Let the Lion Eat Straw

By Ellease Southerland

Book Overview

Hailed upon publication by writers and critics alike, including Shirley Hazzard and Charles Johnson, Let the Lion Eat Straw is a dazzling novel that tells the story of Abeba Williams, whose mother abandons the poverty of the South -- and in the process her daughter -- for opportunities up North. Missing her mother, she clings to Mamma Habblesham, a woman with enviable reserves of love and hope. Their affection for each other seems boundless -- until Abeba's mother returns to take her to Brooklyn. As Abeba grows up, her exceptional musical talent promises to be an avenue of escape. But a handsome singer distracts her, and opportunities that once seemed so close begin to fall away. Now married with children of her own, she fights to maintain the dignity of her family. Let the Lion Eat Straw is a revelation of the glory in apparently ordinary lives.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684160706
• ISBN13: 9780684160702
• Release Date: April 1979
• Publisher: Scribner
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

love the story, however, did not understand the birth mother's dislike of daughter from childhood ot

excellent story, good characters, birht mother a jealous , negative personally..great step father..huband of daughter memtality deficientcouln'd put book down,,hunted for this book over a year worht anither read in a year or two..may gain new insights

Masterful; A true work of art

This is a gorgeous book. Southerland's writing is so poetic and engaging. She paints wonderful portraits of the lives of Abeba and her other characters. A sparse book in pages, yet rich in detail and poignancy.

a good story

This book got good reviews in a newsletter I subscribe to, so I decided to order it. I finished it quickly. It's an enjoyable read, the storyline kept me hooked. A bittersweet ending but that didn't spoil the story.

Very Fast

One of those books you wish you read much earlier in your life. Very fast, beautifully written in a lyrical manner. A few pages but tells a story of a woman whose life seems to have taken a wrong turn (depending on the reader's perception of life). I know some authors would have written the same story in a billion words.

Let the Lion Eat Straw - indeed the perfect book

At a local bookstore gathering that brings readers and writers together, an editor from Amistad referred to this as "the perfect book." Sure, the perfect book. What is the perfect book? Then she passed out copies and while home sick one day, I read it. Now, after finishing it 3 hours later, I weep. Ellease Southerland has indeed, crafted the perfect book. But, the reader must believe in the essential goodness, resilience and beauty we hide somewhere deep inside. Abeba Williams, from childhood to adulthood, pulls us into her life, filled with simple complications and routine events that become so much more when viewed through her absorbing eyes. We are astounded at her courage, her resilience, her patience, her love. We applaud her survival as she struggles to build a life with her real mother who has come to collect her from Mamma Habblesham, the midwife who raised her to age 5. Abeba's mother, Angela, has found a husband in New York and can can finally care for her daughter. Brooklyn collides with Abeba's simple country upbringing, but Mamma Habblesham grounded her by giving her roots that branch into the strength and wonder that help her cope, adjust, even define life on her terms. She becomes an accomplished musician, a strong child growing up an even stronger woman, in the midst of chaos and tenderness. She meets Daniel, who sings at her church and her anticipated study at Julliard falls by the wayside as she and Daniel set off on a life filled with trauma, laced with joy, joy laced with trauma. None of it is trite, false or overdone. Simple images sparkle in their honesty. After Abeba's screaming labor during the birth of her first child, Southerland crystalizes Abeba's emotion as " He was the sun that soaked up the pain." The perfect sentence,one of many, in the perfect book.