, which leads me to think that this author was ahead of her time.
Each short story takes a different turn yet collected together they give the same vibe. I don't know if the author meant for these short stories to be collected in this way or not, but to whomever that decided it I say "Thank you."
The audiobook is a solid 5 stars.

This is a collection of posthumously published short stories by Diane Oliver with a delightful introduction by Tayari Jones. What is most striking about this anthology is how accurately and with how much care Oliver writes human nature. Her characters and stories are wholly believable.

The title story, Neighbors, centers around a family whose very young son is due to attend his first day at an integrated school the next day. He will be the first black student to do so and his family has been on high alert in anticipation. Of course there has been an uproar on both sides of the fence, but this story focuses on the perspective of the eldest daughter in the family as the night wears on. It asks the question: if it is imperative that someone be first, what is our responsibility in selecting and protecting the person it is to be? The story does almost too good of a job portraying the horror and the anxiety of what being targeted with this vitriol in this time (and even today) must feel like. Other stories deal with family bonds, fitting in, friendship, the civil rights movement, and fractured love between.

I wish there was more. I would have read much longer books based on these prompts and short stories. The heartache, anxiety, tension, stress are palpable. I felt them as my own momentary. And I particularly loved experiencing this in audiobook form.