A Raisin in the Sun vs River, Cross My Heart: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: African American families, Afro-Americans, African Americans

A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry · 1958 ★★★★☆ 3.9 146 pages · ≈ 2 h 42 m · Moderate

This groundbreaking play starred Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeill, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands in the Broadway production which opened in 1959. Set on Chicago's South Side, the plot revolves around the divergent dreams and…

Motion picture plays 20th Century American Race Relations

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River, Cross My Heart Breena Clarke · 1999 ★★★★☆ 3.5 256 pages · ≈ 4 h 44 m · Moderate

The impact of a child's drowning on a black family in 1925 Washington, especially on the 12-year-old sister who was baby-sitting the girl. Told against the background of the lot of African Americans at the time.

Drowning Washington Psychological fiction Domestic fiction

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate A Raisin in the Sun highest: A Raisin in the Sun 3.9 · River, Cross My Heart 3.5.
A Raisin in the Sun is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 4 for River, Cross My Heart.
A Raisin in the Sun has the widest readership — 114798 ratings behind its score.

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How to choose

Want a one-evening read? A Raisin in the Sun ≈ 2h vs 4h for River, Cross My Heart Want the crowd-tested pick? A Raisin in the Sun 114798 ratings vs 14166 for River, Cross My Heart Just want the better-reviewed one? A Raisin in the Sun 3.9 vs 3.5 from readers

Scores by source

	A Raisin in the Sun	River, Cross My Heart
Goodreads	3.9 (114798)	3.5 (14166)
Hardcover	3.0 (1)	3.0 (7)
Apple Books	4.0 (586)	—
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Reception

	A Raisin in the Sun	River, Cross My Heart
Ratings	114798	14166
Editions	80	19
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	46189	9264
Reading it now	2062	146
Written reviews	6580	389
Wikipedia attention	15794	56
Pages	146	256
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Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: A Raisin in the Sun or River, Cross My Heart?

A Raisin in the Sun has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Raisin in the Sun 3.9/5, River, Cross My Heart 3.5/5).

Which is shorter to read: A Raisin in the Sun or River, Cross My Heart?

A Raisin in the Sun is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Raisin in the Sun (146 pages, ≈ 2 h 42 m); River, Cross My Heart (256 pages, ≈ 4 h 44 m).

Which is harder to read: A Raisin in the Sun or River, Cross My Heart?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Raisin in the Sun: Moderate; River, Cross My Heart: Moderate.