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Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,298 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, brought the promise of integration to Little Rock, Arkansas, but it was hard-won for the nine black teenagers chosen to integrate Central High School in 1957. They ran a gauntlet flanked by a rampaging mob and a heavily armed Arkansas National Guard—opposition so intense that soldiers from the elite 101st Airborne Division were called in to restore order. For Melba Beals and her eight friends those steps marked their transformation into reluctant warriors—on a battlefield that helped shape the civil rights movement.
Warriors Don't Cry, drawn from Melba Beals's personal diaries, is a riveting true account of her junior year at Central High—one filled with telephone threats, brigades of attacking mothers, rogue police, fireball and acid-throwing attacks, economic blackmail, and, finally, a price upon Melba's head. With the help of her English-teacher mother; her eight fellow warriors; and her gun-toting, Bible-and-Shakespeare-loving grandmother, Melba survived. And, incredibly, from a year that would hold no sweet-sixteen parties or school plays, Melba Beals emerged with indestructible faith, courage, strength, and hope.
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"Another example of man's inhumanity to man. I couldn't believe that people, even immature high schoolers, could be so hateful to nine young people just because of their color. I guess that shows my innocence. This was a very interesting story of the author's experience of being one of the first black teens to integrate into a prestigious High School in Arkansas. I loved her bravery in the face of what could have possibly meant her death. I loved her faith in God whom she turned to to help her face her challenges. I loved the portrayal of her mother and grandmother; amazing, strong women. I wasn't surprised at all when I looked up the names of the students involved in this integration, to find that all nine of them have had very successful lives."
— Catharine (4 out of 5 stars)
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“This is one of the most iconic moments in American civil rights history, but it was more than a moment. The nine students suffered physical attacks―Pattillo had acid flung into her eyes in one horrific incident―and intimidation from other students long after the integration had been enacted. Pattillo, who later became a reporter, reflected on those years in this searing memoir.”
— Huffington Post -
Beals, one of the nine black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957, tells an incredible story of faith, family love, friendships, and strong personal commitment.
— School Library Journal -
“A profoundly uplifting—and also a profoundly depressing—account of the integration of Central High in Little Rock.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Melba’s first-hand account of her experiences gives a human touch to this highly political situation…Segregation, peer pressure, and the division of the country over the issue of integration really come alive through her words. Melba’s determination to do the right thing in spite of the tremendous amount of cruelty she faced is stunning.”
— Children’s Literature -
“Beals, one of the nine black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957, tells an incredible story of faith, family love, friendships, and strong personal commitment.”
— School Library Journal -
“Beals looks back on her Little Rock experiences as ‘ultimately a positive force’ that shaped her life.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Pitts [brings] passion to the story and makes us feel the immediacy of Beals’ experience.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Huffington Post Pick of Books to Help You Understand America
Warriors Don't Cry Listener Reviews
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" Great read! Simple but sincere and inspirational. Everyone should read this book. It provide the reader with good insight into the history of integration and the civil right movement in this country "
— Trina, 2/20/2014 -
" I think I've read this before but loved it again. I would highly recommend it. What a brave girl!! "
— Lesley, 2/17/2014 -
" So, i just finised this book! I loved it from beginning to end! Very powerful and inspring! What stuck with me was "...to see ourselves reflected in every other human being and respect and honor our differences." Unfourtunately, thats a very hard thing to do, but I will always try... "
— Franki, 2/13/2014 -
" I really liked this book because it showed the readers how it really used to be. It gave the readers a different way of segregation and made me think a little bit, not a whole lot, but a little bit on racism. "
— Janell, 2/7/2014 -
" this book is cool it tells about a young girl in the south facing racism because of intergration.i liked this book because its really exiting and sad.my favorite part was when the president brought the 101st army to escort and protect melba and her friends in a all white school. "
— Rene, 2/5/2014 -
" Amazing - very powerful. A must read! "
— Pam, 1/19/2014 -
" An incredibly intense, emotional and inspirational first-person account of one of the original 9 African American students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, AK. Melba Pattillo Beals takes you along her frightening, courageous journey. A must read for everyone to truly understand the struggles that individuals like Melba Beals went through to work towards eliminating racial separation in this country. Though our war is far from over, we should all be grateful to people like her who braved the toughest early battles to make this country a better place for the rest of us. "
— Angelina, 1/19/2014 -
" I really liked this history about the Little Rock Nine. I just wish I could have found the full edition! I had to settle for the abridged--which at least didn't seem dumbed down; just shorter than the full-length. "
— Christine, 1/19/2014 -
" Read this for a class on African-American history in college about 13 years ago. A very moving memoir. "
— Annelise, 1/15/2014 -
" The memoirs of the very courageous Melba Patillo Beals, one of the Little Rock Nine. I was reading it for my civil rights class. It's definitely worth checking out. "
— Jessi, 1/7/2014 -
" In this book,it let me take a step in the shoes of Melba going up as an African American...She had a hard which caused her to face many hardships. "
— Starasia, 10/10/2013 -
" I think this book is very historic kinda like the holocaust. The white people are the nazis and the black people ae the jews. Iliked it because it shows and teaches me lessons. It makes me wanna treat some people nice. "
— Cedrik, 7/11/2013 -
" When I closed this book, I felt sad. Still glad I read it. History need not be forgotten. "
— Kristina, 3/4/2013 -
" this ranks up there on my list with TKM. One of the best books I've read. "
— Kelsi, 11/16/2012 -
" I like books that make me think, "What if that were me?" This is one of those. I really appreciated the history that I was not all that educated on. Melba was certainly a heroine. "
— Jill, 9/20/2012 -
" I really did enjoy reading this book over the summer. It was for a summer reading project. Iwrote a book report about it too. It was excellent. "
— Kimon, 8/5/2012 -
" I was so moved by this book. I couldn't even imagine how much she went through each day at school. The hatred that Melba experienced made me sick to my stomach. "
— Lisa, 3/1/2012 -
" For most of us, it is impossible to understand the sacrafice of the early civil rights leaders without a book like this. This is one of those "must reads" for all. "
— William, 12/31/2011
About Melba Pattillo Beals
Melba Patillo Beals is the author of several books, including Warriors Don’t Cry, winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Award and the American Library Association Award. She received this country’s highest honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for her role, as a fifteen-year-old, in the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. A retired university professor with a doctorate in international multicultural education, she is a former KQED television broadcaster, NBC television news reporter, ABC radio talk-show host, and writer for various magazines, including Family Circle and People.
About Lisa Reneé Pitts
Lisa Renee Pitts is an award-winning actress in theater, television, and film, as well as an accomplished audiobook narrator and an AudioFile Earphones Award winner.