Mississippi,
1927. A flood threatens to break through the levees and the home of Robert
Chatham and his parents is washed away. Father Elis already lost much of his
pride because of the humiliations he has to endure as a black man in the south
and mother Etta lost herself completely when their eldest son was brought home
after he was lynched because he had been looking at a white girl.
The second
part is set in 1932. Here we find Eli, a black musician who is taken out of
prison by a white man who wants Eli to perform for him. Eli is a charismatic
man and many believe he has special powers. He meets Robert, who is now twelve
and works as an odd job boy in a hotel (brothel really). He tells the boy he is
cursed and the black dog of the devil follows him.
In the
later parts of the story we find Robert in 1941, when he works for the
Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the major projects of the
New Deal. He still feels like he is cursed and he does nothing to stop fate
from happening. And fate has little good for him in store.
The title, Southern cross the dog, references the
name of two railways, the Southern Railroad
and the Yazoo Delta (YD, also known
as the Yellow Dog). These railways cross in Mississippi, just like the same
people always seem to cross Robert’s path. The dog is also the dog that follows
Robert (or the dog Robert thinks is following him).
Bill Cheng, the writer, lives in New York and never
visited Mississippi before he finished the book. He was inspired by old Blues
songs, and the railways are also featured in these songs.
The story
is told in different parts and different people are the main characters in each
part. Only later it becomes clear which part these people played or will play
in Robert’s life. I thought this was well done and fascinating, all the
different lines coming together like that. Realizing how one remark can help
shape a life is quite breathtaking, and not in a good way.
The only
problem I had with Southern cross the
dog was the amount of horrible things that happened to Robert. He had to
endure poverty, hunger, humiliation and pain for years, and everybody dies,
leaving Robert alone and miserable. It became a bit too much and perhaps this
could have been dosed a little better. In the end he finally has a place to
stay, but somehow I do not think this will last very long.
Despite
that little thing I thought Southern cross
the dog was a beautiful and engaging story.
Published
in 2014
Pages 322
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