The Secrets of Newberry

Written by Victor McGlothin

Narrated by Beresford Bennett

Victor McGlothin is the Essence best-selling author of Autumn Leaves. In The Secrets of Newberry, McGlothin crafts a stunning portrait of race relations in New Orleans circa 1955. When Hampton Bynote meets Bones Arcineaux, the two begin stealing from the rich whites of the French Quarter as a way of recovering the pride that was once taken from them. But when one burglary takes a turn for the worse, the consequences haunt the two men for years to come. "McGlothin's rugged prose captures the sultry locale ."-Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449843250

Reviews for The Secrets of Newberry

[recupefashion · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As you read, the story takes place in Newberry ,Louisianna.The 2 main character of this sotry in the beginning are, Bones Arcineaux and Hampton Bynote.They meet at an illegal gambling house in Newberry,They become friends and partners in crimes. They will have all the best womens and the best food, but that won't last long because on one night when they will commit a robbery , something will turn awfully wrong and Bones will commit a murder.So the two will be running from the cops. But in the mean time ,Hampton meets a lovely and classic girl named Magnolia Holiday withwhom he falls in love. But then trouble is about to start falling on Hampton and bad trouble.Will he be able to keep his Magnolia through it all?This book is a real page turner till the end, where you get a great ending, it's a real surprise.You know when you'll get to 2/3 of the book, you won't believe what you're reading, and you won't want to put the book down. I know it was late in the night and I just kept on reading till 2 am.I had to know what happened before I could put the book down. And then I put it down until it was all right and could wait till the nest day to get onto the ends to finally know what would happen.It really shows you how people believed hard in family values back on the sugar cane plantationin 1955 in New Orleans. Family and love was stronger then anything else. That is what you will learnin this book, family, love, tradition and values are stronger then police, and bad friends and money.I,m really certain you will enjoy this book, it's filled with action, love, romance, and a man who fights for what he truly believes in. And that is what I enjoyed the most, family, principles, values and courage. You will see all of that in Hampton Bynote.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From My Blog...A raid on an illegal gambling establishment run in the antebellum home, Twin Cedars, brings together the most unlikely of partners, Ivory "Bones" Arcineaux and Hampton Bynote in The Secrets of Newberry by Victor McGlothin. In the segregated south, Bones and Hampton form a rather unique and illegal partnership in 1955 New Orleans. Meanwhile Pearl Lee Baptiste, Hampton's sister, is explaining to Magnolia the ways of Broussard Parish and the secrets it has held for over a century. The Secrets of Newberry is a unique look at the partnership and friendship between a white man and black man, a bond formed in one evening that continues to grow until a murder occurs. McGlothin offers the reader an extremely detailed look at life in the Jim Crow south as well as offering up exceptional, vivid and realistic characters and a pleasing plot with the right amount of surprises along the way. The Secrets of Newberry spans almost twenty years and is a book that the reader will be hard pressed to put down until the very end is reached, and even after the end, the reader will remember the story and the characters, especially the strong women in the book including Magnolia, Pearl Lee, and Ryletta. I would recommend The Secrets of Newberry without any hesitation and think the book would be a powerful discussion group pick.

[justjenniferreading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, what a story. I couldn't put this one down, it was so intriguing. I really liked Hampton and wanted to see everything turn out ok for him, even though he kept getting himself into trouble. The story was really well written. Hampton is looking for something more than life on a plantation can offer a black man in the 1950s. Things seem to be going fairly well for him and then he meet Bones. Bones becomes Hampton's ticket to the life he wants while at the same time being the one thing that can take Hampton's dreams from him. The story moves pretty fast, and at times I felt a bit too fast. Some things just seemed to me that they needed to simmer a bit more before coming to conclusion. There was a lot that happened in the story though and I think that's part of why everything moved so fast. Had it been a slow story it either would have been too long to hold my attention or it would have been missing so many pieces. It was a pretty good story and I really enjoyed it. I really didn't want to put it down because I wanted to see how Hampton was going to get him (and his family) out of the binds that they've gotten into. While things don't always go the way Hampton planned he was pretty quick on his feet and was able to at least put band-aids on the situations that arise. I liked Hampton and really wanted to see good things for him. I also liked Magnolia (Hampton's love interest). But I think my favorite character was Pearl Lee, see just seemed to be so level headed. Although she does have some moments when her heart takes over and she throws that level-headedness out the door.A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher. This is not a paid review and is a truthful and honest review.

