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The Grace of Silence: A Memoir Audiobook
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(3.02) - 936 listener ratings
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In the wake of talk of a “postracial” America upon Barack Obama’s ascension as president of the United States, Michele Norris, cohost of National Public Radio’s flagship program All Things Considered, set out to write, through original reporting, a book about “the hidden conversation” on race that is unfolding nationwide. She would, she thought, base her book on the frank disclosures of others on the subject, but she was soon disabused of her presumption when forced to confront the fact that “the conversation” in her own family had not been forthright. Norris unearthed painful family secrets that compelled her to question her own self-understanding: from her father’s shooting by a Birmingham police officer weeks after his discharge from the navy at the conclusion of World War II to her maternal grandmother’s peddling pancake mix as an itinerant Aunt Jemima to white farm women in the Midwest. In what became a profoundly personal and bracing journey into her family’s past, Norris traveled from her childhood home in Minneapolis to her ancestral roots in the Deep South to explore the reasons for the “things left unsaid” by her father and mother when she was growing up, the better to come to terms with her own identity. Along the way she discovered how her character was forged by both revelation and silence. Extraordinary for Norris’s candor in examining her own racial legacy and what it means to be an American, The Grace of Silence is also informed by rigorous research in its evocation of time and place, scores of interviews with ordinary folk, and wise observations about evolving attitudes, at once encouraging and disturbing, toward race in America today. For its particularity and universality, it is powerfully moving, a tour de force.
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""How well do you know the people who raised you? . . . Look around at your loved ones, especially the elders. . . . If you don't already know the answers, the people who raised you will most likely remain a mystery, unless you take the bold step and say: Tell me more about yourself. . . . There is grace in silence, and power to be had from listening to that which, more often than not, was left unsaid.""
— Jan (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Best Book for Nonfiction
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One of the 2010 Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books for Memoir
The Grace of Silence Listener Reviews
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" I heard the author speak at LFPL. Good book and excellent speaker. "
— Debbe, 2/5/2014 -
" This memoir by the journalist Michele Norris is a thought provoking book about growing up black and about what her parents endured in their childhoods in the South. It is probably a 3+. "
— Peggy, 1/21/2014 -
" I liked it because it didn't feel like a 'famous person's' memoir; it came across as honest, unassuming, and straightforward. In the same way, the historical context she gives is sufficient without being overly detailed or preachy. As a result, some of her insights and observations seem more poignant and moving than they might otherwise be. Worth a read. "
— Tom, 1/1/2014 -
" I have sort of a love hate relationship with this book. While I sympathize with the plight of her grandparents, who struggled as blacks to be good neighbors in an all white neighborhood in Minneapolis at a time when segregation though technically illegal was openly practiced. However there were too many references to black oppression by whites as if the blacks were the only segment of the population that was or is discriminated against. "
— Andy, 12/19/2013 -
" nothing especially new or insightful. it kind of felt like she was forcing a message out of an experience her father had. but as a reporter she probably was avoiding adding fluff that other memoirs have these days. i like npr a lot so it felt a little like listening to an extended piece on there. "
— Sarah, 12/12/2013 -
" Really well done. I enjoy listening to Michele Norris & in reading her book I can see how her upbringing lead to the success she has today. "
— Mary, 1/3/2013 -
" Though occasionally slow in getting there, Silence helped me to understand the complexity of racism during and after WWII. The shooting for Norris's father wasn't "just" an act of hatred; it was part of a much much larger picture. Thanks for giving me much to chew on. "
— Autumn, 12/22/2012 -
" After reading this book, I want to hear the stories of my own relatives. Well written, very engaging. Highly recommend for anyone to read. "
— Erika, 9/1/2012 -
" Opens the door to talk about race in America in a new way. Beautifully written! "
— Sheyna, 6/30/2012 -
" Beautifully written. Provides history of the treatment of African Americans in the South - particularly in Alabama - in the 1940s and beyond. "
— Mary, 2/24/2012 -
" An insightful and moving read about family secrets...and the price we pay for them. "
— Lisa, 1/27/2012 -
" Thoughtful, challenging. I really enjoyed her personal reflections and honesty about the subject of race in America through her father's story. "
— Doreen, 12/9/2011 -
" The author presents a loving story about her family and the difficulty of Black men in America who served their country in WW II and came home to Jim Crow laws unchanged. Silence about the difficulties of this situation was the answer of her family members to maintain their pride and grace. "
— Jean, 6/3/2011 -
" What a tribute to her father. This book had a very graceful flow and I enjoyed it thoroughly. "
— Gayla, 5/7/2011 -
" A very personal story about learning about one's family behind the persona. It is an excellent look at race in our society and how our history changes us all. "
— Cathy, 4/29/2011 -
" Michele Norris of NPR wrote this book about the hidden conversations on race and ended up unearthing painful family secrets that compelled her to question her own self-understanding. Another view point on race--this time from the point of view of a solid middle class MN family. "
— Paulette, 4/27/2011 -
" This really made for some interesting discussions with my husband. Very thought-provoking, there are so many facets of 'race' I've never thought about before. The audio version is great...her voice is so soothing. "
— Sara, 3/3/2011 -
" just couldn't really get through it. "
— Emily, 2/10/2011 -
" Already a fan of NPR's Michele Norris, I found The Grace of Silence to be a well-researched book that took a frank and insightful look into the effects of integration on contemporary America. "
— Mariel, 2/9/2011 -
" Beautifully written story about her own family. Racism is, unfortunately, alive and well in this country today. "
— Beth/Sr., 2/1/2011 -
" In some ways a companion to Henrietta Lacks. Norris's family is unremarkable, but marked nonetheless by the prejudices and mores of both southern and northern America in the mid-20th century. "
— Sue, 1/31/2011
About Michele Norris
Michele Norris, cohost of All Things Considered, is cowinner of the Alfred I. du Pont-Columbia University Award for The York Project: Race and the ’08 Vote and was chosen in 2009 as Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. She has written for, among other publications, the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times. As a correspondent for ABC News from 1993 to 2002, she earned Emmy and Peabody awards for her contribution to the network’s 9/11 reporting. She has been a frequent guest commentator on Meet the Press, The Chris Matthews Show, and Charlie Rose. Norris lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and children.