One of the most worthwhile attributes of a good book is it's ability to shock into sudden awakening a dull or incomplete area of our understanding.
In his curiously named book James Baldwin comprehensively annihilated white people's murky, opaque view of the lives lived in Harlem ghettos. In fact, he did it so well that a conscientious white person can't help feeling ashamed of their ignorance while they read.
The title is apparently a verse from slave song "God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the fire next time!"
The book consists of two letters in essay form. I was immediately struck by the fact that it is essentially an autobiographic ramble, but it consists of writing so highly magnetic that I simply couldn't stop reading.
I puzzled over that magnetism, at first unable to identify where it originated. I have since come to understand that his writing illustrates his great love for his fellow negros and his total belief in them as equals of any other people on earth. It is the type of writing that appeals to both the heart and the intellect simultaneously. That dual quality makes it irresistibly forceful.
Rather than a hostile retaliation, this book is a pointedly accurate rap over the knuckles of racism. It's strength is the force of a huge intellect and a powerful understanding of human nature.
I rated it 8.8 out of 10.
