Before the supermarket boom, corner markets dominated neighborhoods where most people did their grocery shopping. These corner markets sold all of your staples. They were hospitable and served as a junction to exchange ideas, beliefs, and gossip in much the same way as barbershops and beauty salons still do today. The Family Stone is set in the memory of these institutions long gone from most American economic landscapes.
It is the year following the long, hot summer in America. Abraham and Winona Stone are the proud owners of Willie’s Market, a modest corner grocery store in a working-class urban community. The Civil Rights movement is at full throttle. The fight for social equality does not halt personal drama. Intriguing neighborhood sagas of life, death, love, heartbreak, betrayal, hope, faith, and redemption play out against the fiery backdrop of civil unrest.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Lane's plot is entertaining and strongly developed. Willie's Market as a setting feels real and memorable and the story reads rather nostalgically. Though there doesn't seem to be any real central conflict outside of characters navigating daily trials and tribulations, readers will find an emotional and engaging story throughout as they journey through the inner lives of the market's customers.
Prose/Style: Lane's prose is entertaining but also extremely detailed, with substantial descriptions throughout, especially of the setting. The writing is lovely; however, the somewhat excessive detail slows the pace of the story.
Originality: A strong contender within the "slice of life" style narrative, the characters here notably set this work apart from the rest.
Character/Execution: The characters are who truly shine in Lane's novel. The mother-son relationship between Dwight and Winona is both loving and trying, while the various customers and cast of characters that visit Willie's help bring the story to life and paint a vibrant picture of the neighborhood and community of East Liberty. However, the strongest character is the market itself, and Lane has crafted a beautiful and moving tribute to community and family through this novel's central location.
Date Submitted: June 10, 2020
