WHERE THEY GATHER

A Black family perseveres over generations.

Soon after emancipation, a loving couple “plant new seeds with sun-kissed sweat and bow their heads to pray.” One of the pecan trees that takes root and sprouts becomes a focal point in their lives. As years pass, the “rocky ground” proves fruitful, bringing bountiful harvests, but hardship befalls the family: Their home is burned to the ground in a brutal attack, and the family’s patriarch dies. Still, they persist, rebuilding their home and, as the narrative jumps ahead to the Civil Rights era, making protest signs and marching for racial equality. Summer brings with it reasons to celebrate—a graduation, the arrival of a little one, and the joy of being together—as extended family gathers in the shade of the huge tree. Rodrigues’ lyrical verse sets a solemn tone, focusing on the passage of time as seasons shift and years go by. Law’s gouache illustrations depict characters primarily in greens and browns—an artistic choice that visually connects the family with their land. The lack of detail in facial features allows readers to see themselves, and their own ancestors, in the characters. The final image—portrait, rather than landscape—once more focuses on the tree and ends the tale on a note of hope.

An uplifting story of family triumph amid turmoil.