Search - Native Son

I put off reading this book for quite some time due to its length. But what I found was not just a story that chronicles a young black man's experience in an urban environment, but a compelling story about choices, racism and fear. I felt that this book was not only compelling, but a snapshot into life after Jim Crow, but before the civil rights movement. The "Bigger Thomas" character invented by Wright was not just a means of relaying a fascinating story about crime in Chicago, but Bigger indeed stands for bigger things: America's mixed attitudes about race and intention.

I'm amazed at how relevant this book still is considering it was written in 1940. A true American classic.

A must read for anyone interested in the black experience in America during a particular period in our history.