All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

I've followed the stories of Cassie Logan and her family since Cassie and her brothers were children in the 1930s and 1940s. All the Days Past, All the Days to Come continues Cassie's story from the 1940s into the 1960s.

The Logans are a black family in Mississippi. Cassie's grandparents and her dad and mom worked hard to buy and farm land of their own. The family meets many obstacles, most of them caused by white people. In this volume of the series, Cassie's brother decides to move north to get away from the problems of the south and to find more opportunities for his family. Cassie and her other brothers eventually decide to go with him.

But just because the north has more opportunities than Mississippi, it doesn't mean that the Logans are free of problems; as Cassie says, “I had long ago come to the realization that being colored was a full-time job in America, and I knew now it was a full-time fight, one I couldn't win alone.”

I felt like I was Cassie while reading this book, and the pain inflicted on her in the form of demeaning remarks and cruel actions was almost unbearable to read about at times. I don't think anyone could read this series and not be changed.

It's been a long time since I've read about the Logan family, and after reading this, I think I may go back to read the books that missed. This book is the story of Cassie and her family from WWII through the Civil Rights Movement. It is a testament to the strength of Black Americans and a well-written narrative that illustrates how widespread racism in America always has been and how the realities of WWII helped pushed the Civil Rights movement into being. It's a long book with many horrifying, terrifying, and saddening moments. But, it is also a book with love, success, and so many other wonderful movements throughout. This book is for all readers—historical fiction lovers, realistic fiction lovers, adults, and teens would especially love this one.

4.5 stars. Would have given it 5 but I felt like the Epilogue did a disservice to the journey of the Logan family. It felt rushed and misplaced. I wish Taylor gave us a little more about how Cassie ended up as the decades past by, more of an oral dictation to the next generations of Logans about her family and the land and the changing landscape of Mississippi.

Otherwise, I loved the book, and loved immersing myself back into the world of the Logan family. As someone who first picked up Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry ~20 years ago, it was a full circle getting a chance to see how the family saga came to an end.