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One Night in Georgia audiobook

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One Night in Georgia Audiobook Summary

Set in the summer of 1968, a provocative and devastating novel of individual lives caught in the grips of violent history–a timely and poignant story that reverberates with the power of Alice Walker’s Meridian and Ntozake Shange’s Betsey Browne.

At the end of a sweltering summer shaped by the tragic assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, race riots, political protests, and the birth of Black power, three coeds from New York City–Zelda Livingston, Veronica Cook, and Daphne Brooks–pack into Veronica’s new Ford Fairlane convertible, bound for Atlanta and their last year at Spelman College. It is the beginning a journey that will change their lives irrevocably.

Unlikely friends from vastly different backgrounds, the trio has been inseparable since freshman year. Zelda, serious and unyielding, the heir of rebellious slaves and freedom riders, sees the world in black versus white. Veronica, the privileged daughter of a refined, wealthy family, strongly believes in integration and racial uplift. Daphne lives with a legacy of loss–when she was five years old, her black mother committed suicide and her white father abandoned her.

Because they will be going their separate ways after graduation, Zelda, Veronica, and Daphne intend to make lasting memories on this special trip. Though they are young and carefree, they aren’t foolish. Joined by Veronica’s family friend Daniel, they rely on the Motorist Green Book to find racially friendly locations for gas, rest, and food. Still, with the sun on their cheeks, the wind in their hair, and Motown on the radio, the girls revel in their freedom. Yet as the miles fly by, taking them closer to the Mason-Dixon line, tension begins to rise and the conversation turns serious when Daphne shares a horrifying secret about her life.

When they hit Washington, D.C., the joyous trip turns dark. In Virginia they barely escape a desperate situation when prison guards mistake Daniel for an escapee. Further south they barely make it through a sundown town. When the car breaks down in Georgia they are caught up in a racially hostile situation that leaves a white person dead and one of the girls holding the gun.

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One Night in Georgia Audiobook Narrator

Joniece Abbott-Pratt is the narrator of One Night in Georgia audiobook that was written by Celeste O. Norfleet

Celeste O. Norfleet is a nationally bestselling author of more than twenty critically acclaimed commercial fiction novels. She is the recipient of six awards from Romance Slam Jam (RSJ), as well as a lifetime achievement award. She was also honored with the BRAB, 2016 Frances Ray Lifetime Literary Legacy Award. She is a graduate of Moore College of Art and Design. She lives in Virginia.

About the Author(s) of One Night in Georgia

Celeste O. Norfleet is the author of One Night in Georgia

More From the Same

One Night in Georgia Full Details

Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Length 8 hours 17 minutes
Author Celeste O. Norfleet
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date June 18, 2019
ISBN 9780062916815

Subjects

The publisher of the One Night in Georgia is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is African American, Fiction, General

Additional info

The publisher of the One Night in Georgia is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062916815.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Lulu

November 30, 2019

What an emotional read! This story engages you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go, even after leaving you balling in a fetal position.

Reading

June 23, 2019

Book Review: One Night in George by Celeste O. Norfleet - Thank you Harper One books and Amistad Books for sending me a copy of this book, which is out now! My thoughts: As someone who is half African-American, I have always been incredibly fascinated by the 1950's and 1960's, in particular The Civil Rights Movement. Sometimes it's hard to believe that was our country less than 70 years ago. I thought this book was intriguing, as I haven't read too many fictional accounts of life in post-CRM America. I wasn't expecting this book to impact me quite as much as it did. As I was reading, I found myself angry and heartbroken over the injustice and racism that African-Americans encountered. I thought Norfleet did an excellent job of portraying what life would have been like during that time for African-Americans. She does this through a group of three friends: Zelda Veronica, and Daphne. All three girls have different experiences as African-Americans. Zelda is the daughter of slaves and freedom riders, Veronica comes from a wealthy family, and Daphne is the daughter of a black mother who committed suicide and a white father who abandoned her. Each of their experiences has shaped how they view the "new world," and their characters showcase different aspects of life as an African-American. This story is fast-paced, and quickly moves from one event to the next. It is easy to follow, yet gripping and addictive. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Andre

June 27, 2019

A quick and cute read about three friends taking a road trip to Georgia from Harlem NYC in their return to Spelman College after a short summer in NY. An easy going prose propels this novel as three college aged females make the decision to drive to Georgia in 1968, and driving through the South in that time is fraught with danger and trepidation. And these ladies come face-to-face with danger and Celeste Norfleet builds drama and worry without going overly dramatic. So, we ride along with Zelda, the stereotypical centered individual with Veronica, the not so serious sidekick along with Daphne who goes along to get along.Although this is a quick read, Celeste took enough time to build the characters so that we readers get a feel for the different personalities without sacrificing quality. I enjoyed this story and would recommend as a nice summer indulgence. Thanks to Netgalley and Amistad for an advanced DRC. Book is out now!

