THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

by Molly Cone ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 15, 1967

BROTHERHOOD,"" the minister ways, and everybody tenses, and Joey suspects that it has something to do with the empty house that isn't empty anymore only Aunt Liz and the neighbors pretend it is. Except when they are trying to drive the colored family away, adding insult to ignoring. Joey spends a lot of time that week thinking about it, especially after Mrs. Foster, the new lady, says to him, ""... tell them we don't have horns."" Then it is time to go with Robert, his off-and-on friend, to help paint Mr. Swanson's new fence separating his yard from the Fosters'; suddenly it is too much--Mr. Swanson wanting to paint the Fosters' side black--and Joey rebels. The black side never does get finished and Mr. Ellis, another neighbor, insists his wife invite the Fosters to the block Fourth of July party and maybe the Swansons will move and Aunt Liz asks Mrs. Foster to stop in for a cup of coffee and Joey finds somebody besides Robert to fool around with, and that's about all there is to it. The only sermon is the minister's, used for ironic effect; cliche and inconsistency, distilled from daily speech, turn on themselves. Much from little, and it goes a long way.

Pub Date: Nov. 15, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1967

Categories: FICTION