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    If Beale Street Could Talk

    Part of Vintage International

    Author James Baldwin
    Ebook
    Knopf | Vintage
    On sale Sep 17, 2013 | 208 Pages | 9780804149679
    Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
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    James Baldwin's timeless, bestselling novel of love and solidarity in the face of injustice—the beloved classic that inspired the major motion picture directed by Barry Jenkins

    “One of the best books James Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

    Tish is nineteen years old and in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but when Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime, their families set out to clear his name and reunite the young lovers. As they face an uncertain future, Tish and Fonny experience a kaleidoscope of emotions—affection, despair, and, not least of all, hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, James Baldwin gives us two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.
    James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time were bestsellers that made him an influential figure in the growing civil rights movement. Baldwin spent much of his life in France, where he moved to escape the racism and homophobia of the United States. He died in France in 1987, a year after being made a Commander of the French Legion of Honor. View titles by James Baldwin

    Educator Guide for If Beale Street Could Talk

    Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

    (Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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    Discussion Guide for If Beale Street Could Talk

    Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

    (Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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    "One of the best books Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all." —The Philadelphia Inquirer

    "A moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless.” —Joyce Carol Oates

    "If Van Gogh was our nineteenth-century artist-saint, James Baldwin is our twentiethth-century one." —Michael Ondaatje

    "Striking and particularly haunting.... A beauty, especially in its rendering of youthful passion." —Cosmopolitan

    "A major work of Black American fiction.... His best novel yet, even Baldwin's most devoted readers are due to be stunned by it." —The New Republic

    "Emotional dynamite.... A powerful assault upon the cynicism that seems today to drain our determination to confront deep social problems." —Library Journal

    "A moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless." —The New York Times Book Review

    About

    James Baldwin's timeless, bestselling novel of love and solidarity in the face of injustice—the beloved classic that inspired the major motion picture directed by Barry Jenkins

    “One of the best books James Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

    Tish is nineteen years old and in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but when Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime, their families set out to clear his name and reunite the young lovers. As they face an uncertain future, Tish and Fonny experience a kaleidoscope of emotions—affection, despair, and, not least of all, hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, James Baldwin gives us two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.

    Author

    James Baldwin (1924–1987) was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, appeared in 1953 to excellent reviews, and his essay collections Notes of a Native Son and The Fire Next Time were bestsellers that made him an influential figure in the growing civil rights movement. Baldwin spent much of his life in France, where he moved to escape the racism and homophobia of the United States. He died in France in 1987, a year after being made a Commander of the French Legion of Honor. View titles by James Baldwin

    Guides

    Educator Guide for If Beale Street Could Talk

    Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

    (Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

    Read More

    Discussion Guide for If Beale Street Could Talk

    Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

    (Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

    Read More

    Praise

    "One of the best books Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all." —The Philadelphia Inquirer

    "A moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless.” —Joyce Carol Oates

    "If Van Gogh was our nineteenth-century artist-saint, James Baldwin is our twentiethth-century one." —Michael Ondaatje

    "Striking and particularly haunting.... A beauty, especially in its rendering of youthful passion." —Cosmopolitan

    "A major work of Black American fiction.... His best novel yet, even Baldwin's most devoted readers are due to be stunned by it." —The New Republic

    "Emotional dynamite.... A powerful assault upon the cynicism that seems today to drain our determination to confront deep social problems." —Library Journal

    "A moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless." —The New York Times Book Review

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