The Warmth of Other Suns

Why I'd hand it to you

Between about 1915 and 1970, roughly six million Black Americans left the South for cities in the North and West. Wilkerson tells that history through three people, Ida Mae Gladney, George Starling and Robert Foster, who left at different times for different reasons. Their stories make a huge movement feel personal and specific. This is a long book, and the structure of moving among the three lives can feel repetitive in stretches. Readers who want a quick overview may get worn down. If you give it the time, you come away understanding a big part of American history, and a lot of American family stories, much better.

— Matt Jordan