Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story Audiobook

" I found this book to be a valiant yet failed attempt to deal with a very difficult historical topic in memoir form. Structurally, it was very obviously the product of a historian trying to write a literary narrative, which left the characters nebulous, the narrator ungrounded, and the "story-line" generally detached. Throughout the book I struggled with, and never really got over, the problems inherent in a white man's attempt to write another culture's history through the lens of experiences he barely understood during his childhood and adolescence. While the history is sensitive, it is also often appropriative; I was particularly disturbed with the use of a line from an African American spiritual, "Blood Done Sign My Name" as the title, especially because the "MY" implies that the narrator/author actually DID something other than spectate. While Tyson is indeed courageous to have attempted to put this history down on paper, particularly in the form of a "memoir," it was more problematic than self-aware. Perhaps this just wasn't his story to write (though I'm sure it will be argued, "Who will write it?"). "

" listening to audiobook. I highly recommend this format because the author reads his own work. This choice of narrator not brings a deeply personal knowledge to the text. By having the author, a native North Carolinian, read his book, he can bring to life with a natural Southern accent and first-hand knowledge of regional dialects. "

" based right here in North Carolina - a gripping tale of the south and the tragedy and pain in race relations... best book on race in the south I've read so far. does not offer easy answers. nicely bridges personal experience with historical perspectiev. really worth reading. "

" Very good book. Great for book club discussions. Will pass this on to my dayghter in 9th grade to read. "

" One of the best firsthand accounts of 1970s civil rights struggles. Hauntingly honest. "

" A granular look at what the Civil Rights achieved, and did not achieve, in a small Southern town, and a memoir about struggling with the issue of race in a tragic context. "

" Never finished. Interesting but difficult to read; too packed with facts and jumps around a lot. "

" Felt like I was reading a dissertation. "

" This is a great book. "

" see my comments on Debby's books "

" Mind boggling. 1970's racism in the southeast. I got to meet the author . . . makes it even better. "

" An interesting memoir that opened my eyes to life in the South in the 1970's--not so far away or so long ago. "

" Truly remarkable and thought provoking. "

" Omg I found this book so hard to read and eventually gave up. It had fab reviews and I was really looking forward to it, but it wasn't written in a way I found easy to read; there appeared to be no sense of order to it and despite giving it a few months it got the better of me. "

" Blood... written by a historian with a memoirist's style. A story straight from the heart of Carolina and includes chapters on Wilmington. At times, Tyson hops on the soapbox, but it's easy to forgive him by the end. Fascinating and eye-opening text. "

" Amazing, heartbreaking, thought provoking, insightful. This is how history should be written. Felt like sitting in on his class. I recommend this to anyone. "

" Rec'ed by Molly. Reads more like non-fiction, but is packaged as a memoir. "

" One of the most important books I have read in a long time. Debunks a lot of myths about the "peaceful" civil rights movement. It's not a fast read, but it's well worth it. "

" Interesting history of race struggles in North Carolina. "

" Great story! I can't imagine what it must have been like to be lying under a car and witness what the main character did! I remember those times, thankfully we have made progress...Still have a way to go! "

" Oh, what a good book. "

" Really well written and good insights into the Civil Rights movement in NC. It makes the book more interesting that it was written by a white man as he struggled to understand the events happening in the late 1960's/early 1970's. "

" Would actually give this a 3.5 -- it was well researched, and I learned a lot about race relations in eastern NC in the 1960s and 70s, but I found the author to be just a tad self-indulgent at times -- he also could have benefited from a more ruthless editor. "

" Amazing, heartbreaking, thought provoking, insightful. This is how history should be written. Felt like sitting in on his class. I recommend this to anyone. "

" A must-read that will challenge everything you've thought about a terrible time in our history that is still pervasive today. Portions are very tough to read. "

" I thought the book would cover more about Henry Marrow but instead covered more of the author's family history. Overall, an excellent read on the state of race relations today. "