As I Stood at the Gate

Synopsis

[From the inside book flaps:] The two teenaged characters in this novel, Matilean, a dark-skinned girl, and Seth, a fair-skinned black boy, struggle to preserve their young love and to soften the bitter color lines that divide their families and their community. This compelling story unfolds throughout the course of one summer day in 1965. Matilean Johnson finds herself wading in a pool of heavy decisions that will ultimately affect the rest of her life. She struggles to make the decision that she feels pounding in the pit of her stomach. As the weight of her circumstances plants her feet at the gate to her future, her mind often lifts her into daydreams where she finds fleeting refuge. Matilean's mother's words of warning whirl around her, insults are hurled at her, and the menacing threats of Old Man Woodson shadow her every move and thought. With hopeful naïveté and blossoming wisdom, Matilean is able to weather the winds of uncertainty and self-doubt, find her inner strength, and walk through the gateway of womanhood. Seth Woodson loves Matilean, a love that may have started from a rebellious spark but ignited into undousable emotion. Now, faced with the realities of being drafted to war, Seth must first combat the monsters of inner-racial segregation and ugly family traditions. Although Seth has been the recipient of many advantages only afforded to the lineage of fair-skinned blacks, he feels deprived of the freedom to stand and make his own decisions about his life and legacy. Seth can see the hope in Matilean's eyes and searches himself to become the haven she wants him to be. As night turns into day, Seth's dawning is inevitable when he finds the strength to follow his heart and quiet his mind. With uncanny wit and authentic humor, writer David Woulf creates an insightful story spun from the threads of many African American families. His keen ear for dialogue and genuine treatment of the historical dichotomy that existed in many black communities in the 1960s provide a rich ground from which this story roots and flourishes into an unforgettable experience of love, strength, faith, and courage.

Copyright:

2003

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

235 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781890306465

Publisher:

Warwick House Publishing

Date of Addition:

12/14/14

Copyrighted By:

David Woulf

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Teens, Literature and Fiction, Parenting and Family

Submitted By:

Marilyn

Proofread By:

Tomoko Miles

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.