Some Sing, Some Cry
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Narrated by:
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Robin Miles
About this listen
Audible presents the multigenerational epic Some Sing, Some Cry. Created by Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza, this audiobook takes listeners on a journey through Reconstruction, two world wars, the Harlem renaissance, and Vietnam to modern day America.
Some Sing, Some Cry begins at the threshold of one family’s freedom. We meet Betty Mayfield, newly emancipated from Sweet Tamarind, a lush and haunted rice plantation off the Carolina coast. Betty and her feisty teenage granddaughter Eudora are leaving for the mainland, bringing with them the ghosts, scars, and songs they have carried for so long as they meet unknown challenges ahead. From there, we meet seven generations of Mayfield men and women, and hear the songs that provide the score to their lives. Acclaimed narrator Robin Miles goes beyond the prose to transform song lyrics sprinkled throughout the book into beautiful music, making this a uniquely rich literary and audio experience.
Playwright, poet, and novelist Ntozake Shange’s Obie Award-winning for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf will be a star-studded major motion picture this fall, directed by Tyler Perry.
Ifa Bayeza is an Edgar Award-winning playwright, producer, and conceptual theater artist.
Yale Drama School-trained Robin Miles has appeared on stage and TV and narrated over 100 audiobooks.
Free with this audiobook: an exclusive interview with the authors.
©2010 Ntozake Shange, Ifa Bayeza (P)2010 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“If there are shoulders modern African-American women's literature stands upon they belong to Ntozake Shange who revolutionized theater and literature with her iconic work for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf in the 1970's. Any of us writing today are inheritors of her genius. Some Sing, Some Cry will show her to be as potent and irrepressible a force as she was thirty years ago.” (Sapphire, author of Push)
“In this epic saga, the sister-sister author combination of Bayeza and Shange offers a richly detailed and boldly colored account of one family’s experience in slavery and its legacies for the generations that followed. Some Sing, Some Cry is both moving and arresting.” (Annette Gordon-Reed, author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family)
“This is a complex poetic treatise on race, culture, love, and family, the use of regional vernacular, dialect, and pure song, resulting in a provocative fictional history.” (Publishers Weekly)
"Vibrant... Some Sing, Some Cry is Shange and Bayeza at their poetic best." (Essence)
"Keeps the reader turning page after page…. This story of lifesaving music and heartbroken maternity is engaging from start to finish. The Mayfield women are hilarious and sexy, gorgeous and strong." (New York Times Book Review)
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- By: Bernice McFadden
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Nothing can mend a broken heart quite like family. Sherry has struggled all her life to understand who she is, where she comes from, and, most important, why her mother slapped her cheek one summer afternoon. The incident has haunted Sherry, and it causes her to dig into her family's past. Like many family histories, it is fractured and stubbornly reluctant to reveal its secrets. But Sherry is determined to know the full story. In a few days' time, her extended family will gather for a reunion, and Sherry sets off across the country with her mother, Dumpling, to join them.
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A Mother and Daughter Tear. It. Up.
- By Susie on 01-15-14
By: Bernice McFadden
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Josephine Baker's Last Dance
- By: Sherry Jones
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones spans Josephine Baker's early years in servitude and poverty in America to her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt to her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the 20th century comes to stunning life on the page. With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings Josephine Baker into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor.
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Josephine Bakers Last Dance
- By Robin on 09-02-20
By: Sherry Jones
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Gathering of Waters
- By: Bernice L. McFadden
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Gathering of Waters is a deeply engrossing tale narrated by the town of Money, Mississippi - a site both significant and infamous in our collective story as a nation. Money is personified in this haunting story, which chronicles its troubled history following the arrival of the Hilson and Bryant families. Tass Hilson and Emmett Till were young and in love when Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. Anxious to escape the town, Tass marries Maximillian May and relocates to Detroit
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Loved it!!
- By Naima on 07-26-16
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Grand Central
- Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion
- By: Melanie Benjamin, Amanda Hodgkinson, Pam Jenoff, and others
- Narrated by: Carla Mercer-Meyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City's Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell.
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Grand Central: Memories
- By ZacharyKindle Customer on 05-03-17
By: Melanie Benjamin, and others
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Glorious
- By: Bernice L. McFadden
- Narrated by: Alfre Woodard
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Glorious is set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights era. Blending the truth of American history with the fruits of Bernice L. McFadden's rich imagination, this is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path to success, ruin, and revival offers a candid portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty.
