28 pages • 56 minutes read
Mildred D. TaylorThe Gold Cadillac
Fiction | Novella | Middle Grade | Published in 1987A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In The Gold Cadillac by Mildred D. Taylor, a young Black girl named ’lois narrates her family's journey from Ohio to Mississippi in her father's new gold Cadillac, encountering institutional racism and racial segregation in the Jim Crow South. The family faces conflicts both within their household and with the external racist policing and societal structures they confront. The novella discusses the lynching of Black Americans and portrays a young girl's experiences with racial segregation and racist policing.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Mildred D. Taylor's The Gold Cadillac is praised for its powerful exploration of racial issues and its poignant, compelling narrative. Readers appreciate its historical context and relatable characters. However, some critiques mention its brevity limits deeper character development. Overall, it is a highly regarded work for both younger audiences and adults.
Who Should Read The Gold Cadillac?
Fans of moving family narratives and historical fiction focusing on African American experiences, as seen in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, will appreciate The Gold Cadillac's themes of racial injustice and familial strength during the 1950s.
RecommendedReading Age
8-12yearsLexile Level
650L