Cane
Book description
First published in 1923, Jean Toomer's Cane is an innovative literary work-part drama, part poetry, part fiction-powerfully evoking black life in the South. Rich in imagery, Toomer's impressionistic, sometimes surrealistic sketches of Southern rural and urban life are permeated by visions of smoke, sugarcane, dusk, and fire; the northern world…
Why read it?
1 author picked Cane as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Cane is an experimental, modernist work combining poetry, fictional vignettes, and dramatic dialogue as it portrays Black life in the sugar cane fields of the South and in the urban neighborhoods of recent migrants. I first read Cane while I was living in an apartment on the south side of Chicago, a destination for hundreds of thousands of Black migrants in the mid-twentieth century; the tracks of the Illinois Central railroad, their main transit route from the South, were just steps away from my home. The book drew my attention to the forces shaping my neighborhood, while it also led…
From David's list on understanding the Great Black Migration.
If you love Cane...
Norvel
This book tells the inspiring story of Norvel Lee, an Olympic gold medalist who overcame tremendous adversity. Born in segregated Virginia, Lee faced racial discrimination, limited education, and a speech impediment. Despite these challenges, he became a Tuskegee Airman, educator, and mentor. The book chronicles Lee's journey from the mountains…
Want books like Cane?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Cane.
Share your top 3 reads of 2024!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,782
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Cane, you might also like...
A Sparrow Falls
In this book set against the backdrop of a changing America, Sarah must find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and come to terms with her future. Sarah, a young woman from the rural town of Tolerance, Arkansas, has endured an impoverished and painful childhood.
But now,…
Shahrazad's Gift
Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo — magical, absurd, and humorous.
The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN news: a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad…
