Book Review: “One Night in Georgia” by Celeste O. Norfleet

“One Night in Georgia” by Celeste O. Norfleet (2019)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Page Length: 297 pages (paperback edition)

Synopsis:

Set in the summer of 1968, a provocative and devastating novel of individual lives caught in the grips of violent history—a timely and poignant story that reverberates with the power of Alice Walker’s Meridian and Ntozake Shange’s Betsey Browne.

At the end of a sweltering summer shaped by the tragic assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, race riots, political protests, and the birth of Black power, three coeds from New York City—Zelda Livingston, Veronica Cook, and Daphne Brooks—pack into Veronica’s new Ford Fairlane convertible, bound for Atlanta and their last year at Spelman College. It is the beginning a journey that will change their lives irrevocably.

Unlikely friends from vastly different backgrounds, the trio has been inseparable since freshman year. Zelda, serious and unyielding, the heir of rebellious slaves and freedom riders, sees the world in black versus white. Veronica, the privileged daughter of a refined, wealthy family, strongly believes in integration and racial uplift. Daphne lives with a legacy of loss—when she was five years old, her black mother committed suicide and her white father abandoned her.

Because they will be going their separate ways after graduation, Zelda, Veronica, and Daphne intend to make lasting memories on this special trip. Though they are young and carefree, they aren’t foolish. Joined by Veronica’s family friend Daniel, they rely on the Motorist Green Book to find racially friendly locations for gas, rest, and food. Still, with the sun on their cheeks, the wind in their hair, and Motown on the radio, the girls revel in their freedom. Yet as the miles fly by, taking them closer to the Mason-Dixon line, tension begins to rise. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Set in the Civil Rights era (1960s) this novel follows the main character, Zelda, who decides to take a trip to Atlanta by car with her best friends from Spellman College. Despite the news about all of the violent incidents going on the news and warnings from fellow friends/family members they still decide to go. But before they even hit the road they run into a couple of troubling incidents which is a sign of the danger that awaits them. Will they make it there safely?

One Night in Georgia is a fast paced read even though most of the road trip moves steadily throughout the narrative. It’s detailed writing includes many aspects of the era and it’s detailed references to certain historical events and clothes, music, the Greenbook, and speech made it such an immersive reading experience. It was very real and horrifying at many moments as Norfleet does not shy away from the race relations, inequality, and violence, and police brutality of the time. The main cast of characters come face-to-face with reality and the journey ultimately leaves them scarred.

I enjoyed the main characters Zelda, Veronica, and Daphne and even though they come from different backgrounds, they are very close. They’re very honest with each other, but are also not afraid to have debates/conversations about challenging topics. This trip helps them to bond and strengthen their friendship more than before.

Daniel proves to be the love interest for Zelda even though she didn’t want him to be on the trip in the first place. They get off to a rough start, but learn they actually have a lot in common. With Daniel as a love interest, I was a bit disappointed that the novel switched to more of romance focus. I really missed the strong focus on friendship that started out in the beginning of the book that Zelda, Daphne, and Veronica had. I also felt like their characters got pushed towards the background of the narrative. It’s not until the epilogue that the come back to the forefront again.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I did want more from the story. I felt like the latter part of the novel was rushed and all of the climatic events were thrown together.

Final Verdict: