Saturday, August 28, 2021

Book Brief: The Street by Ann Petry



The Street
by Ann Petry


The Street, originally published in 1946, is a lesser-known classic of the Harlem Renaissance. I'd never heard of it until Now Read This (the PBS News Hour book club) selected it as their May 2020 read. It's also the first novel written by a black American woman to sell more than a million copies. 

The main character is Lutie Johnson, a beautiful, young, black single mother. The story, set in Harlem, revolves around Lutie's daily struggles and frustrations as she strives to make a better life for herself and her son... while trying to protect them both from the dangers of "the street." 

I never got to this book in 2020, but knew I would eventually. This summer we are renting a house in Old Saybrook, CT. While researching the town, I found Ann Petry listed among notable residents. Petry's father, a pharmacist, opened the first pharmacy is Old Saybrook. Ann also became a pharmacist. In 1938 Petry left Old Saybrook to pursue a literary career in New York, published her novel in 1946, and, in an effort to shun publicity, returned to Old Saybrook in 1947. 

As many of you know, I am a retired hospital pharmacist so that connection, along with the location, made this the perfect time to finally read the book.

Even though The Street  was written in 1946, it has a surprisingly contemporary feel. The challenges Lutie  faces, especially the overt racism, seem insurmountable. As a result, a sense of frustration and hopelessness pervades the work. There is also anger. In fact, I've never read a novel that expresses anger at white people so directly. It's not surprising that this book hasn't been widely read over the years... perhaps it should be.

Rating: 
  but inching closer to 5 stars as I continue to think about it



8 comments:

  1. I hadn't heard of this prior to you blogging about it last week. Sounds like a good story and interesting information about the author as well. I can understand why this appealed to you.

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    1. Diane - I'm sure I enjoyed this book even more reading it now. The pharmacy Petry's family owned is still here... it's now a French cafe.

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  2. With your very good recommendation here I will seek this one out. It sounds interesting.
    By the way, I have many books both physical & Kindle version which get put aside for others that are incoming. Seems i amass them faster than I can read them! I’m trying to get a handle on that & mostly read I have. Yet, I will still get The Street 😀

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    1. Tina - I still can't believe this was written in the 40s... feels much more recent! I'm trying to get a handle on my digital tbr now. Way too many daily deals are languishing on my kindle. The physical books were weeded pretty thoroughly when we sold our house, so I'm not worried as much about them.

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  3. I first heard about this book last year as well. I think quite a few booktubers were reading it and now after your review I definitely want to read it myself!

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    1. Iliana - I don't watch any booktube, but it seems like this book enjoyed its 'moment' last year. Well worth it in my opinion... so good!

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  4. I didn't know about this novel or author - so thanks for introducing this classic to me. I like the connections you noted ... no wonder you were interested. She seemed brave for her era ... and writing.

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    1. Susan - It was very different from other books written in this time period... and I couldn't resist the connections! The pharmacy her family owned has been preserved and is currently operating as a little French bistro.

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