Zora & Me: The Summoner
Victoria Bond, Author
Candlewick Press, Fiction, Oct. 13, 2020
Suitable for ages: 10-14
Themes: Zora Neale Hurston, Storyteller, African-American, Racism, Jim Crow South, Community, Loss, Grief
Synopsis:
For Carrie and her best friend, Zora, Eatonville—America’s first incorporated Black township—has been an idyllic place to live out their childhoods. But when a lynch mob crosses the town’s border to pursue a fugitive and a grave robbery resuscitates the ugly sins of the past, the safe ground beneath them seems to shift. Not only has Zora’s own father—the showboating preacher John Hurston—decided to run against the town’s trusted mayor, but there are other unsettling things afoot, including a heartbreaking family loss, a friend’s sudden illness, and the suggestion of voodoo and zombie-ism in the air, which a curious and grieving Zora becomes all too willing to entertain.
In this fictionalized tale, award-winning author Victoria Bond explores the end of childhood and the bittersweet goodbye to Eatonville by preeminent author Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). In so doing, she brings to a satisfying conclusion the story begun in the award-winning Zora and Me and its sequel, Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground, sparking inquisitive readers to explore Hurston’s own seminal work.
Why I like this book:
Victoria Bond captures the untamed spirit of the famous writer Zora Neale Hurston in this daunting story of her fictionalized childhood. In this final contribution to her celebrated trilogy, Bond deftly confronts the harsh realities of racism in Jim Crow’s south in 1905. Bond’s narrative is rich and poetic and the dialogue is suspenseful and humorous. The plot is haunting, gripping, and dangerous.
The story is set in Eatonville, Florida, the first incorporated black township in the United States in 1887. The historical facts about the town, with the only black mayor, is fascinating. It is out in the middle of nowhere. The black community lives peacefully together for many years enjoying their freedom, owning their own businesses, and farming their own land. They have a church and pastor, a doctor, and a post office. All the children are enrolled in school. When trouble begins in 1905 with the lynching of a black fugitive followed by a series of other unsettling events, and the town of Eatonville is on edge.
The story is narrated by Zora’s best friend, Carrie, who knows that what ever problem or mystery the two friends may be chasing, always means trouble. Zora is a rambunctious and strong-willed character with a wild imagination. She loves telling stories and eventually begins to writing them down. Her sight, as Carrie notes, “is always set on the horizon.”
Other memorable characters include Old Lady Bronson, who is the town midwife, healer and wise woman. Joe Clarke, who’s been Eatonville’s mayor for 18 years and also owns the general store, is anxious to expand the town. Zora’s father, the boisterous Rev. John Thurston, pastor of the church, decides to run against the mayor. Zora’s mother, Lucy, is very ill and poor Chester Cools, a troubled soul. Mr. Calhoun is the kind school teacher who helps Zora during turbulent times. And Zora and Carrie’s friend Teddy Baker, is training to be a doctor with Dr. Brazzle. All of the characters add intrigue to the story.
Zora & Me: The Summoner is both heart wrenching and inspiring. Bond’s deliberate pacing and tension will keep readers fully engaged. There are many surprises for readers. It is an exceptional story, that gives readers a “hint” of the famous author’s life. She inspired many black female authors, like Alice Walker, with her courage and strength, but didn’t benefit monetarily from all her writings.
Resources: Make sure you check out the biography of the remarkable Zora Neale Hurston and a timeline that chronicles her life, which are at the end of the story. And, read Carrie’s letter to her granddaughter at the beginning, as it will give you a snapshot of 1905 and her thoughts about Zora.
Amazon Review: “In the third and final volume of Zora and Me, readers are treated to a lustrous look at several facets of the anthropologist, folklorist, and novelist Zora Neale Hurston. . . . I sing the praises of what Victoria Bond has imagined and crafted here, both in deference to my aunt and as a way of honoring Zora’s legacy.” — Lucy Hurston, niece of Zora Neale Hurston
Greg Pattridge is the host for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.
*Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.
This sounds like such a compelling historical story. And the setting sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing another great story.
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I really enjoyed this series. Zora Neale Thurston inspired so many black authors.
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Oh my, I need to get a copy of this one. I read Zora and Me but have some catching up to do if I’m going to complete the trilogy. Historical Fiction when presented in this way is a winning formula in my book. Thanks for featuring on MMGM today.
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Zora is certainly passionate. And as her friend Carrie notes, quite dramatic. You never knew when she was spinning a tale. Of the three books, I liked this one the best, as I really got a sense of Zora.
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This sounds like a wonderful series to introduce readers to Hurston’s story! I’m surprised that the story’s narrator is not Zora, but if I think about it, the author trying to narrate a book as she would have would likely have been a bit too fabricated. Thanks for the excellent review!
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I think it was a wise choice to have the narrator be her best friend Carrie, who is quite the observer of Zora’s wildly imaginative and untamed spirit. Zora could spin a tale.
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This sounds really interesting. I remember reading Zora Neale Hurston in college. It sounds like a great series to get young people interested in her life.
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Bond’s fictionalized series will certainly capture the imagination of younger readers. I was surprised to learn how many young black authors she inspired — because she did so many firsts during a difficult time in our history.
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Wow. This sounds amazing. How did I not know anything about this series? I think I will have to set aside some time and get my hands on the books. Thanks for such a compelling review.
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I really loved this series. Kudos to Candlewick for introducing a new young group of readers to the life of Zora Neale Hurston. She inspired a very young Alice Walker in her teens. Zora died penniless in 1960 and was placed in an unmarked grave. When Walker went to visit her grave, she wanted Hurston honored, so she paid for a headstone.
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What a compelling storyline. Sounds like a powerful story steeped in history with lots of opportunity for discussion. Thanks for sharing it.
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I think Bond really had fun reimagining Zora’s life. Zora was wildly imaginative. It is a great discussion book. So sad she died without ever receiving money for her work.
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