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Gruesome violence
- By Marilyn on 11-22-11
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Joplin's Ghost
- By: Tananarive Due
- Narrated by: Lizan Mitchell
- Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Bram Stoker Award finalist Tananarive Due crafts chilling tales of suspense.
In Joplin's Ghost, 24-year-old R&B phenomenon Phoenix Smalls is on the cusp of fame and fortune. But she is haunted by the spirit of Jazz legend Scott Joplin. After a series of sultry, erotic encounters with the ghost, and with the pressures of stardom closing in on her, Phoenix begins to fear for her life and career.
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Sweeping--a fabulous read
- By Dinisle on 12-24-06
By: Tananarive Due
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Paradise
- By: Toni Morrison
- Narrated by: Toni Morrison
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In Paradise - her first novel since she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature - Toni Morrison gives us a bravura performance. As the book begins deep in Oklahoma early one morning in 1976, nine men from Ruby (pop. 360), in defense of "the one all-black town worth the pain", assault the nearby Convent and the women in it. From the town's ancestral origins in 1890 to the fateful day of the assault, Paradise tells the story of a people ever mindful of the relationship between their spectacular history and a void.
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MORRISON AT HER MOST COMPLEX
- By Kennedi Hill on 11-07-19
By: Toni Morrison
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Lazaretto
- A Novel
- By: Diane McKinney-Whetstone
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Isolated on an island where two rivers meet, the Lazaretto quarantine hospital is the first stop for immigrants who wish to begin new lives in Philadelphia. The Lazaretto's black live-in staff forge a strong social community, and when one of them receives permission to get married on the island the mood is one of celebration, particularly since the white staff - save the opium-addicted doctor - are given leave for the weekend.
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Mediocre
- By atlfolk on 02-20-17
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Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
- By: Allan Gurganus
- Narrated by: Barbara McCulloh
- Length: 49 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Allan Gurganus's Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All became an instant classic upon its publication. Critics and fans alike fell in love with the voice of 99-year-old Confederate widow Lucy Marsden, one of the most entertaining and loquacious heroines in American literature. Lucy married at the turn of the 20th century, when she was 15 and her husband was 50. If Colonel William Marsden was a veteran of the "War for Southern Independence", Lucy became a "veteran of the veteran" with a unique perspective on Southern history and Southern manhood.
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Dated.
- By edie butler on 04-06-21
By: Allan Gurganus
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- By: Maya Angelou
- Narrated by: Maya Angelou
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age - and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. But years later, she learns about love for herself and the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors.
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Emotional & Powerful
- By Miss Toni on 06-30-13
By: Maya Angelou
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Ruth's Journey
- The Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind
- By: Donald McCaig
- Narrated by: Cherise Boothe
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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On the Caribbean island of Saint Domingue, an island consumed by the flames of revolution, a senseless attack leaves only one survivor - an infant girl. She falls into the hands of two French émigrés, Henri and Solange Fournier, who take the beautiful child they call Ruth to the bustling American city of Savannah. What follows is the sweeping tale of Ruth's life as shaped by her strong-willed mistress and other larger-than-life personalities she encounters in the South.
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Disappointing
- By June McCall on 01-26-17
By: Donald McCaig
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The Thread Collectors
- A Novel
- By: Shaunna J. Edwards, Alyson Richman
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician.
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Extremely good!
- By Doodle slave on 07-02-23
By: Shaunna J. Edwards, and others
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Sula
- By: Toni Morrison
- Narrated by: Toni Morrison
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Nel and Sula's devotion is fierce enough to withstand bullies and the burden of a dreadful secret. It endures even after Nel has grown up to be a pillar of the black community and Sula has become a pariah. But their friendship ends in an unforgivable betrayal—or does it end? Terrifying, comic, ribald and tragic, Sula is a work that overflows with life.
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Good against evil and a riotous story to boot
- By Karen on 04-11-11
By: Toni Morrison
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Bloody Jack
- By: L. A. Meyer
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of 18th-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret.
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Sometimes it clicks
- By Terry on 12-09-09
By: L. A. Meyer
What listeners say about Some Sing, Some Cry
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Barbara
- 10-03-10
Southern Soul
This book was beautifully narated by a voice that can take you to another time, a time in the deep south in the depth of slavery, and forward to an era a jazz and soul music. The can feel the love for music of the authors as they take you on a journey of stuggles and triumphs with a family that evokes a strenth of love and pride. Robin Miles, brings the voices of these characters to life. The voice characterizations brings forth a mental visionary story you will enjoy, with a delivery that will make you too, sing and cry.
