Overview

One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels One of The Center for Fiction's 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature ""Petry is the writer we have been waiting for; hers are the stories we need to fully illuminate the questions of our moment, while also offering a page-turning good time. Ann Petry, the woman, had it all, and so does her insightful, prescient and unputdownable prose.""--Tayari Jones, New York Times Book Review In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. The Street, originally published in 1946 and hailed by critics as a masterwork, is the first novel by a Black woman to sell more than a million copies, and is a haunting story that still resonates today. The Street tells the poignant, often heartbreaking story of Lutie Johnson, a young Black woman, and her spirited struggle to raise her son amid the violence, poverty, and racial dissonance of Harlem in the late 1940s. Lutie is confronted by racism, sexism, and classism on a daily basis in her pursuit of the American dream for herself and her son, Bub. Lutie fully subscribes to the belief that if she follows the adages of Benjamin Franklin by working hard and saving wisely, she will be able to achieve the dream of being financially independent. With an Introduction from New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones. A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE WITH FLAPS: Featuring French flaps and a unique vivid cover design, each book in the collection is published as a deluxe trade paperback that is a part of a stunning series look. HARPER COLLINS AMERICAN CLASSICS: This series includes timeless novels, poetry, children's books, and groundbreaking nonfiction that has shaped American thought, literature, and identity across generations. AMERICA'S PUBLISHER: Since its founding in 1817, no American publisher has been so entwined in the history of American letters. Our books enrich, challenge, and defined the American spirit. AMERICA 250: The HarperCollins American Classics arrive in time for America's 250th anniversary celebrations.

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9780063481558

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Reviews

""A major literary invention . . . A truly great book."" --The Los Angeles Times ""Overflows with the classic pity and terror of good imaginative writing."" --The New York Times ""A powerful, uncompromising work of social criticism. To this day, few works of fiction have so clearly illuminated the devastating impact of racial injustice."" --Coretta Scott King ""A classic of American realism . . . The Street rushes toward its fatalistic climax like a train toward a washed-out bridge."" --Newsday

""A major literary invention . . . A truly great book."" --The Los Angeles Times ""Overflows with the classic pity and terror of good imaginative writing."" --The New York Times ""A powerful, uncompromising work of social criticism. To this day, few works of fiction have so clearly illuminated the devastating impact of racial injustice."" --Coretta Scott King ""A classic of American realism . . . The Street rushes toward its fatalistic climax like a train toward a washed-out bridge."" --Newsday --

Author Information

Ann Petry was the acclaimed author of the adult novel The Street, a groundbreaking literary work about life in Harlem, which sold over a million copies. She also wrote several books for young readers, including Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad, the story of the courageous and heroic woman who struggled and fought for her people before and during the Civil War. New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, including An American Marriage, Silver Sparrow, The Untelling, and Leaving Atlanta. Jones holds degrees from Spelman College, Arizona State University, and the University of Iowa. A winner of numerous literary awards, she is a professor of creative writing at Emory University.

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