Diane Oliver (1) (1943–1966)

We are in a hopefully permanent era where Black women authors are being heard and promoted almost on the same level as white writers. Many have written brilliant short story collections, linked and non (Deesha Philyaw, Shannon Sanders, Latoya Watkins), but long before, Diane Oliver was published and on her way to a successful career when she died in a motorcycle accident at age 22, in 1966. This reissue, championed by Tayari Jones, is very strong in character, setting, and in recognition of show more the hard lives of women in the south who left their own homes and children to care for white families. The first and most moving story reflects the dilemma of a six year old boy's family, who must decide whether or not to have him play the same impossible role as Ruby Bridges had. Integration and romantic relationships between Black and white people are at the forefront here, and it would behoove any detractors of Black history and DEI to read them and then continue to advocate for the easy path of, "Well, my parents didn't own any slaves". show less

Neighbors and Other Stories is a remarkable book. It's a "debut" collection being released well after the author passed away in 1966 at the age of 22. These stories look closely at small moments in the Jim Crow south and open up characters' thoughts and motivations as much as their actions. None of the stories are particularly happy, which should come as no surprise. When one's humanity is repeatedly denied on a daily basis, survival becomes and act of resistance, and it makes life an show more ongoing struggle.

I picked this title up because I was curious about the author, who I wasn't familiar with. Diane Oliver had a remarkable gift. I'm heart-broken that she didn't have more time to teach us her truths—and that so many of those truths have changed so little over time. At the same time, I'm heartened that these stories have finally made their way into the world as a collection and that we can allow Diane Oliver to teach us.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less

I hadn’t heard of Diane Oliver before finding this book on Netgalley. She published only a few short stories in her short life, as she died age 22 in 1966, in a car accident. So this collection, to be published next year, is her one and only. You can only take a guess at the writer she could have become, but I’m quite sure she would have been famous. All of these 14 stories portray in various perspectives the life of African American people in the early 1960s and the impact of racism.

The show more title story opens with the heart-wrenching decision by one family to send – or not- their small boy in a desegregated school the next day. It’s easy to say yes on principles, but it means your own kid and your own house being under attack, then many families and neighbors just back out.

The next story shows the flip side of the first story and the cost of being the first Black student in an integrated school: a young woman whose parents have pushed into schools and programs despite the pervasive racism, and we see her slow mental breakdown as girls around her exclude her and treat her with cruelty.

Other stories tell of going north, of Black women working as maids for white families, of interracial relations, of poverty and trauma, of experimenting racism even when far from the United States. One story was more experimental (Frozen Voices) and another explored the genre of horror. The introduction by Tayari Jones was excellent and added a lot of perspective to the reading. I’m both glad that I discovered this author and sad that there aren’t any more stories by her after this book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration. show less

Short story collection set in 1950/60s America that explores race and racism.

NEIGHBORS AND OTHER STORIES was an excellent story collection that vividly depicted everyday life of African American families. I enjoyed the writing style and appreciated Oliver’s skill in developing characters within a short amount of time on page. Each of the stories was unique, though none stood out in particular. They all felt strong.