No Crystal Stair

by Eva Rutland

Book Overview

Telling the remarkable story of black Americans in the 20th century through the character of Ann Elizabeth Carter, this historical novel weaves real events throughout the tale of America making slow,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739409832
• ISBN13: 9780739409831
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: MIRA
• Length: 474 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

We all matter

Time for all of us to get it together with respect for all races and communities world wide.

No Crystal Stair: a touching story about love, family & life

IMPRESSIONS: This book is a wonderful story that touches your heart and shows you the true beauty of the human spirit. The characters are wonderful and lovable and they literally come alive for you; one cannot help but care for and about them. A wonderful tale of family, love, death, life, war, racism, and every other aspect that you can imagine. It will appeal to all different ages and types. RECOMMENDATIONS: The race aspect of the book is very interesting and eye-opening. Due to the fact that it starts in the 1920s and spans until present day (or around there) it can really appeal to everyone and can also be very educational. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a book which will make them laugh, cry, and most of all, love.

A MUST READ!!!!

I just finished reading, "No Crystal Stair" by Eva Rutland. This was a FANTASTIC novel. I highly reccomend it to anyone who enjoy historical, afrocentric, romance stories. It wasn't heavy on romance, so to speak. It talked about family, and the true love that's found there. This story covered several generations (1920's through the 1990's), and I give this novel my highest rating.

Wonderful story

No Crystal Stair is a great book. Her storyhas acptured the upper class African American southern priviledged community prior to segration. I liked the historical journey from the 20s through the 90s. This was great and I look forward to reaidng other books by Mrs. Rutland! Thanks for beinga vocie we need to hear today.

Sheds Light on early 1900s Black Elite

No Crystal Stair was the second book read by ReadSistahread@egroups.com -- an online African American book club.All of the characters in No Crystal Stair were well-developed, quite believeable people. Even Julia Belle, the mother of the main character, who would have been considered a snob by most, was very believeable and really was "down for the cause." You'll delight in seeing the young Ann Elizabeth, the main character, blossom into a grown woman. You'll admire her brother Randy and his too-dark-for-his-mother's-taste, girlfriend Sadie. Dr. Carter, Ann Elizabeth's father, and her husband, Rob, were also very likeable characters. This book opened my eyes to the reality of the early 1900s Black Elite. In a class and society all their own, the Carter family still had to deal with the struggles of being black in America. Their wealth did not render them immune to unfair treatment here. The reader will venture through the 1940's pre and post-war period up to the 1970s Black Power Movement. No Crystal Stair is a very well-written, good read! Pick it up to read today!

Introduction To The Black Elite

This book introduces the black elite - a group with which few are familiar. It follows them from the late 1920's into the new millennium, through the civil rights struggle. It is basically a sort of historical love story. The characters are real. We can applaud their accomplishments, even when we disagree with their lifestyles. It is a slice of African American history which has seldom been made public and it is a great read.