Audiobook3 hours
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA
Written by Brenda Woods
Narrated by John Kroft
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
The Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author tells the moving story of the friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who has recently returned to the unwelcoming Jim Crow South. On Gabriel's twelfth birthday, he gets a new bike--and is so excited that he accidentally rides it right into the path of a car. Fortunately, a Black man named Meriwether pushes him out of the way just in time, and fixes his damaged bike. As a thank you, Gabriel gets him a job at his dad's auto shop. Gabriel's dad hires him with some hesitation, however, anticipating trouble with the other mechanic, who makes no secret of his racist opinions. Gabriel and Meriwether become friends, and Gabriel learns that Meriwether drove a tank in the Army's all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in WWII. Meriwether is proud of his service, but has to keep it a secret because talking about it could be dangerous. Sadly, danger finds Meriwether, anyway, when his family receives a frightening threat. The South being the way it is, there's no guarantee that the police will help--and Gabriel doesn't know what will happen if Meriwether feels forced to take the law into his own hands.
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Reviews for The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA
Rating: 4.0588235294117645 out of 5 stars
4/5
17 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great read -- short chapters, good topic.
From the point of view of 12 year white boy, Gabriel, who uses his influence with his family to help Meriwether Hunter, a "colored" veteran in post WWII small town South Carolina, after Meriwether saves his life. The book does a good job with the complex issues that surround Jim Crow and the beginning of the Great Migration, but the language, which includes a lot of timely historical slang can be a bit hard to follow sometimes. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Strong, authentic voices from all characters. The friendship between Gabriel and Meriwether is lovingly drawn and epitomizes the epigraph by Rabindranath Tagore that "Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance" and I would add, on age difference. As an adult reader, I learned more about the Jim Crow South, the 371st Tank Battalion, and the deplorable treatment of African-Americans, though the story and content are well-suited to the middle-grade audience, too. Includes an Afterword and Bibliography. Highly recommended. I look forward to reading more books by Brenda Woods.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In a small town outside Charleston SC, Gabriel celebrates his 12th birthday with a new Schwinn Autocycle Deluxe bicycle. He almost gets hit by Mrs. Betty Babcock but Meriwether Hunter saves his life. Meriwether is a black gentleman looking for work; mentions a skill working with engines. When Daddy loses an employee, Gabriel gets the idea of Meriwether working for Daddy. Told in a folksy voice.