The Sittin' Up

April 28, 2014
In 1940, the death of Mr. Bro Wiley strikes a nerve with the community of Low Meadows. Wiley was the last person in town who had been born a slave. Though seen through the eyes of Bean Jones—the youngest member of the family that took in Wiley after his wife’s death—the story shows the different ways Wiley’s death impacts the community. Jackson narrates in an unhurried manner that taps into the mood and motion of the book. He also creates a wide range of voices for the characters that are appropriate and capture the dialect of the community without exaggeration. Ages 10–up. A Putnam hardcover.

November 15, 2013
Moses presents a tale of sorrow and hope that recalls the simple pageant of life in a close-knit community of tobacco sharecroppers. Bean got his nickname after folks in Low Meadows began calling his best friend, Martha Rose, Pole, as in, "skinny as a beanpole." Narrated by Bean in a folksy vernacular, the tale examines the two children as they approach a rite of passage for young people in their community--the right to participate in the weeklong mourning ritual known as "the sittin' up." The death of revered former slave Mr. Bro. Wiley at the beginning of the work turns the community on its ear and provides the backdrop for Bean and Pole's coming-of-age. Through her quiet exploration of the ritual, Moses illustrates how people in desperate times find dignity and joy amid their trouble. The National Book Award winner and Coretta Scott King honoree folds the harsh reality of sharecropping into poetic language that is easy on the ear. That said, the book's slow pace ultimately feels dreary. The constant filling in of back stories bogs the plot down, and the frequent colloquialisms begin to grate, like an affected Southern accent. Ultimately, the story is a victim of its own charm. Like sweet tea with sweet-potato pie, it's too much sugar, not enough spice. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-The year is 1940, and Mr. Bro. Wiley of the Low Meadows community near Rich Square, North Carolina, has died. The last man in the area who was born a slave, he was beloved by his friends and neighbors. The Stanbury Jones family, with whom he lived after his wife died, is especially saddened by his death. Three quarters of the book describes in excruciating detail the reaction of individual members of the community to his death and their preparations for the sittin' up. (As was customary, the deceased was returned to the house the day before the funeral so that mourners could view the corpse, say their final good-byes, reminisce about the departed, and enjoy a bountiful meal.) The story is told by Bean Jones, who loved Mr. Bro. Wiley and, at almost 12, is just old enough to attend his first sittin' up. The night of the event, Low Meadows floods and the residents evacuate to the town of Rich Square, where they remain until the waters recede. The whites and the coloreds (the term used throughout the book) work together with the Red Cross to help those affected. This is more of a description than a story of a close-knit community on the verge of major changes in the way African Americans are viewed and treated. There is very little action, and the subject of historical funeral rites will appeal to a limited audience.-Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 Moses returns to the setting of National Book Award finalist The Legend of Buddy Bush (2004) in this heartfelt novel. When Mr. Bro. Wiley, 100 years old and the last slave man in the Low Meadows, finally goes on home to be with the Jesus during the summer of 1940, folks are sure torn up about it. Twelve-year-old narrator Bean recounts the sittin' up, or wake, the first he's attended. There's a lot to be done to welcome guests into Bean's house. There's also a storm on the horizon, fit to land smack in the middle of the sittin' up, and it could flood the Ole River. The book is heavy with preparations early on; by the time readers get to actual sittin' up, the stage is set for some memorable scenes. The cast of characters is so colorfulfrom loose, red dresswearing Miss Florenza to portly Reverend Hornbucklethat, in spite of the impending disaster, the events are comedic, even laugh-out-loud funny. Bean's matter-of-fact first-person narration introduces a resilient African American community and the great legacy of a man whose death changed us all in some way. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Mr. Bro. Wiley, a hundred-year-old former slave, has died surrounded by loved ones, namely the family of twelve-year-old narrator Bean Jones. As preparations for the funeral and "sittin' up" commence, readers are introduced to the rural North Carolina community of Low Meadows. It's a rich tapestry that Moses creates, and the reader always feels wrapped in the communitys warmth.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2014
It's 1940, almost a century since Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that changed Mr. Bro. Wiley's life. The hundred-year-old former slave has just died, surrounded by loved ones--the family of twelve-year-old narrator Bean Jones with whom the old man has lived since his wife's passing. Mr. Bro. Wiley's death allows Bean to experience an important rite of passage on his way to becoming a man: he is taking part in the funeral and "sittin' up." As preparations commence, readers are introduced to the close-knit cast of characters from the rural North Carolina community of Low Meadows, all of whom revered the "old slave man" and deeply mourn his passing. Bean's lively narration touches on the history of slavery and sharecropping that shaped many of the characters' lives. It also allows for plenty of humorous observations of the characters, from the town drunk to the preacher to the woman in red who shocks the good church ladies. There is also tragedy, with a climactic Hurricane Katrina-like storm. At times the pacing suffers from all the side stories; the actual sittin' up is a long time coming. However, it's a rich tapestry that Moses (The Legend of Buddy Bush) creates, and the reader always feels wrapped in the warm arms of this loving community. Fans of Christopher Paul Curtis will find some new friends here in Low Meadows. robin l. smith

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)