Saving Savannah

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Title :

Saving Savannah / Tonya Bolden.

Title:

Saving Savannah

Author:

Bolden, Tonya

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

264 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

ISBN:

9781681198040

Production / Publication Information:

New York : Bloomsbury, 2020.

Summary:

Savannah Riddle feels suffocated by her life as the daughter of an upper class African American family in Washington, D.C., until she meets a working-class girl named Nella who introduces her to the suffragette and socialist movements and to her politically active cousin Lloyd.

Bibliography note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-262).

Language:

English

Geographic Term:

Washington (D.C.) -- History -- 20th century -- Fiction.

Subject Term:

Social classes -- Fiction.

Suffragists -- Fiction.

Socialism -- Fiction.

Race relations -- Fiction.

African Americans -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	TEEN FICTION BOLDEN	31330008890562	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dunstable Free Public Library	YA BOL	32118001014887	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	YA/BOLDEN T	31479007363137	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	FIC BOL YA	31549004775812	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	YA BOLDEN	32128003839892	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

From acclaimed author Tonya Bolden comes the story of a teen girl becoming a woman on her own terms against the backdrop of widespread social change in the early 1900s.

Savannah Riddle is lucky. As a daughter of an upper class African American family in Washington D.C., she attends one of the most rigorous public schools in the nation--black or white--and has her pick among the young men in her set. But lately the structure of her society--the fancy parties, the Sunday teas, the pretentious men, and shallow young women--has started to suffocate her.

Then Savannah meets Lloyd, a young West Indian man from the working class who opens Savannah's eyes to how the other half lives. Inspired to fight for change, Savannah starts attending suffragist lectures and socialist meetings, finding herself drawn more and more to Lloyd's world.

Set against the backdrop of the press for women's rights, the Red Summer, and anarchist bombings, Saving Savannah is the story of a girl and the risks she must take to be the change in a world on the brink of dramatic transformation.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Following Inventing Victoria, Bolden returns to the world of upper-class African-American society in historical Washington, D.C., where she explores the tumultuous changes of 1919--the fight for women's suffrage, the New Negro movement, the growth of anarchism--through the eyes of 17-year-old Savannah Riddle, who has grown increasingly embarrassed, even repulsed, by her privileged life. Missing her brother, who has defied their parents' expectations by becoming a photographer in Harlem, and irritated by her best friend's frivolity, Samantha determines to "widen her world." She befriends the cleaning woman's daughter, Nella, and Nella's cousin Lloyd, a socialist-leaning activist, and begins to volunteer at the all-black National Training School for Women and Girls. Her world does widen, and her perspective radicalizes, as she experiences how other people live, even as anarchist actions escalate, bringing danger to her community. While Savannah's characterization lacks some nuance, the story is richly complex in its historical detail, and it builds to a revelatory climax. Enhanced by a comprehensive author's note, this is a valuable portrayal of affluent African-American society and of post-WWI life. Ages 13--up. (Jan.)

Booklist Review

Savannah Riddle and her parents are known for their status in the upper echelon of African American society in 1919 Washington, DC. But lavish parties and clothes can't quell the unrest in Savannah's heart. She used to revel in the comforts of wealth, but the aftershock of WWI and new racial and gender tensions challenge Savannah to find a greater purpose for her life. With help from Lloyd, a working class West Indian man, Savannah learns ideologies of revolution that far surpass DuBois' "talented tenth." Bolden is a master at presenting (Black) American history to young people. The story is riveting, with imagery that places readers in the midst of the early 20th century, although having the voice alternate between Savannah and her childhood best friend Yolande (who wants to settle into the comforts of wealth) leads to imbalance. The author's note is beautifully done, revealing the intricate details of street names, people, and even magazine covers that color Savannah's journey toward truth. A must-read, and a great addition to any curricular study of WWI.