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J. California Cooper
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Family Paperback – December 1, 1991

by J. California Cooper (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 479 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

In this wise, beguiling, and beautiful novel set in the era of the Civil War, award-winning playwright and author J. California Cooper paints a haunting portrait of a woman named Always and four generations of her African-American family.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Anchor
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 1991
  5. Dimensions
    5.22 x 0.53 x 8.02 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0385411723
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0385411721
  8. Lexile measure
    770L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Many novels have been written about slavery, but this one is original, stirring, vividly personal and painfully intense." —Los Angeles Times

"The sort of book that ought to be read out loud. Both eerie and saddening, [and] filled with tragedies, it is also about survival. In its strong rhythms and colloquial expression, this book is a living woman's monologue." —The New York Times Book Review

"What most distinguishes Family . . . is the persistant affirmation of the power of the human spirit to do battle with evil—and to win, even if only for a while." —Chicago Tribune

"What a voice. . . . Cooper celebrates family, freedom, perseverance, life, and . . . powerful voices finally heard." —The Atlanta Constitution

“With power and grace, Cooper weaves the dialect, styles and myths of the South into a portrait of the hell that was slavery.... Masterful.”
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

"With power and grace, Cooper weaves the dialect, styles and myths of the South into a portrait of the hell that was slavery... Masterful."
--Publisher's Weekly

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anchor; First Edition (December 1, 1991)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385411723
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385411721
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 770L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.22 x 0.53 x 8.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 479 ratings

About the author

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J. California Cooper

J. California Cooper

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J. California Cooper was honored as Black Playwright of the Year, and has received the American Book Award, the James Baldwin Writing Award, and the Literary Lion Award from the American Library Association. She lives in California.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
479 global ratings
Top Tier Storytelling!!!!
5 Stars
Top Tier Storytelling!!!!
One of my absolute favorite books! I’m already partial to slave narratives, but this one is uniquely written from a perspective that seems to be a niche of our author. Though the writing is simple, the wisdom expressed is profound. I get all the grandma story-telling feels from reading Clora tell us about her family. There’s slaves and Southerners so you should definitely be ready for the dialect of those times. This book is captivating enough to be read quickly, but you’ll want to take your time and absorb the lessons that the author teaches throughout the pages. I cried, laughed, cringed, and cheered reading this book. My only regret is that I didn’t start flagging and highlighting my book from the beginning, because there are so many memorable quotes throughout.#TamTellingTalesTop10EyeCU Reading and Social Network APPROVED!
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Top reviews from the United States

msamillion
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Story
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’ve actually read this book at least 5 times now. My older sister told me about it 25yrs ago when I was in High School and I’ve fell in love since. Great read. I will probably read it again lol.
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Agnes V. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars J California Cooper’s “Family “
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2023
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I recently purchased three of J California Cooper’s books from Amazon as gifts for a friend who was looking for engaging stories of African American life. I have read ALL of the author’s works and highly recommend her books to others.
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Nicholas B. Roundtree
4.0 out of 5 stars We're All Family
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2008
Verified Purchase
J. California Cooper's book Family is about a slave family's matriarch and how they deal with the "peculiar institution." The setting is in the pre Civil war South and the the language used is meant to put on in the south during the time. The vernacular and language give the book a warm feel. And the story allows you to see some of the more outlandish practices of the antebellum south. You find yourself growing to like the characters for all their flaws and strengths.
Having read this book for school I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to read a short interesting story about the period and the meaning of family.
3 people found this helpful
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Ebony EyeCU Reading
5.0 out of 5 stars B👏🏽R👏🏽A👏🏽V👏🏽O!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Just WOWWWW!!!

I’ve heard many readers rave about the work of J. California Cooper and now I know why! This is my first time reading one of her books and NEVER HAVE I EVER read such a horribly sad yet beautifully told slave story. From the simplicity of the cover, the pacing of the story, the character’s broken dialect to the symbolic children’s names and haunting narration… I ABSOLUTELY LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Spanning over four generations of brutally unfavorable times, the author paints a vivid tale of close kin that are far apart from love. And although I’ve never listened to an audio book, Clora’s narration took on a voice that visually brought “Family” to life right before my very eyes!!!

B👏🏽R👏🏽A👏🏽V👏🏽O!!! This is some skillful storytelling here! “Family” is most definitely a MUST READ! I can’t wait to discuss this story with my book club... EyeCU Reading & Social Network. Take my word, 1-Click NOW and read what all my hype is about!

Ebony
EyeCU Reading Approved & Recommended
One person found this helpful
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Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars Family - a slave's tale
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
Family is a book about one woman's life as a slave and her family. The book begins with the capture of Africans and their removal to the United States. Clora's mother was a favorite of the slaveowner she called "Master of the Land" and she bore him a number of children, all of whom were sold at age 3 except for Clora. Clora wasn't sold because she was not the owner's child, however, after her mother killed the owner and committed suicide, Clora became the son's favorite. Clora became her mother and began to have children who were also sold due to the jealousy of the son's wife.

Family is the story of Clora and her children, even following the children after Clora died as she watched them as a ghost. The story of a slave and her family is heart-breaking and at times, hard to read, but the book is realistic and the story needed to be told.

If you want to know exactly how African-Americans were treated both before and after the Civil War, this is the book to read. It is not sugar-coated reading but worthy of 5 stars.
6 people found this helpful
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Kaylynn Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars The bloodline runs everywhere
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I must say I'm not particularly keen to read what we (the book club) refer to as slave books but, I enjoyed this one. It certainly wasn't written in a perspective that I expected. It is told through the eyes of one slave. And she has seen a lot.

It took a minute for me to adapt to reading in the dialect but I think it was written brilliantly. After all, I read it in a matter of less than a day.

EyeCu Reading Approved
3 people found this helpful
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Rhena EyeCU
3.0 out of 5 stars February 2021
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
While I enjoyed this story and detailed vision of the author, I did not enjoy the writing style. It wasn’t just another slaver story. It was a different direction from most historical slave narratives.
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B. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Always
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
I truly enjoyed this book. Although some of the story was hard to read due to the sexual and physical abuse, I still truly enjoyed it. The author did a great job writing the story which allowed me to truly visualize a time during slavery and take it all in. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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Top reviews from other countries

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Corsaire
4.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary. Why is this book not better known?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
A hugely gripping, moving book narrated by (trust me, it's not as weird as it sounds) the ghost of a slave woman, who tells us the story of her family. Her children bought and sold, the routine tortures and traumas of slavery told in a voice full of passion but never merely bitter - a deep, compelling story.
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Marina
5.0 out of 5 stars Une excellente entrée en matière dans le monde de J California Cooper
Reviewed in France on March 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
C'est avec ce livre que j'ai découvert l'univers de J California Cooper et je ne peu plus me passer de son style narratif, elle est juste trop talentuesement genial. Le livre est arrivée plus vite que je ne pensais et dans un état parfait Merci
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