The Street

By: Ann Petry

Narrated by: Danielle Deadwyler

With a new introduction from New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones, The Street was Ann Petry's first novel, originally published in 1946 and hailed by critics as a masterwork.
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.

The first novel by an African-American woman to sell more than a million copies, its haunting tale still resonates today.

“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

Engaging and well performed.

Classic story, super engaging, with commentary about poverty still relevant today. Ann Pertry’s artistry, though, is what shines most. Performance by Danielle Deadwiler is about as close to perfect as you’ll find. A great listen.

Beautiful

Best audiobook that I have listened to. Incredibly written and beautifully performed. What a wonderful find

Phenomenal

First of all, Danielle Deadwyler is an incredible actress and she holds nothing back in this reading. That said, the book itself is pure genius and walks the line between finding a heroic and tragic heroine and ending. Instead, we are shown an incredible look through the fictional experiences of these characters who embody so much of the struggles that a single African American mother living in the 1940’s experienced. Her writing is just pure joy to read/listen to, and shows her to be an under appreciated powerhouse author who writes in 3 dimensional fiction that while being enjoyable on its own, is even more incredible when you see her talent in bringing in a novel idea which simultaneously gives the reader a glimpse into a struggle that is still going on to this day.

This is Amerikka

I throughly enjoyed this book. The unsettling part about this book is that African Americans continue to have the same struggles Ms.Petry wrote about in 1946. It's like the black man and woman continue to be at odds with each other in order to survive in America.

A riveting story about a black single mom

My heart aches for Luttie and Bub Johnson. She tried to do her best while raising her son as a black single mother. Until a series of misfodtunate events took place. I was not prepared for the ending.