Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America

Written by:
Candacy Taylor
Narrated by:
Lisa Reneé Pitts

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
23
Narrator
4
Release Date
September 2020
Duration
9 hours 30 minutes
Summary
The first book to explore the historical role and residual impact of the Green Book, a travel guide for black motorists

Published from 1936 to 1966, the Green Book was hailed as the 'black travel guide to America.' At that time, it was very dangerous and difficult for African-Americans to travel because black travelers couldn't eat, sleep, or buy gas at most white-owned businesses. The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses that were safe for black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and Overground Railroad celebrates the stories of those who put their names in the book and stood up against segregation. It shows the history of the Green Book, how we arrived at our present historical moment, and how far we still have to go when it comes to race relations in America.
Reviews
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Philip H.

Very interesting book that I recommend to history buffs. The first time I heard about the Green Book was at the Smithsonian African-American Museum, and I also enjoyed the movie. This book supplements the other references by providing background stories of the places that offered shelter, food, and services to black travelers. The book is very thorough through the 30+ years of publication, which makes the book too long. The narrator is good, but not necessarily my preferred style.

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Christine K.

I’m going to look up more narrations by the woman that read this book. Her voice is so pleasant yet animated! She doesn’t do character voices per se, so it’s difficult to explain how she makes a book about a book so engaging. Excellent content, too. I learned so much that we never covered in history class; I’d never even heard of the green book before that movie came out a few years back. There is such rich context and attention to detail, I really enjoyed the pace of the book, how it switched between the research and publication/nuts and bolts, and the larger reasons of why the book was needed, with first person accounts of travel on the road. Preserving these stories and sharing this historical context is vital, I’m so glad I heard about this title!

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Anonymous

I think I might have enjoyed the book more. It has pictures that help focus readers on the when and where that she talks about. Also, a Google earth tour of locations along with pictures of the building that use to be there might help readers stay connected to what she's talking about.

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Marvin W.

very informative looking forward to read more books from her.

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