This Side of Eternity
by By McMillan, Rosalyn
Category: Fiction , Literary

From the beloved author of The Flip Side of Sin, One Better, Blue Collar Blues, and the national bestseller Knowing comes a beautiful and evocative story of one family's struggle for survival amid the hope and trauma of the civil rights movement in Tennessee. In what promises to be her most memorable book to date, Rosalyn McMillan brings to life one of the most extraordinary chapters in American history.  Rich in the tradition of Southern storytelling, This Side of Eternity is the tale of an African-American family's determination to stay together and to survive in any way they can in a world of discrimination, limited opportunity, and unendurable poverty. With powerful, penetrating language and richly developed characters, McMillan deftly weaves historical events into a compelling, unforgettable saga reminiscent of Gone With the Wind.  When Anne Russell's father is killed in an accident on the job in the late 1960s, her family must survive on its own through labor strikes, civil rights protests, and a racial tension that permeates every aspect of their daily lives. Struggling with the explosive social issues around her and the inertia of a family unwilling to seize a better life, Anne begins to make it on her own and embody the proud, indefatigable spirit of those around her who would succeed in changing the world.  Anne grows to learn, however, that changing the world can often be easier than changing the people around you, including those you love most. As the years pass, and the lessons of the movement that so affected Anne's family begin to fade, Anne finds herself continually trying to hold everyone together, despite their ongoing attempts to break everything apart. As children grow into adults, and parents into grandparents, the struggle for freedom and opportunity remains as daunting and relevant as when Anne was a child. Just as she once fought to save her siblings from the doldrums of poverty, she must now do the same for her own children.  This Side of Eternity is a truly unforgettable book that shows the strength of faith and family against the backdrop of the African-American experience through the civil rights movement and beyond. Rosalyn McMillan's finest work yet, it is guaranteed to rank among the best and brightest African-American fiction being written today.