[jewelknits · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review was first posted to my blog.This book spans over 15 years of an unusual "friendship" between Ivory "Bones" and Hampton.The son of a sharecropper, Hampton has a dream of home ownership that takes him into the city in search of a better life. He and Bones meet during a raid on an illegal gambling house. Bones sees Hampton going into cars in the parking lot and copying registration information. When Bones sees the police closing in, he hops into one of the cars and has Hampton jump in and drive away.Hampton finds himself caught in a sort of spider's web when he and Bones come to an agreement and start robbing some of the houses that Hampton had the information on. It slowly becomes clear that Bones has his hands in more than one pot, and Hampton has unknowingly become a pawn in a game of revenge that Bones is playing. This novel is a confluence of stories. 22-year-old Hampton's background is revealed in pieces and we feel how difficult the life of a poor person, especially a person of color, in the South of the 1950's could be enough to push someone to make choices that go against their character.We meet Hampton's family: his mother, Raynetta, his sister Pearl Lee, her husband Touissant, and their daughter Odessa, whom Hampton dotes on. Hampton also meets Magnolia, one of his sister's students, and Magnolia sets her sights on marrying him.This novel spans over 15 years, and takes a number of turns that hit the reader by surprise.The storytelling style of this novel is different, at times maybe even slightly staccato, but the unveiling of secrets and the progression of events made me want to keep reading. And reading. And reading. You'll be taken through a range of emotions, and, although by his actions at times, Hampton is a "bad guy", you'll still find yourself rooting for him.This is definitely a book to add to your shelves.Quotes:There were other sections of town available to Hampton, but he liked the idea of being around Negro men and women who'd dreamt of being somebody and also had the kind of grit it took to chase down those dreams and nab them. Hampton often dreamt of buying a home and paying it off before the bank could come up with an excuse to take it back. It was just a dream but it was his.Hampton felt out of sorts. There was a plot to instill civil disobedience afoot and he didn't have a role to play.Despair swept through the room. Odessa writhed bitterly with her nightgown gathered around her narrow hips. Pain poured from her lap.

[missmermaid118 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had more than a little trouble settling on a rating for this book, most likely because despite what I view as some pretty obvious flaws, I still liked this book. THE SECRETS OF NEWBERRY is a deceptively ambitious novel, and I think it just gets away from the author. For the most part, I enjoyed the book while I was reading it but, once I was finished and considered it as a whole, I was frustrated and a little disappointed. I ended up with a lot of questions. On the other hand, I think it's a worthwhile, entertaining, and provocative read. It could certainly generate some good discussions.Most of the story is set in 1950's Jim Crow era in and around New Orleans and is told from the point of view of Hampton Bynote, a young black man who has been banned from the plantation where his family has been sharecropping for generations -- actually, since slavery was abolished. He doesn't mind too much because he wants more of life than what sharecropping can provide, and he's still able to sneak onto the plantation to visit his family. When he's in the city, he dabbles in crime as a means of survival but doesn't want to get too deep into the life. Things change drastically when he meets up with Ivory "Bones" Arcineaux. Bones is of mixed race, mostly passing as white for safety and convenience while his loyalties are firmly placed within the black community. He has the potential to be a fascinating character, but the focus of the story is not on him and, as the story progresses, his character actually loses dimension. Unfortunately for the story, I believe his character and his motivations are too integral not to be explored more thoroughly. Meanwhile, Hampton is a nice young guy, rather naive, who just wants to live a little before finding the perfect woman and settling down. He fully intends to lead a good life -- just not quite yet. He falls victim to Bones' manipulations and, for most of the story, it's arguable whether Bones will save Hampton or destroy him.Actually, there are quite a few victims in THE SECRETS OF NEWBERRY. Back on the plantation, life hasn't progressed all that much since the era of slavery. It's revealed very early on in the story that the black women sharecroppers have entered into secret sexual relationships with the white plantation owners throughout the entire town, what is referred to as a "Gentlemen's Agreement," and the women believe this somehow protects the lives of their husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons. It was difficult for me to accept the premise that this secret has been successfully kept from the black men for generations. Both Hampton's mother and his sister, Pearl Lee, have become entangled in this agreement. What is hinted at and never fully explored, are the complex and conflicting feelings the women possess toward their secret "lovers" in particular and the agreement in general. There are other victims of sexual abuse as well, far too many for this novel to address in a satisfactory manner. The frequent instances of abuse may be true-to-life, but in the circumstances of this novel, it strains believability and, therefore, detracts from the horror that is suffered. So, what did I like about THE SECRETS OF NEWBERRY and why would I recommend it? I liked both Pearl Lee and Magnolia, a young girl who sets her mind and heart on Hampton and won't let go. I also liked Hampton. I was probably most satisfied with the development of Magnolia's character. She arrives on the scene as a seemingly wide-eyed innocent, but she's a pretty spunky young woman with a keen eye on everything going on around her. She's determined, knows what she wants, and knows how to go after it. The novel holds a rich cast of secondary characters, and I enjoyed observing their interactions and the various ways they handled conflict and adversity, as well as good fortune. I also liked the glimpse into this complicated historical era - right on the cusp of the civil rights movement. You could see America changing, one person at a time. Some people were holdouts - some of the most steadfast holdouts grew by leaps and bounds at the last possible moment. Some just got meaner.I liked the author's writing style - it's clean, straightforward, and very discriptive. The reader experiences the essence of the time and place, the voice of each character is distinctive. I liked the pace of the storytelling - threads are unwound slowly and leisurely - until toward then end when everything feels too rushed.THE SECRETS OF NEWBERRY would have been a better book if it had been more tightly written. Kind of like this review!