Vnunez-Ms_luv2read

May 25, 2019

This book is one that will stay with you for a long time. Three friends, driving back to college in Georgia in the 60’s. All are smart and all have something they are running from. When they embark on their journey, they allow us to ride with them. A young man meets them as a favor to one of the ladies stepfather because he is asked to. What they all encounter on this trip will take you through a variety of emotions. The actions of this book will keep you reading until the last page. Another outstanding read from this very talented author. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

Jenifer

January 15, 2020

Man was this a good book. Very heartbreaking at times and allows a person to see what it was like for African Americans during this time period. I found myself thinking about how terrible it would be to have to think ahead your every move to make sure you don't get killed. If you like historical fiction and reading about the time period of the Civil Rights Movement then you will like this book. It did have a little romance in it in the middle that I kind of felt was a little unnecessarily graphic, but I just skipped over it as I got the gist. Overall a great book!

Beverly

July 21, 2019

thoughts coming shortly

Pamela

June 02, 2019

This book is one that may have more resonance with African Americans, particularly women, yet it is still a book for everyone to read. It's a nail biting novel of three college girls taking a week to drive back to school in a flashy convertible from New York to Atlanta in 1968. The main character, Zelda knows this is a mistake but joins her friends. Of course danger is ahead and they have surprisingly good interactions with some whites, and predictable racist police. I found it hard to get placed into the novel. Zelda stood out, and though her other two friends had different characters they were difficult to identify at times. Actually several times I would get lost on understanding who was talking with the large group of people in the room. Somewhat early in the book we find out some disturbing information about one of the friends. One would expect there to be more in the book, but no it seems to be forgotten. I'm not sure why this would be brought up if only to be ignored. Despite the topic manner it is a quick easy read. There's a bit of romance thrown in that seems to help ease up on some of the tension. Book rating: 3.5 starsThanks to Amistad/HarperCollins and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

Jen

May 10, 2021

This book was both beautiful and tragic. Sadl yet truthfully incredibly poignant to this day! As a white women I will never understand the pain and struggles discussed in this book but I’m hear to listen, learn and be an ally.

Vonetta

January 04, 2021

Fantastic. Held my attention from beginning to end. It was too real with what's going in our country today. It showed we haven't come that far.

Johanna

August 06, 2020

One Night In Georgia, Celeste O. NorfleetA prolific writer I had never heard of or read before, this is a very timely book to read because it focuses on a time when racism within the police was rampant and ugly in the south. Sadly, not much has changed. In 1968 three best friends are traveling together back to Spelman college in Atlanta from New York City. It’s been a hot and sad summer which included race riots and the deaths of MLK and Bobby Kennedy. The friends can’t resist the opportunity to use Veronica’s new Ford Fairlane convertible for the trip. She’s the daughter of wealth and privilege, raised among a certain echelon of black families that most people don’t know exists. Daphne, who passes for white, is the tragic one who’s black mother killed herself when she was young and who’s white father abandoned her. Zelda is the outspoken, political and tough one. She’s the child of activists who’s father was killed five years earlier. These young women couldn’t be more different, but they have loved each other since freshman year. They all know the ride could be dangerous once they reach the south, but they have the Green Book for black travelers and they are determined to have one last adventure together. They are joined by a friend of Zelda’s family, a young Moorehouse college man who is supposed to keep an eye on them and keep them safe.Needless to say, the south in 1968, especially Georgia, was a racist hellhole. The book explores many of the bad things that happen to African American people as they make their way through small towns and highways in this area by car. It doesn’t matter that they are wealthy, educated, and articulate. That probably hurts them more. None of it is pretty, but it’s important we know and understand what African American people faced even in the late 60’s.Besides the racism the novel gives us the back story on the friendship between the young women, some romance, some steamy sex, understandable family strife, intimate revelations that bring the friends closer, shocking and scary encounters with police and of course racist jerks. Finally, there is a surprise ending to keep you engrossed in the book. This is an important book that does get a little preachy, but these times call for that. It is not easy being black in America now, just like it wasn’t in 1968. Things need to change.

