Day of Tears

A Novel in Dialogue

By: Julius Lester

Narrated by: Sisi Aisha Johnson, Lizan Mitchell, Marc D. Johnson, Tom Stechschulte, John McDonough, Julia Gibson, Michael Early

Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

As did his father before him, Pierce Butler treats his plantation slaves like family. But massive gambling debts force him to sell 429 “family” members. When the auction begins, torrential rain falls - not stopping until the final slave is sold the next day. The ominous rainfall prompts these words: “This ain’t rain. This is God’s tears.”

Based on the largest slave auction in U.S. history, this poignant montage is the fictionalized account of that 1859 Georgia tragedy. All the shrieks and groans, the betrayal and fury, the sorrow and regret are here in the stark, vivid monologues that pour from the souls of master and slave, auctioneer and observer during this “Weeping Time.”

©2005 Julius Lester (P)2006 Recorded Books

Amazing

I had to read this for class and I loved it perfect for all ages

Excellent book!

Great story! students love it! Voices just a little too well spoken with proper pronunciation at times during slavery when slaves were not as well educated. otherwise, excellent book and phenomenal story!!

A very good book

This was a very good back. I love how the author put the book in each characters perspective, made the book even more interesting.

a journey into the past

If you could sum up Day of Tears in three words, what would they be?

real, heart breaking, love

What was one of the most memorable moments of Day of Tears?

when Emma and her husband made it to Canada, and she was able to tell her grand daughter her legacy and how she became the woman she is and how her grandfather also fought for those being inslaved

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

it was a complete mind trip as I close my eyes, I could see all the images that was taking place in this wonderful story, how the rain felt , how cold its was, the anger each character felt in there hearts, the joy and love they felt when they found safe passage to freedom. the narrators did so well performing it was like i was viewing a play inside the confides of my mind and the way the characters and there lives played out thru the narrators voice wow it was a amazing experience I even got my husband to stop what he was doing to listen:)

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

all of the above, I laughed , I was angry, I was sad, and now I have a complete understanding of how people were dealing in the days and times of slavery, and how today there is know black history in schools today, when i was in high school i grad in 1 and the whole 4 years just regular american history and just a snippet of black history and of-course nothing more then that on black history month but I truly appreciated this novel and now I know a little more then I knew before and I understand the struggle, and also I learned that love comes in every color there were allot of good white and black Americans that helped each other during that troubling time in american history

Any additional comments?

anyone that enjoys history, and would love to go on a mind journey of true reality of things during that time period and have a better understanding of the mindset of those days you truly will enjoy this book, because it shows even during hard-times love comes in all humanity when you have the courage to accept it

It amazing, it so sad it made me cry like 5 times

I loved it I finished this book in 2 hours. If u have a hard trouble reading or maybe its not ur reading level. Well they read it to u and u can finish the book faster

Great book

The narration of this book was awesome and very unexpected. I loved it and it kept me wanting to stay up and listen to it. You won't be sorry with this purchase and it's well worth it.