Cassie Louise Lightfoot: A Summary

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Recommended: Themes of African-American literature

Set in 1931 Harlem New, York, the inspirational tale tells the story of eight-year old Cassie Louise Lightfoot who dreams of being able to fly and to be free to go wherever she pleases. One night while she is up on the roof of her Harlem home with her family, she gets her wish when she is suddenly soaring among the stars above the city. While on her ‘journey’, she lays claim to all the buildings in the city including the union building where her father was denied entry because of his race. Originally a story quilt, this tale merges various storytelling and art forms such as autobiography, fictional narrative, painting, and quilt making. This is evident because certain elements of the story act as alterations of the author’s own childhood memories,

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