Neighbors and Other Stories

By: Diane Oliver

Narrated by: Emana Rachelle

A remarkable talent far ahead of her time, Diane Oliver died in 1966 at the age of 22, leaving behind these crisply told and often chilling tales that explore race and racism in 1950s and 60s America. In this first and only collection by a masterful storyteller finally taking her rightful place in the canon, Oliver’s insightful stories reverberate into the present day.

There’s the nightmarish “The Closet on the Top Floor,” in which Winifred, the first Black student at her newly integrated college, starts to physically disappear; “Mint Juleps not Served Here,” where a couple living deep in a forest with their son go to bloody lengths to protect him; “Spiders Cry without Tears,” in which a couple, Meg and Walt, are confronted by prejudices and strains of interracial and extramarital love; and the high-tension titular story that follows a nervous older sister the night before her little brother is set to desegregate his school.

These are incisive and intimate portraits of African American families in everyday moments of anxiety and crisis that look at how they use agency to navigate their predicaments. As much a social and historical document as it is a taut, engrossing collection, Neighbors is an exceptional literary feat from a crucial once-lost figure of letters.

©2024 Diane Oliver (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Special stories

I like short stories and I liked most of these. It seems like the author researched the time periods she referenced. Frozen Voices was horribly confusing and I feared other stories in this audiobook might follow the format of that story. It almost caused me to stop listening.

mesmerizing

truly a hidden gem. the story telling was unique and original in perspective and material.

A good mix of stories

As with most story collections, some are better than others but the overall quality of this collection is excellent. It's worth a listen just for "Frozen Voices" alone.

Definitely a mixed bag

I am a fan of short stories, but have mixed feelings about this collection. I’ll just say some were better than others in terms of content and storyline. Also the woman’s voice was very good, but I do not like when women impersonate a man’s voice. It’s so artificial that it takes away from the story.

Incomplete stories

I like endings. I don't want to finish a story not knowing what happened to the characters. I like the author's style and she makes me relate to the stories of the Black migration, segregation, and integration. However too many of them left me feeling sad afterwards.