Set in 1922, the story is based on the true account of Quakertown, a colored community located in the center of Denton, Texas. A plaque is currently located in Denton to commemorate the once-existing Quakertown. “A Note from the Author” is included in the back of the book that explains the rediscovering of the town and lists the books that Meyer used while writing WHITE LILACS. While the names of the towns were different in the novel, references were made to Dallas and various parts of Texas.
Telling the story in first person, Rose Lee shows the readers how racism was viewed by a colored twelve-year-old girl. While she understands the separation between whites and colored people, her view is still relatively naive and innocent. An example of this is in the secret friendship she has with Mrs. Bell’s daughter, Catherine Jane. “We hadn’t paid much attention to her being white and me being colored. It seemed alright to be friends when I was a little girl tagging along after Jim, the colored gardener” (page 56). The two would sneak up to Catherine Jane’s room as children and play together, but they knew it must be done in secret.
Though racism had always existed in Freedomtown, Rose Lee did not know the extent of it until her family and friends were forced to move and were only allowed to buy certain pieces of land. While the majority of the characters in the novel remained optimistic even as this evil was being done against them, some, like Rose Lee’s brother, spoke out against the forced move. Readers are able to see the various opinions that were present in the tight knit community of Freedomtown and the realistic reactions of people who lived through those situations.
While big events happen throughout the book, like Henry being tarred-and-feathered and the school burning down, the story seems to be told a relatively slow pace. Large amounts of text are devoted to descriptive passages. Rose Lee explains things like her grandfather’s garden versus Mrs. Bell’s garden and the inside of Mrs. Bell’s house in detail. These accounts remind readers that the protagonist is an innocent twelve-year-old girl. “Bleak though its conclusion is, this bittersweet novel is poignant and tender, both in its space vernacular dialogue and delicate description” (Publishers Weekly review).
Publishers Weekly. 1993. New York: Reed Business Information, Inc. Available at http://www.amazon.com
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