About the book
'A stark depiction of the “alligator pond” of prison life … Rage tempered with compassion … [its] emotional core continues to smoulder’ The New York Times Book Review
Thrill-seeking teenager Jimmy Monroe is serving a twenty-year sentence for robbery in the state penitentiary, where terror and chaos reign, corrupt guards inflict casual violence, and men try to preserve their dignity amid isolation and inhumanity. When a fire breaks out, setting hell and mayhem loose, it seems Jimmy’s entire world is unravelling. But as he develops a tender relationship with fellow convict Rico, hope begins to glimmer, and, through his eventual foray into writing, something resembling redemption. Originally published in 1952, in an expurgated version, as Cast the First Stone, Yesterday Will Make You Cry draws on Chester Himes’s own youthful experiences of imprisonment to face down the scouring truths of harm and love.
‘Himes at the top of his game … what an amazing book it is’ Melvin Van Peebles
Editions of Yesterday Will Make You Cry
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780241692646
- EBook
- ISBN 9781802065657
Read an Excerpt
'A stark depiction of the “alligator pond” of prison life … Rage tempered with compassion … [its] emotional core continues to smoulder’ The New York Times Book Review
Thrill-seeking teenager Jimmy Monroe is serving a twenty-year sentence for robbery in the state penitentiary, where terror and chaos reign, corrupt guards inflict casual violence, and men try to preserve their dignity amid isolation and inhumanity. When a fire breaks out, setting hell and mayhem loose, it seems Jimmy’s entire world is unravelling. But as he develops a tender relationship with fellow convict Rico, hope begins to glimmer, and, through his eventual foray into writing, something resembling redemption. Originally published in 1952, in an expurgated version, as Cast the First Stone, Yesterday Will Make You Cry draws on Chester Himes’s own youthful experiences of imprisonment to face down the scouring truths of harm and love.
‘Himes at the top of his game … what an amazing book it is’ Melvin Van Peebles
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Yesterday Will Make You Cry about?
'A stark depiction of the “alligator pond” of prison life … Rage tempered with compassion … [its] emotional core continues to smoulder’ The New York Times Book Review
Thrill-seeking teenager Jimmy Monroe is serving a twenty-year sentence for robbery in the state penitentiary, where terror and chaos reign, corrupt guards inflict casual violence, and men try to preserve their dignity amid isolation and inhumanity. When a fire breaks out, setting hell and mayhem loose, it seems Jimmy’s entire world is unravelling. But as he develops a tender relationship with fellow convict Rico, hope begins to glimmer, and, through his eventual foray into writing, something resembling redemption. Originally published in 1952, in an expurgated version, as Cast the First Stone, Yesterday Will Make You Cry draws on Chester Himes’s own youthful experiences of imprisonment to face down the scouring truths of harm and love.
‘Himes at the top of his game … what an amazing book it is’ Melvin Van Peebles
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Yesterday Will Make You Cry?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Classic fiction: literary and general
Where can I read a sample of Yesterday Will Make You Cry?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780241692646
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Yesterday Will Make You Cry?
Chester Himes
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Yesterday Will Make You Cry is available as paperback(ISBN 9780241692646) and ebook(ISBN 9781802065657)
Where can I buy Yesterday Will Make You Cry online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Yesterday Will Make You Cry from below
Where can I buy Yesterday Will Make You Cry?