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Blanche Among the Talented Tenth

Blanche Among the Talented Tenth

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.39
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: why are my people so confused?
Review: Blanche White is an extremely dark-skinned african american woman who goes through life without suffering fools well and not caring what others think. The talented tenth, as described by W.E.D Du Bois is " The talented Tenth of the Negro race must be made leaders of thougth and missionaries of culture among their people... The Negro race, like all other races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men." That has been interpreted over the years as the more people in the race who look, act, and entertain and an old southern republican the better. Blanche goes to Amber Cove to go on a little vacation and to spend time with her kids. Amber Cove is owened by the Talented Tenth. Bright -light-skinned black people who are probably more racist that most bigots. When Blanche gets there she feels madly out of place, she isnt light, she isnt rich, and she doesnt care. the day Blanche gets there she over hears people talking about a woman who died. Along her stay there she meets some wonderfu characters, Mattie, Tina, Hank, Carol , and Stu, her love interest. WHen Hank commits suicide out of the blue he leaves Carol, his wife, damn near catatonic. Mattie, his friend, awe struck and Blanche confused. Blnache among the talented tenth is the struggle that image-concious black people go through to keep themselves considered among the 'Talented Tenth.'

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: why are my people so confused?
Review: Blanche White is an extremely dark-skinned african american woman who goes through life without suffering fools well and not caring what others think. The talented tenth, as described by W.E.D Du Bois is " The talented Tenth of the Negro race must be made leaders of thougth and missionaries of culture among their people... The Negro race, like all other races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men." That has been interpreted over the years as the more people in the race who look, act, and entertain and an old southern republican the better. Blanche goes to Amber Cove to go on a little vacation and to spend time with her kids. Amber Cove is owened by the Talented Tenth. Bright -light-skinned black people who are probably more racist that most bigots. When Blanche gets there she feels madly out of place, she isnt light, she isnt rich, and she doesnt care. the day Blanche gets there she over hears people talking about a woman who died. Along her stay there she meets some wonderfu characters, Mattie, Tina, Hank, Carol , and Stu, her love interest. WHen Hank commits suicide out of the blue he leaves Carol, his wife, damn near catatonic. Mattie, his friend, awe struck and Blanche confused. Blnache among the talented tenth is the struggle that image-concious black people go through to keep themselves considered among the 'Talented Tenth.'

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Holding up the mirror
Review: Blanche White is without peer in the detective mystery genre. She is a dedicated domestic worker who seems to meander into situations most us strive to avoid. In no small measure (being extremely inquisitive, make that downright nosy), is at the root of all her predicaments. In this outing, author Barbara Neely, through the thoughts of her heavyset heroine, takes intra-racial classicism to task.

Blanche is on a vacation/ research outing amongst upper class blacks in a small resort community on the coast of Maine. She is anxious to see what it is about peer influence that has resulted in perceptible attitudinal changes in her two wards, Taifa and Malik. Once she arrives on site, she is immediately confronted by the not so secret and yet existent stratification of the black community, color consciousness. As with first novel of the series, Blanche happens to fall into a mystery but equally as consistent, that aspect of the book takes a back seat to a wealth of commentary regarding economic disaffectedness and prejudice. The difference is, in this instance it is black against black, or more accurately, light denigration of dark.

This book is as formulaic as the first, and for that matter the third, only the enmity normally directed towards white antagonists has been redirected inwardly against segments of the black community. While much of what Blanche observes and encounters rings true, like the other stories, it is in balance where the book is lacking. As I have noted with the others in the series I have reviewed, fans looking for a well developed mystery may come away disappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: blance cleans up...
Review: i met barbara neely when she came to san francisco earlier this month to promote her new novel. she was warm, ebuillient, and was eager to explain the writing process and signed autographs, without a fuss....

i loved this novel. blanche is an uncommon sluth who proves that mother wit can carry you just as well as book learning. and blanche proves her point nicely as she deals with the vacationers at a maine resort. neely also touches on the issues of racism within the black race ( color consciouness ) and dillemmas between the rich and poor. blanche is not another woman fretting about not having a man, but neely shows blanche to be a desirable, witty and charming woman. neely also points out with uncompromising honesty how blacks do what they can to survive in white society. i also admire neely for the references she makes to the goddess religions and african=american culture. she shows black readers there are other alternatives to christianity....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Reading
Review: I read this book after reading "...On the Lamb." Both books are good reading and hold your attention until the end. Neely keeps you coming back for more.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as good as Blanche on the Lam, but still a good read!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the book after I accepted the fact that Neely was trying to get across an important point about prejudice and self-hatred based on complexion, within the black community. After I accepted the essential "preachiness" that comes along with trying to make a point, I was able to get into the actual mystery. Blanche is a strong and very likeable character. I recommend the book to all mystery lovers

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: If you've ever been to Martha's Vineyard - you'll understand
Review: Read this book because it is well written and has interesting characters, not because of the "who done it" aspects as there are few.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The book was easy and quick reading very well written
Review: The characters in this book were very believeable. I fell in love with this book, and found myself not able to put it down I finished it in one day. The author did a good job of developing the characters and I had no idea how the book would end up, which I liked. There is nothing worse than a predictable ending in a book. Blanche is a loveable sleuth and overall person, and I love the way she sticks it to those uppity members of the talented tenth. This book is not only a thrilling mystery, but a great social commentary, about class prejudice. The talented tenth theory is a joke and this book and history proves that. Great writing!!!! Two thumbs up.


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