Cora and Martha and Other Stories - Paperback

Spanning from the Civil War to the near present, Cora and Martha and Other Stories follows Black protagonists from all walks of life-yard children, urban bootleggers, domestic servants, barbers, seminarians, teachers, soldiers, truck drivers, and even fairies in a fairy tale.

Set in a range of societies-homogeneous Black communities, racially segregated and interracial spaces, and racially indistinguishable worlds-these stories explore the universal struggle between good and evil. Through Reconstruction, life in "the projects," church-centered neighborhoods, the American South, Vermont in the 1960s, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, and into the new millennium, each character embarks on a journey to discover their quintessential humanity.

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"Quill says: A lyrical, deeply affecting collection, Cora and Martha and Other Stories marks Thomas Penn Johnson as a powerful voice in literary fiction. These stories ache with beauty and honesty--readers will remember them long after reading." - Feathered Quill

"Readers seeking juxtapositions of time, place, purpose and discovery will welcome how Cora and Martha and Other Stories weaves together the social fabric of these individual lives and times. This makes for a powerful collection of reflective experience that will appeal widely to audiences interested in American lives and emerging community changes." - Midwest Book Review

"Each piece captures human vicissitudes in a uniquely microcosmic way. The narratives are fluid, traversing time and space; however, they are all uniquely American, encouraging readers to think about the essential themes of American literature in the context of racially marginalized groups." - Kirkus Reviews