A Long Way from Home

by Connie Briscoe

Book Overview

From Connie Briscoe, the New York Times bestselling author of Sisters & Lovers and Big Girls Don't Cry, comes a lyrical and moving tour de force that is her most daringly ambitious novel to date--a multigenerational story of slavery freedom, and the indestructible bonds of love and family witnessed through the lives of three unforgettable African-American women.

Shimmering with heartache and hope, A Long Way from Home recounts the joys,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060172789
• ISBN13: 9780060172787
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Read!

This book was so good but in its own ways tragic but in its own way not tragic. It's a good read you will not be disappointed.

The Best Yet!

Hi Connie,I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all three of your novels, but "A Long Way From Home" touched me in a particular way. At first I wasn't sure how well I would be able to relate, obviously being so far removed from that time, but just after the first paragraph, I felt I could identify with Clara in so many ways. While reading, I felt very close to Susie, Clara, and Susan, almost like I was back there with them as they endured the pain and suffering of slavery and weathered the "storm" of the Civil War, which eventually resulted in freedom for Susan and Ellen. Of that I was glad. Thank you so much for blessing all of us with the story of your ancestry and may God continue to give you these wonderful ideas for novels.

Bring out the Tissues

This was my first Connie Briscoe novel and as it was worth every minute I spent turning those pages -- I'll definitely be in the market for another Briscoe story, and I thank the members of my book club (the Final Word Literary Guild of Fort Washington, MD) for recommending it to the group. Only if you have a penchant for stories of history, particularly African American history and moreso, the slave era, can you have an appreciation for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the lives of a generation of slave women, getting to know intimately their day-to-day lives and the experiences of growing up a slave. The ultimate reward, of course, was witnessing their slow walk to blessed freedom. The reunion between the long separated sisters is touching. My absolute favorite and memorable characters were the sisters Susan and Ellen, the handsome Mr. Oliver Armistead, and Daddy Walker the hero. I promise you the reader that you won't be disappointed in this book or the author's ability to bring the story to life.

A long ways from "Big Girls Don't Cry".

I thought the book to be an excellent and uplifting read. I was a little disappointed with "Big Girls Don't Cry." That particular book was definately not one of her best pieces of work. "A Long Ways From Home" reminded me of a Black version of "Gone With The Wind", only this time from a slaves perspective. Not many black authors write from a historical perspective. Connie Briscoe paid tribute to her ancestors by detailing the harshness and brutatily that slaves often endured. A key point that was referenced in the book was the differences in mentality between the house slaves and the field hands. The lighter skinned house slaves were preferred over the darker skinned field hands. House slaves often emulated their white masters as thinking themselves superior simply because of their skin color. The author mentioned at the end of the book that part of the story was fact and fiction. She had to put herself in her great-great-great aunt and grandmother's position and write based on how they must've felt growing up in those turbulent and rough times. I enojoyed this book immensley, and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Briscoe's work.

Historic accuracy in a great novel.

I could not put this novel down. I just read from begining to end without stopping. I was fascinated. What really impressed was the research behind the novel. The novel fits in well with what is known about those times.

Let There Be Light and Connie Shines

Let there be light and Connie shines No matter the pain and heartache of slavery, many african-americans can find their story unfolding in Connie Briscoe's latest novel. The characters are genuine in their struggle, affection, and courage. They are torn between the safe harbor of plantation and the unfamiliar taste of freedom. You can see her characters come alive through the words of a writer who could only imagine what it took to endure the mental anguish of America's greatest stain. To say that the lash of slavery was harder than the mental torment of not knowing what someone else's whim could bring, is not to know the whole story of slavery in America. It wasn't just the toil in the fields of cotton or tabacco, nor the necessity of a civil war, it was a servitude that has no equal in modern times. The fabric of this country is forever stained with slavery. A stain that cannot be relinquished admist the signature of presidents and other so-called American heroes. Connie focuses the lens of period research, family stories, and fiction to shed new light on those whose seeds are unyielding in a better place 'A LONG WAY FROM HOME.'. This is a must read for anyone of us who thinks that our story begins and ends with Roots.