I loved this book! Excellant listen!
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21 people found this helpful
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- Cheryl
- 02-12-12
A compelling black history lesson
What made the experience of listening to Some Sing, Some Cry the most enjoyable?
I really enjoyed the strong female characters and Robin Miles' beautiful and versatile singing.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Some Sing, Some Cry?
When Lizzie's father sold his farm and left his family. The banker's treatment of the sale made me sick.
Which scene was your favorite?
When LIzzie helped children escape the Nazi's in France.
If you could rename Some Sing, Some Cry, what would you call it?
I thought it was well titled as it was about generations of women and the mostly poor choices in men. They were almost all singers and performers, but had many heartbreaking experiences throughout their lives.
Any additional comments?
I really liked this book but would have liked it better if they wrote more about each character and either made the book longer, or wrote more than one book. There were too many characters, especially toward the end. It was hard to develop emotions for some who were in the story for such a short time.
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- Dinah Crawley
- 01-01-15
Amazing Story Line
Any additional comments?
This book captured the pain, struggles and beautiful history of a soulful family legacy
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- Abby
- 07-19-12
A family saga.
What did you like best about Some Sing, Some Cry? What did you like least?
There was actually singing in the book which was kind of amusing.
Would you recommend Some Sing, Some Cry to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes, it's pretty good, but not an all time favorite or anything. Just OK.
Which scene was your favorite?
Some sad and disturbing riots scenes made for some interesting insight into the racial struggles of the past.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Probably.
Any additional comments?
To be fair, I listened to this right after listening to "Roots" so that was a hard act to follow.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kathi
- 08-03-12
Definetly an audio experience
If you could sum up Some Sing, Some Cry in three words, what would they be?
Beautiful, intriguing, different
What other book might you compare Some Sing, Some Cry to and why?
This Bitter Earth, a story about family struggles and family secrets
Any additional comments?
This is a book that you will defintely want to listen to -So much is added by the singing. I enjoyed the story and loved the narration.
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- Linda
- 02-17-14
This book should be on Broadway!
Didn't know what to expect, but these women their story and the music stayed with me. I kept rewinding just to hear a song again. Robin Miles has become one of my favorite narrators, not only because of the songs, but because she gave each of the characters life through the narration and I hung on every word. At times, I thought it was a true story which I'm sure it is someone's story.. The characters of Eudora, Lizzy and Cinnamon had strong convictions about their lives and the hardships were building blocks for the future. These are the kinds of stories our children should read about our history the stories that are not shameful, but inspiring.
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- Nina Domingue Glover
- 12-27-22
Amazing
Robin renders such a nuanced and beautiful performance. She reads Ntozake and Ifa's words like a true lover of Black women and their art. And the surprise interview with the authors at the end! I ended it feeling FULL. Brava.
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Overall
- Avid reader and shopper
- 11-11-10
Unbelievably Good!
Truthfully, I'd grown weary of slavery/post slavery books. I am an African American woman, so of course had read a great deal of them. Thus, I hesitated about downloading this one. I'm so very glad I did. I listened to this book about 2 months ago, and it is still with me. The focus, suprisingly, was not on all the pain and humiliation of slavery, but on the love, hate and music of one family. I learned so much about the possible origins of some of the hidden truths in our lives, and as a consequence have learned to embrace these hidden truths. More than anything, as a lover of music of all types, I was astounded by the absolutely wonderful singing talents of Ms. Miles, everything from old colored hymns to classical music, to hip hop. And the JAZZ! Wow! Don't misunderstand, this is not a musical, it is a truely awesome story with some songs in it that underscore the different time periods of the book. I have a friend that insists she cannot listen to audiobooks because she falls asleep. I'm going to attempt to download this onto cd's or if necessary buy the audio version for her. I know she will love it as much as I have. Most people saw "For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enough" by this author, and may have been moved to read this book because of that wonderful story. For me it was just the opposit, I went to see "For Colored Girls..." because of this book!
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Linda
- 11-12-10
Lyrics for the Soul
Listening to the first chapter, I did not think I would last too far with this book. So glad I did. The richness of the language, combined with the memorable characters, linked with the music, led to an exceptional listening experience. Robin Miles is to be congratulated for her masterful narration and singing! I believe that had I read the book instead of listened, I would have missed a valuable component. Simply stated, this audio book is beautiful and enriching.
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2 people found this helpful
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- T Lemaire
- 12-29-16
great read!!!
great character development, I felt as if I was there!!! and Robin Miles read amazingly!!!
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