Coming on Home Soon
Coming on Home Soon is children's book published in 2004, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
Plot
Ada Ruth’s mother has gone to Chicago explaining to her daughter, "They're hiring colored women in Chicago since all the men are off fighting in the war.... I'm gonna head on up there," and she is left with her Grandmother at home. Each day, they wait for a letter to arrive from Mama. A small distraction, a little black and white kitten, arrives at their doorstep, and even though Grandma tells Ada Ruth not to get attached, they both begin to care for this little creature. There is a gentle sense of urgency, seen through Grandma and Ada Ruth’s search for food and firewood. They need Mama’s paycheck to arrive. But more importantly, they need to hear a word of hope and comfort – that she is “coming on home soon.” Ada Ruth and her Grandmother listen to the reports of the war on the radio, and she prays for the families of the soldiers who will not come home. Finally – a letter from the postman that Mama is coming home! Grandma gets another quilt for the kitten, and the three of them sit by the fire and read her letter over and over again – a message and reminder that hope is alive in a dark, cold world. This story deals tenderly with the hardship of absence of a parent, and the illustrations capture Ada Ruth’s longing perfectly.[1]
Anti-racism value
Coming on Home Soon explores both race and gender within the historical context of World War II.[2] A story of three generations of women in an African-American family, during World War II. While that is a time period when many women had to step up and earn a living because the men were at war, it was even more of a challenge for minorities to find work and support their families.
References
- ↑ COMING ON HOME SOON. Retrieved on December 29, 2020.
- ↑ Jacqueline Woodson. Retrieved on December 29, 2020.
