Awards
2002 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
Synopses & Reviews
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award!
Millions of fans have followed the Logan family in their seven-book series. Living in the South in the not-so-distant past, the Logans are the only black family to own farmland, while most of their black neighbors are sharecroppers on white-owned land. But where did this valuable legacy come from?
The story begins with Paul-Edward Logan, grandfather of Cassie Logan, the beloved protagonist of Newbery Medal–winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Born during the Civil War, Paul-Edward is the son of a white plantation owner and a former slave. Though not an unusual heritage, his upbringing is. Paul-Edward’s white father sees to it that he and his sister have many of the privileges their white half-brothers enjoy. But at fourteen, Paul-Edward runs away to seek his fortune. His story is filled with exciting, sometimes heart-breaking adventures, and what is most amazing, his dream of land-ownership, almost impossible for a black person to accomplish in the post–Civil War South, becomes reality.
The Land, like all the books in this award-winning series, is based on the experiences of the Taylor family, bringing historical truth and power to this awe-inspiring story.
Review
"[T]his powerful historical novel...refuses to 'whitewash' history....Through Paul's personal turmoil, Taylor dramatizes society's rigid racist divisions....Paul-Edward's granddaughter will be Cassie Logan, and readers who remember her from Roll of Thunder will grab this and be astonished by its powerful story." Hazel Rochman, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Taylor's gift for combining history and storytelling are as evident here as in her other stories about the Logan family....Although her depiction of the 19th-century South is anything but pretty, her tone is more uplifting than bitter....Even during the book's most wrenching scenes, the determination, wisdom and resiliency...will be strongly felt." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Readers have come to expect Taylor to deliver a powerful story...and she continues to do so here....[T]his is an aspect of the legacy of slavery not often confronted in children's books; Paul-Edward makes the reader feel its grotesque injustices. They will root for him, as they have for his children and grandchildren, to overcome." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[A] wonderful novel of close friendship, harsh prejudices, and deep yearning....This historical novel brings this period of American history to life." School Library Journal
Review
"Written with great care, accuracy and emotion, The Land is a wonderful novel, telling a family story that will move and enrich its readers. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what life in the South was like for African-Americans struggling to make their way in a society grounded upon prejudice." Children's Literature
Review
"[E]ngrossing and heartwarming....Taylor uses stories from her own family's past to create a fascinating and honest look at life's struggles and joys for many African American families after the Civil War. Although this book will be a welcome addition to many middle and junior high school libraries, the fascinating, free-flowing tale will be received warmly by readers of all ages." VOYA
Review
"Taylor's writing has the power of a riveting story told well; and her understated, often matter-of-fact accounts of the dreadful injustices that Paul and Mitchell endure contribute to the strong impact the story has on readers." KLIATT
Synopsis
The legacy of the Logan family begins with Paul-Edward Logan, grandfather of Cassie, the beloved protagonist of Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Starting with his birth during the Civil War, this is the story of Logan's exciting, sometimes heartbreaking adventures and how his dream of owning land becomes a reality.
Synopsis
The Land is a poignantly crafted story that chronicles the triumphs and struggles of life for Paul-Edward Logan, son of a white slave owner and an enslaved African-Indian woman. Set in Mississippi during the late 1800s, the book introduces readers to the grandfather of Cassie Logan, the impassioned hero of Taylor's 1977 Newbery Award winner
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
"Taylor offers an ingenious prequel to Roll of Thunder," said Coretta Scott King Award Committee Chair Fran Ware. "The Land unveils the precarious world of Paul-Edward Logan, a black boy who could pass for white and invites readers into his remarkable and painful journey to manhood. Taylor makes an exemplary contribution to chronicling the African-American experience with her finely developed characters and well-rounded storyline."
Synopsis
After the Civil War Paul, the son of a white father and a black mother, finds himself caught between the two worlds of colored folks and white folks as he pursues his dream of owning land of his own.
Synopsis
Millions of fans have followed the Logan family in their seven-book series. Living in the South in the not-so-distant past, the Logans are the only black family to own farmland, while most of their black neighbors are sharecroppers on white-owned land. But where did this valuable legacy come from?
The story begins with Paul-Edward Logan, grandfather of Cassie Logan, the beloved protagonist of Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Born during the Civil War, Paul-Edward is the son of a white plantation owner and a former slave. Though not an unusual heritage, his upbringing is. Paul-Edward's white father sees to it that he and his sister have many of the privileges their white half-brothers enjoy. But at fourteen, Paul-Edward runs away to seek his fortune. His story is filled with exciting, sometimes heart-breaking adventures, and what is most amazing, his dream of land-ownership, almost impossible for a black person to accomplish in the post-Civil War South, becomes reality.
The Land, like all the books in this award-winning series, is based on the experiences of the Taylor family, bringing historical truth and power to this awe-inspiring story.
About the Author
Mildred D. Taylor is the author of eight previous novels and has garnered such awards as the Newbery Medal, three Coretta Scott King Awards, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book award. She received her Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado's School of Journalism and went on to work as a proofreader-editor program coordinator for an international house and a community free school. She now devotes her time to her family, writing, and what she terms the "family ranch" in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.