Gavin

July 05, 2020

What with the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement right now, this felt like an apt book to read, with its themes of racial discrimination. Most of the story is set in 1968, shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King; the narrator, Zelda, is a young African-American woman travelling to Atlanta with her friends, where they are to attend college; her companions are Veronica (mixed-race) Daphne (white) and Daniel (also African-American). The reader is also told that Zelda's father was killed by a police officer, in what appeared to be a racially-motivated incident. The book feels like a realistic portrayal of the time it is set in, with a scene involving the Black Panthers (my understanding is that they had a significant presence in the 1960s).A lot of the story deals with racial discrimination, but writer Celese O. Norfleet is not out to target white people as inheritantly racist; as one of the characters states, "it's not black and white". So, in the novel, several of the white characters who Zelda and her friends interact with are opposed to racism themselves; for example in the aftermath of an incident where Zelda and her friends get racially abused on a beach, despite having just saved some white children.It wasn't much of a surprise that the writer targeted the American police a lot, and they are shown to be the perpetrators of some of the most shocking incidents. The only real problem in this book was that the book's blurb talked a lot about the events of the last few chapters, and made them sound like they occupied more of the book. It's perhaps not surprising, as these are the chapters where the book really drives its points home about institutional racism.But it's not just a book about racism, and in between the unpleasant moments, there are some really good scenes between Zelda and her friends, and it feels more like a road trip novel, and introduces some romantic elements at one point.I enjoyed this book a lot; it was very upsetting in places, because of the racial incidents portrayed, but definitely one that I would recommend.

Rose

September 25, 2019

This is an incredibly powerful novel. As someone who was only 8 years old in 1968, and not a person of color, much of this book described situations that were unknown to me. But, this story brought to life the racial tensions of 1968, and the fear that blacks had as they tried to live normally, but were in danger from prejudice, racism, and blind hatred from others. There were also bright spots of kindness from people who saw beyond the color of the skin, and treated them as human beings, as they should have been treated all along. This is the story of 3 women, college friends, who decide to drive back to Georgia for their final year at Spelman College. Zelda is resistant at first, but her friends, Daphne and Veronica convince her to return with them, and make special memories. Zelda's stepfather sends the son of one of his military buddies, Daniel, to go with them. Zelda is hesitant about Daniel as she despises her stepfather. But, as the trip goes on, she and Daniel forge an easy friendship, which quickly turns to romance. Daphne reveals a troubling secret to her friends, and Veronica describes the plans her father has for her after graduation. Zelda is still very angry over the death of her father, 5 years earlier, at the hands of the police. Her anger comes out as frustration with the system, and how black people are treated. Zelda is so strong and brave in this book, and her story is powerful. The racial tension is palpable in this novel. The romance between Daniel and Zelda is sweet. The impetuousness and poor character of another classmate, Mazie, is the cause of a tragic event which forever changes the lives of the 4 who traveled to Georgia that night. So powerful, I believe this book will stay with me for some time. Thanks to Edelweiss.plus for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #OneNightInGeorgia #CelesteONorfleet#Edelweiss.plus

Gwen

June 28, 2019

Zelda Livingston, the daughter of slaves and freedom riders; Veronica Cook, the daughter of a wealthy family; and Daphne Brooks, the daughter of a black mother who committed suicide and a white father who abandoned her; all from New York, met while freshmen at Spelman College. Of course there was a handsome Morehouse man named Daniel who served as their protector and later fell in love with one of them. As college friends they wanted to explore the southern highways, before going their separate ways, while driving Veronica’s brand new red, convertible Ford Fairlaine that was her graduation gift from her parents. This storyline introduced many historical storylines, everything from the four little girls who died at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Jim Crow, protests, the Negro Motorists Green Book, which listed southern lodging sites for travelers to places to communities where “niggers must get out of town before sundown.”The ending “We Survived” was truly a surprise ending.This story is very realistic and caused me to stop and accept, deep within my soul, some of their pain. As a 72 year old Black woman who attended an HBCU college during this time period, I was angry, cried, laughed, cheered and relived many of their experiences. It was tough during those years for those of us who dared to be different.If you doubt the authenticity of the historical moments please do your research.

Brenda Larnell

June 18, 2019

Talented author, Celeste O. Norfleet takes her readers on a journey into the Deep South during one of the most turbulent times in this nation’s history. ONE NIGHT IN GEORGIA chronicles a road trip from New York to Atlanta in 1968 by four young African Americans who are headed back to college. The protagonist, Zelda Livingston, her two friends, Veronica Cook and Daphne Brooks, and a young man assigned to protect them, Daniel Johnson travel the highways and by-ways to Atlanta by car and look forward to their last year at their respective schools, the famed Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, respectively. Their story quickly escalates into a journey that tests their fortitude and maturity, and eventually threatens their lives. There is a memorable and eclectic array of side characters who populate this story and are instrumental in moving the storyline along. The Epilogue is astounding. It begins with these words, “We survived.”ONE NIGHT IN GEORGIA is an outstanding story of a period in this country’s history that never gets old. Author, Celeste O. Norfleet, does an exceptional job in recounting that time through this work of Historical Fiction. I highly recommend this novel.

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