Not Without Laughter

Not Without Laughter' (1930) is based on the author's own childhood and early manhood memories. This moving coming-of-age story takes place in rural Kansas in the 1930s. It chronicles the narrative of little Sandy Rogers as he grows from a boy to a man and it is a moving depiction of African-American family life in the early twentieth century. Sandy's mother Annjee works as a housekeeper for an affluent white family; his strong-willed grandmother Hager; Sandy's father Jimboy who traverses the country looking for work; Aunt Tempy the social climber; and Aunt Harriet the blues singer who has abandoned her faith are all introduced.'Not Without Laughter' a vivid examination of growing up and getting strong is a fascinating account of a family's joys and sorrows.