Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
A Patch of Blue
A Patch of Blue | Elizabeth Kata
4 posts | 4 read | 2 to read
Selina was alone in her blindness until she met Gordon and they fell in love.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
IamIamIam
A Patch of Blue | Elizabeth Kata
post image
Pickpick

A gut wrenching view of life for a black man trying to care for and teach tolerance to a sheltered, abused, ignorant blind white girl. There's a LOT going on here. Selina was blinded by her prostitute mother, raped by a john, never educated and strings beads to earn money. Gordon feels infinitely sorry for her and tries to convince her life can be different. After a fight with Rose-Ann leaves Selina beat up, Gordon is found in the park with...

IamIamIam Selina and is thought to have hurt her. Gordon had not told Selina he was black because he knew she hated black people, simply based on information from her ignorant family. Selina thinks in very black and white terms and it was crazy frustrating to read but the symbolism is apparent and this was still hard to stomach. A sad commentary of 1961 in a city environment. 5y
Cinfhen This sounds SUPER HEAVY 💔 5y
See All 10 Comments
Tanisha_A Gosh! Sounds a very tough read. 5y
IamIamIam @Cinfhen It really was. I'm not sure my Nana ever read the book but she always had a crush on Sidney Poitier so this was one of her favorite movies! I guarantee they toned down the situations and I can't remember the last time I saw the film! 5y
IamIamIam @Tanisha_A Absolutely! Luckily it's very short but unfortunately that means you're constantly getting pummeled by Selina's reality. It's told in first person with an awful lot of late 50s slang, which I also stumbled over a bit. 5y
AmyG I remember the movie. 5y
IamIamIam @AmyG It was one of my grandmother's favorites! 5y
AmyG Sidney Poitier is SO good. 5y
IamIamIam @AmyG My grandmother's two crushes were Sidney Poitier and Clark Gable! She had great taste!!! 5y
32 likes1 stack add10 comments
blurb
IamIamIam
A Patch of Blue | Elizabeth Kata
post image

This book is full of awfulness. An abused blind daughter of a prostitute ends up falling for a black man in 1961. A tough read so far but Gordon is the shining savior and the only reason I know he's black is because I saw the movie. Nothing is alluded to while their relationship is developing, which is bold for this time period.
*Note that I'm looking at this book critically in the context of the world it was written in.*

blurb
IamIamIam
A Patch of Blue | Elizabeth Kata
post image

The last things my grandmother and I talked about before she passed were movies and Clark Gable. She helped to instill a love of films in me that I will forever be grateful for. For #Booked2019, #booktomovie, I'll be reading this, which was one of Nan's favorites. Her last conversation about this was, "Jessica knows the movie... she's blind, and I love that actor. You know the one." ? Here's another one for you, Nana!

30 likes1 stack add
blurb
ApoptyGina69
A Patch of Blue | Elizabeth Kata
post image

Here is a mid-century choice for #kickassheroines. Selina is a young blind woman living in a rather abominable home. She's finally allowed to walk to the park and meets a man she has no idea is black. In the early 1960s south, this was unacceptable. She prevails. It is also an amazing film starring Sidney Poitier. #seasonsreadings2016.

DebinHawaii I loved the movie but have not read the book. ❤️ 7y
EvieBee I went in search of this book in my shelves after your post. Success! I found my copy this morning. Now to read it! 7y
54 likes2 stack adds2 comments