The Bottom Line
Them is not only a page turning story with well developed characters and voice, it is also a thought-provoking look at race relations in 2007 America.
- McCall captures characters' voices and motives with skill
- Them will get you thinking about race in America
- The story will keep you reading
- Some of the flashback chapters break the flow
Description
- Barlowe is a working class black man who rents a home in Atlanta's Fourth Ward
- Sean and Sandy are a white couple who move next door to Barlowe in an attempt to live downtown and integrate
- The story of whites buying up homes and making changes in a historic, black neighborhood is told through these characters
- McCall examines the good and bad motives on both sides through well written characters
- Them does not present solutions or over simplify the situation, but it will make you think
Guide Review - Them by Nathan McCall - Book Review
McCall tells the story of gentrification in the Fourth Ward through Barlowe, a working class black man, and Sandy, a socially active white woman who moves in to the house next door. Barlowe and Sandy's ideas and relationships change during the novel as the result of their friendship.
Them is a page turning and thought provoking book because McCall does not over simplify the situation or make generalizations. By taking us into the minds of white and black characters, McCall exposes the roots of misunderstanding, and reveals how differences in history, culture and underlying assumptions contribute to racial tension. He also provides enough action and plot to make the story move quickly.
I enjoyed and was challenged to examine my assumptions about race by Them. It is a novel I will be thinking about for a while. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well written and thoughtful book.
