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Four Spirits
Four Spirits
Author: Sena Jeter Naslund
From the acclaimed author of the national bestseller Ahab's Wife comes an inspiring, brilliantly rendered novel of the awakening conscience of the South and of an entire nation. — Twenty-year-old Stella Silver, an idealistic white college student raised by her genteelaunts, is not prepared for the events of 1963 in her hometown of Birmingham, Ala...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780060936693
ISBN-10: 006093669X
Publication Date: 9/1/2004
Pages: 560
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 50

3.8 stars, based on 50 ratings
Publisher: Perennial
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Four Spirits on + 166 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This was one of the best books I read all year in 2004. Set in Birmingham AL in 1963, it connects the stories of several families and generations as they confront and struggle through this watershed year of the civil rights movement.
reviewed Four Spirits on + 275 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I read this book because I loved Ahab's Wife. What a tale! Set in Birmingham in the early '60s, Jeter weaves wonderful characters into her story to bring the civil rights struggle to life.
reviewed Four Spirits on + 337 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Powerful book, set in Birmingham in the racial-torn 60's. The story is told from several points of view, including white students from Birmingham Southern College, liberal in their hearts but with no real understanding about how to make changes in their lives; black women determined to make a stand, as well as some just as willing to sit by quietly. The violence is told matter-of-factly, which makes it even more horrifying. The "Four Spirits" are the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and they serve as a thematic element in the story as their spirits appear and reappear at different time. As a Birmingham native, I can attest that Naslund sets an excellent and accurate sense of place. I can't say that it was really an enjoyable book, but one that put my mind and my heart to work.
reviewed Four Spirits on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was a really good book, a little slow getting started but as I recall so was Ahab's Wife ( same author). If you enjoyed AW, you'll enjoy this. She has a wonderful way about her writing that puts you right in the middle of the action. This is painfully accurate of the south in the early-late 60s; integration, segregation, murders, fear, terrorism of our own people on our own soil. very passionate book
reviewed Four Spirits on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
a stunning work of historical fiction... everyone should read this book
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sari-lynn avatar reviewed Four Spirits on + 207 more book reviews
An engaging and very moving story with a true ensemble cast of characters, wonderfully read by Isabel Keating. Those who listen through the acknowledgements at the end will be treated to an interview and reading with the author.


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