Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

By: Mildred D. Taylor

Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen, Jacqueline Woodson

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning masterpiece with an introduction written and read by Jacqueline Woodson, just in time for its 40th anniversary!

Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, this is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of racism and social injustice. And it is also Cassie's story - Cassie Logan, an independent girl who discovers over the course of an important year why having land of their own is so crucial to the Logan family, even as she learns to draw strength from her own sense of dignity and self-respect.

©2001 Mildred D. Taylor (P)2001 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

Newbery Medal Winner

"Recorded Books' commitment to producing outstanding classics for young people has never been more obvious than in this recording of one of the best books ever to win the Newbery Award.... Lynne Thigpen, one of the welcome new African-American narrators, is so convincing that it could be Cassie herself telling what happened." (AudioFile)

"The vivid story of a Black family whose warm ties to each other and their land give them strength to defy rural Southern racism during the Depression.... Entirely through its own internal development, the novel shows the rich inner rewards of Black pride, love, and independence despite the certainty of outer defeat." (Booklist, starred review)

"The strong, clear-headed Logan family...are drawn with quiet affection and their actions tempered with a keen sense of human fallibility." (Kirkus Reviews)

"The events and setting of the powerful novel are presented with such verisimilitude and the characters are so carefully drawn that one might assume the book to be autobiographical, if the author were not so young." (The Horn Book)

Loved it!

I read this book in school as a child and many times after. I recently found the book and decided to listen to it, the narrator did a wonderful job.

A must-read!!!

This book if truthful to our history. It should be required reading in all schools

read carefully

I enjoyed the book and it's very honesty I wish someone had told me to read it and one day so I wouldn't be so foggy or lost with the characters. overall enjoyed the book

Best book ever

I fell in love with Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry so I’m going to listen to all of Mildred D. Taylor book. A MUST READ.

A story too valuable not too be told ...

My 11-year old son recommended I read this book, which he chose to read in a Battle of the Books competition in his middle school. We encourage his exploration through reading and the conversations that ensued from this were priceless as a family.

There is an absolute ugliness in racism, but when children learn about it in school it is an abstract idea, but a story like this one unravels the emotions, the human cost, and, perhaps most importantly, the sacrifices (big and small) that went into creating real change.

I recommend this book to families willing to talk about it afterward.

Excellent Read

Excellent book! I got lost in the pages! I was walking the roads and jumping from the bus! My hard was bounding from the suspense of the dark shadows in the night! I boycotted the store!

Heartbreaking but awakening.

I love this book because it tells the truth in such a beautifully written way. I think this book should be taught because it teaches people history and what needs to change. If everybody ignores their history then racism is never going to end. This book tells people what racism does so they can help stop it. It is beautifully written and I love it. It definitely deserves the Newbery reward!

I've loved this book since I was a little girl!

I'll always love this book and I will share it with my children and hope they will continue to pass this story down. We should never forget how it was!!

Classic Read

I am looking forward to reading this with my 6th graders this school year! Make sure you listen to the afterword by Mildred Taylor. I would suggest even listening to it before reading the book. gives great insight into her use of words and the meaning of the story.

It's lit🔥

Roll of thunder hear my cry was required for my reading class and I thought it would be so boring but it has been my faveorite book in a while.