All the Days Past, All the Days to Come

Parents need to know that All the Days Past, All the Days to Come won a 2021 Coretta Scott King Author Honor. It's Mildred D. Taylor's conclusion to the 10-book series that began with Newbery Award-winner Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The series covers four generations of the Logans, an African American family who own their own land in Mississippi. This book is narrated by Cassie, who was 9 years old at the beginning of the series. Now in her early 20s, she moves to various cities in the United States, works, marries, and attains a law degree. The book focuses on the experiences of a black family in the U.S. between the end of World War II and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. It depicts the racial violence their community endures, including a Black woman raped by a white sheriff, beatings, shootings, lynchings, police brutality, and the assassination of Medgar Evars. There are violent acts of self-defense: A Black man beats three White men with a crowbar, and a Black man beats a white man for raping his wife. A black man is set on fire. A White activist is seriously beaten by segregationists. A business owner sexually harasses his employee. A male doctor attempts to sexually assault a female patient. Sexuality and romance are addressed in a manner that's most appropriate for mature readers. Women and men discuss infidelity, chastity, promiscuity, the importance of good sex, and social issues surrounding interracial sexual relationships. The "N" word is used repeatedly in the dialogue by white characters. A character gets tipsy drinking alcohol for the first time, sangria with a meal at a Mexican restaurant.