★ 11/11/2019

This absorbing historical novel concludes the five-volume story of the Logan family, which began in 1975 with Song of the Trees, followed by the Newbery Award–winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Here, narrator Cassie, now a grown woman, describes an era of sweeping social change, which begins with the post-WWII Great Migration north and culminates with the civil rights movement. Cassie’s struggles and joys are decidedly adult, as she graduates from college and moves to Toledo to live with her brother’s family, seeks work in California, marries and becomes a widow, and eventually decides to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, a profession she eventually employs to register black voters in her home state of Mississippi. Taylor deftly sketches the strong characters of this tight-knit, though increasingly far-flung, family, and offers insights into seismic social movements and systematic oppression in the grim realities of racism faced by the family. A memorable heroine and her keen sense of injustice propel this satisfying conclusion to a landmark family saga. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)

Praise for All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

* "Taylor deftly sketches the strong characters of this tight-knit, though increasingly far-flung, family, and offers insights into seismic social movements and systematic oppression in the grim realities of racism faced by the family." - PW

* "Taylor is unsparing in her depiction of the years of segregation and of the Black experience of white racism, bigotry, and injustice ... this never-didactic book is irresistibly readable, while the richly realized, highly empathic characters are unforgettable. Taylor's remarkable novel is, in sum, that rare exception: an absolutely indespensible book." - Booklist

"Taylor (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry) has captivated legions of readers with award-winning masterful tales of the Logan family for over 40 years ... Readers will fall in love with the Logans, whether for the first time or again, with this important conclusion to a literary era." - School Library Journal 

* "This story also gives readers an up-close and personal view of key events of the civil rights movement. In this Logan swan song, Taylor is at her best. Surely the crown jewel of the Logan family Saga." - Kirkus

07/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—In this final novel in the Logan family saga, listeners find a grown Cassie who's a college student as World War II pulls her brothers into war industries and military service. Cassie begins her own journey that includes living in California as she faces racial prejudice, sexual harassment, and an unexpected death. Later, she pursues education in Colorado and Massachusetts. Through the decades, Carrie and her family join the civil rights movement, and they remain a strong, loving family. Allyson Johnson's narration evokes the range of emotions and accents including conveying Cassie's courage in tense situations. This conclusion can stand alone. VERDICT While this is historical fiction, it works well for class discussions because it touches on current concerns. Fans and newcomers will want to find this title at their school and public libraries.—Barbara S. Wysocki, formerly with Cora J. Belden Lib., Rocky Hill, CT

12/01/2019

Gr 9 Up–Cassie Logan comes from the resilient, proud, and dignified Logan family of the Great Faith community in Mississippi. Throughout her life she witnesses the Great Migration and World War II, and experiences Jim Crow in public and private. She realizes teaching is not on her path and eventually pursues law in Boston. She is wooed by Central American construction man Flynn De Baca and has a tumultuous courtship and marriage with him until his drowning death, then alienates herself from her family due to her clandestine relationship with Guy Hallis, a white law firm colleague. Eventually, Cassie returns to Mississippi to participate in voter registration. Her family's lives are tested when Papa's health deteriorates. Taylor (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry) has captivated legions of readers with award-winning masterful tales of the Logan family for over 40 years. Readers may find it hard to keep track of the numerous characters, though the presence of African American professionals and businesses is refreshing, and the family's tight-knit dynamic is captivating. Taylor brilliantly weaves the fictional Logans and their communities with real historical figures and organizations. She makes it easy for those new to the series by recapping notable moments. VERDICT Readers will fall in love with the Logans, whether for the first time or again, with this important conclusion to a literary era.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library

Both author Mildred Taylor and narrator Allyson Johnson fully meet expectations in concluding the Logan family saga, which began in 1975. Johnson warmly welcomes listeners as if inviting them to sit by the fire to hear this family story. The heroine of so many of the Logan books, Cassie, is 19 at the time of the Civil Rights movement. She leaves behind both her beloved land and the hateful prejudice of Mississippi when she moves north and then goes to California. She discovers prejudice exists everywhere. Johnson makes Cassie’s emotions clear as she grieves the loss of her baby and husband, stands up to injustices, and balances maintaining her family’s love and respect with the possibility of an interracial marriage. The drama of the plot and the depth of the characterizations ensure that this audiobook is unforgettable. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

★ 2019-10-08
A heart-stopping plot about a character whose life has always been defined by her family and their land.

Readers who have followed Cassie Logan since Song of the Trees (1975) will feel the paradigm shift as she moves first to Ohio and then California and Colorado, where she still suffers racism, although different from that in Mississippi. In California, after Cassie miscarries, then gains and loses the love of her life, grief becomes her constant companion. Later, as a successful lawyer and the only Negro in a Boston firm, she remains dedicated to her family and their values, using her legal skills to advance civil rights, initially reluctantly but then willingly when injustice visits a close friend. Not surprisingly, Mama, Papa, Big Ma, and Uncle Hammer figure prominently in this novel, and when Cassie falls for a white colleague, several family members blatantly object to the relationship. This novel places the Logans' struggles amid historical events: Opening in 1944, it includes the integration of Ole Miss, the murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers, and the impacts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Taylor (The Land, 2001, etc.) refers frequently to episodes from her other novels, but this story also gives readers an up-close and personal view of key events of the civil rights movement. In this Logan swan song, Taylor is at her best.

Surely the crown jewel of the Logan family saga. (Historical fiction. 12-18)