Forty Acres: A Novel

By Phyllis R. Dixon

Book Overview

The Washington family wasnt given forty acres or a mule. C.W. Washington rose from sharecropping to the largest Black landowner in the county. A stroke forced him to retire from farming, and now hard... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974954055
• ISBN13: 9780974954059
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: New Generation Press
• Length: 390 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A Read So Real

What do you get when you mix innuendos, sibling squabbles, catfights, and vicious rumors, a family reunion. In Phyllis R. Dixon's `Forty Acres,' the Washington family reunites and they are coming from varying walks of life, back to their roots...to where it all began. Which one of them will survive the long weekend? Coincidentally I read this book during a period where my family and I were busy organizing our family reunion, which has been a long time coming. I am all the more eager to reunite with them because of reading this book. It was truly inspirational to me in many ways. I even came up with a design that I am pleased with for our tee shirts. Because of C.W.'s moving speech to his children, suddenly I know exactly what I want to say when I take podium. I found `Forty Acres' to be quite engaging and it sparked fond memories of my being a barefoot kid kicking up dust on back roads of the small town I grew up in North Carolina. Ms. Dixon did well in transitioning from first person to third. The story is mostly told from the viewpoint of one of the three sisters we learn about, Carolyn (Chubby) Washington. At times, I did not notice the switch in point of views. I did feel there was a lack of imagery. It made it difficult to visualize where they were and their reactions in certain situations. Also Ms. Dixon was thoughtful enough to add some Black history facts. Little known facts I might add. It is always good to be enlightened. Not only did the Washington family learn something in that July fourth weekend, but so did I. Family is one of our greatest assets and we must find the ingenuity to bind our families in the type cohesiveness that will last for generations to come. There is great value between the pages of `Forty Acres,' and I appreciate my family even more because of it.

Forty Acres

This book caught me by suprise because of the title: Forty Acres" my mind instantly thought the novel was going to be about slavery and how we want our forty acres and a mule. However, it is a novel that is filled with real issuses families face today when sibling think their parents have money and property and one sibling just might get more than the other. C.W. Washington was a farmer in Dwight County, Arkansas. He had suffered a stroke and allowed his older son to run the farm. Doing the annual family reunion C.W. asked one of his daughter (Carolyn, a IRS attorney) to go over his affairs, and get things in order. His children had their ideals of how, and what C.W. should do with his money and land. All seven children had their own personal problems they were dealing with (adultery, teen pregnancy, interracial marriage, gambling, drugs, children, and greed). Phyllis novel is filled with drama, humor, spiritual, and a little bit of sex. I would high recommend this book. Pick it up; you will even learn a little bit of black history.

It's A I Can't Put It Down Now Book

This is a must read book. I couldn't get my work done. I kept reading until the end. It's the kind of book that you want to peep ahead to see what was going to happen. It was entertaining, enlightening, and thought provoking. I was a better person after reading this book. It makes you reexamine your life. It makes you appreciate family and people more. You must read it for yourself. Juel J. Richardson

Captivating Family Story

Phyllis Dixon has managed to capture in graphic details, the circus which surfaces at the first sign of illness or death. Her portrayal of family struggles over money and property was definitely accurate. But this story was not just about bickering over assets, it was a reminder of just WHAT that 40 acres represented when it was announced a few hundred years and still today. You'll be surprised at how much you will enjoy this book. I know I thoroughly absorbed the tale. Phyllis, as we say down South, you put your foot in this one! Good job...

Great Family Drama/Good Enjoyable Reading

I am an avid reader of African-American fiction. This book was wonderful! I polished off the whole book in less than 24 hours. This book has all the elements of a great work of fiction (drama, suspense, humor, a hint of sex, close bonds between characters, male/female interactions, and realism) and has some tidbits of financial management that people do not commonly think about until it is WAY too late. I am very impressed by this first fiction publication by Dixon. I would love to see more by her in the near future. Happy reading! OldOccBham