Zora and Me (review)

Young Zora Neale Hurston and her best friend, Carrie, are inseparable, running freely through Eatonville, Florida, eavesdropping on grown folks as they tell tales that Zora later embellishes with her own signature style. One story, however, takes on a life of its own: on a night when a man tries to wrestle a huge local alligator and loses, Zora sees a strange shadow in the night, and she begins to spin a tale that reclusive Mr. Pendir is really a shape-shifter who can turn into a 'gator and who threatens anyone who comes near the local swimming hole. When an itinerant turpentine worker is found decapitated, Zora's suspicions grow, and the real story turns out to be much worse in its grimly racist truth than anything conceived of in Zora's flights of fancy. Narrated in a lyrical, retrospective style by Carrie, this folklore-laced tale of southern intrigue succeeds on multiple levels. It introduces Zora Neale Hurston as a feisty, energetic storyteller who doesn't back down from a fight and who still has a lot to learn about tempering justice with wisdom and compassion. The details of her relationship with her mother and father, drawn from Hurston's life, will resonate with young readers learning to choose their own battles. Carrie's narration is at once accessible and poetic, immediate and reflective. While the setting and situations will require some contextualization to readers new to the concept of racially passing, and the epilogue requires quite a bit of inference as to how justice was actually served, readers will find the story engrossing for its mystery as well as its portrayal of the everyday adventures of two young friends. A short biography and timeline of Hurston's life are included, as well as an annotated bibliography of her work and a list of children's books adapted from her stories.