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Having Our Say : The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

Having Our Say : The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

List Price: $16.00
Your Price: $11.20
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Luke
Review: As an international student, I know much more about this country because of this book. At the first time, I wondered how the story of two old ladies are interesting to people. I knew it already. This informative book introduces the United States to me in the different angle that I have never had a chance to know. The Delany Sisters' adventures through out the difficult time of colored people have been told thru thousands of words that full of humor but sad feeling in disguise. This story will be the good memorial of the remarkable mistake that used to happen in the past of American society. Moreover, the beautiful achievement of these two colored women made me really enjoy this amazing story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Amazing Story, it touched my heart!
Review: All I can say is wow! This book was truly an inspiration for me. I learned a piece of my history that I don't often get to hear about from the point of view of people who actually lived it. These women went out there and made a positive contribution to the world and stayed true and honorable to themselves at a time when being black in America was a crime. To know that amid all the turmoil and opression it didn't stop them from getting their degrees and becomming prominant and just plain old good American citizens. My heart is proud...The Delany sisters are truly the ultimate representation of Black America. I suggest anyone interested in American, Women, and Black history (which all coincides anyway)to pick up this book and read it. You'll find pride and strengh in these sister's story.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not dull if your old
Review: Having Our Say is basically a recollection by two sisters, Sadie and Bessie Delaney (aged 102 and 104) of their lives. They began their tale way back with their great grandfather and great grandmother who were slaves and progress onward with their family history from there. Their lives seem to be full of great adventures and accomplishments as they recall them back to you, for example Bessie becoming the second black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York. Many historical events are chronicled through this moving historical record such as the Golden Age of Harlem and the Post Reconstructive South. The sisters go through many things such as Sadie almost getting lynched but they never allow them to bring them down. Even at age 102 and 104, which is the age they began to write the book they are still full of joy and encouragement for life.

The one thing I liked about the book was learning about some of our nation's lesser-known history from a different perspective. Since, it's a true story a lot of historical events were mentioned and I found out how it really was for black people during their younger years. One particular event that sticks out is when Sadie gets dared to drink from the whites only fountain and does it, though her father catches her. Its hard to believe that America was really like that in the past. This book was really a learning experience and I found out about things I wouldn't have otherwise.

The thing I disliked this book was its lack of action. It sometimes got very boring because it seemed to be relaying things no one cared about. Points in the book were often focused on to long until it lost your attention. For example, five pages would be used to describe the detail of some very minor thing. I wouldn't recommend it to people who love a book with mystery or suspense because this book has none. Its almost like your going to know what happens before it does.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Having Our Say, was a wonderful book. The Delany sisters tell a marvelous story of their life and its hardships being African American women growing up in America. I couldn't put the book down. It was humorous and touching at the same time as being informative. I learned more about American history reading this book, than I did in high school.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Advice
Review: I have wanted to read this book for the longest. It's about two sisters who have lived to be 101 and 103. The two ladies tell about their lives growing up, and making it in their careers. The women have so much love for one another. If you are into the old days, you don't want to miss this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A MUST READ BOOK
Review: I love this honest book about two wonderful sisters who lived to be very very old and never lost their way.

It is beautifully written using their own words and keeping the reader tuned in until the very end. In fact, I didn't want it to end - wanted to read more and more about them. I was sad when one sister finally died and sadder still they are both gone. Thankfully, we have their very own story.

Every person of every race, creed or color will benefit from the wisdom of these amazing women. I highly recommend all the books by and about the Delany sisters and I applaud Amy Hill Hearth for bringing their unique story to us.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Full of Interesting History
Review: Looking at the big picture, this book is great. I admit it didn't have me up all night like some novels, but I read it in three days. I really enjoy the way that the sisters give a chronological account of history told by those who actually experienced it, and not in a boring manner at all. What gave the book an overall flair was what you felt reading it; the same joy as the sisters seemed to feel telling their tales. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in autobiographical experiences of two African-American women who have toughed out all the hardships of 100 years in America. They'll go down in my history book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Having Our Say an inspiring story of two women
Review: The book "having Our Say" is the story of two colored women, Sadie (103 at the time of the book) and Bessie (101 at the time of the book) Delany. The amazing story of the two women who never married but lived to gather for most of their lives is a "warming" good-feeling story that makes you think. The story of these two women shows you the world through the eyes of colored women in a racist world. The book will make you laugh and make you think. I thought the book was interesting and very worth while to read. I would recommend this book to anyone, it tells history and yet the story is much more interesting than reading a history textbook. You get to see the history from the eyes of those who experienced it first hand. The story of Sadie and Bessie Delany can teach us a lot, not only about racial discrimination and the unfairness of it but they tell their secret to living for over a hundred years. They had each other. Everyone needs a reason to keep going; they were each others strongest reason. They motivated each other. These two women were extremely extraordinary and lived extraordinary lives and their story illustrates this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Phenomenal for some, boring for others
Review: The lives of Sadie and Bessie Delany, the main characters of the book, show American history over 100 years. Personaly, the book was fascinating, with stories made new from the two sister's memories, all in a book. The stories range from simple life, to great hardship. The rascism shown by Bessie may be offensive to some, but who can blame her after her seeing the horrors of Jim Crow laws for so long, and she was even considered 'sheltered!'

Looking over reviews, it is plain to see that either people like the book emensly, or believe it is emensly boring. This is probably what it will be like for the reader of this review. Be warned of this. The simple stories can touch the soul of some, and do nothing for another. If the simple, fun things of life please you, the things that have daily humor, then this book will be a joy for you to read. If you desire action, hanging suspense, and the reader who just wants to peek at the end, then this book will be as boring as ever. Choose wisely to read this book or not, you could be sorry either way.

Overall, the book gives a clear, first-person perspective of 100 years of American History, which is probably why it's so interesting. The first-person perspective gives a view of daily American History that is near impossible, if not impossible, to find, another reason the book is wonderful in both a good read sense, and a literature sense.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Well worth a read
Review: The short length and simple format belie the wisdom and inspiration contained in this book. Vignettes from the lives of two remarkable sisters, 102 and 104 years old, span the end of slavery and follow the continuum of American and black history to the present. Their lives, stories, and attitudes are admirable and this is a book well worth reading.


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