About the book:
Jessilyn Lassiter no longer has to convince people she’s not a child. Having just turned 19 in the summer of 1938, her love for Luke Talley has never been more real. And Luke is finally beginning to care for her in the way she’s always dreamed of. But their budding romance is interrupted when Tal Pritchett—a young, black doctor—comes to Calloway, stealing the heart of Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, and stirring up the racial prejudice that has been simmering just beneath the town’s surface. The tension starts to bubble over when Jessie’s elderly neighbor Miss Cleta becomes the first white townsperson to accept Tal’s treatment. And when a young black man is lynched, Calloway is brought to its knees once again as Jessilyn realizes that her anger can make her heart as full of hate as the klan members who have terrorized her town and her family.
My thoughts:
Just starting this book today. I am loving it so far. I can hear the characters talking as I'm reading and they sound genuinely southern in a post-depression south sort of way. Great writing and full of emotion and humor. This story is good so far. I've read the first four chapters. It's hard to put down.
21 comments:
My favorite book on this subject is a classic, To Kill A Mockingbird. So many valuable lessons can be learned from reading it.
freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
I would like to enter the give-away.
My answer is: the most recent book I've read about Racial Tension is "The Help" by Katherine Stockett.
I liked it that the maids had the victory in the end!
Thanks!☺
The book that is my favorite on racial tension in the South has already been mentioned here in the first comment. I agree with her. A second one I could mention, although it doesn't have anything to do with the South, is South Pacific, the movie and the book written by James Michener, "Tales of the South Pacific." The line of excellent stories about racial prejudice doesn't end here for sure. Because my own life has been touched with bi-racial grandchildren, I'm always interested in points of view as to why people form prejudices against skin color, race or whatever. I love my grandchildren and their other grandparents and family with all my heart. The only prejudice I might experience is against attitudes and prejudices themselves. Somehow, God gave me parents who did not raise me with prejudices forming in my personality before I even knew what the word meant. I thank God daily for that, otherwise I might have missed out on a lot of love from people who are different from me. I am very interested in reading Jennifer Valents novel. Thank you for the giveaway and the chance to win this book. I hope I do!!
Sharing Christ's Love,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
Don't enter me. Just wanted to tell others that this is one great book to read. Lots of lessons and history!
It would absolutely have to be"ROOTS". What an eye opener that was to me as a teenager. You learned about the slavery situation in school, but to see it portrayed with real life characters was so life changing.
I liked the color purple. It dealt with alot of issues, one of them being racism.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Sandra took my answer of ROOTS. It is most definitely a movie that is filled with racial tension in the South and has you sitting there thinking through out the movie. Slavery and racial issues were tense in the movie and I am so glad that we don't have that major issue now a days.....at least where I am at anyway.
Mollydedwards AT yahoo DOT com
Without a doubt, I have to agree with To Kill a Mockingbird.
julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com
The others beat me to my choice!
To Kill a Mockingbird is my all time
favorite book. The characters are all so unique and contribute to the story line! I like the positive message that Atticus brings to
his children, town and neighbor.
Many thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
I would have to say the movie The Color Purple. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com
John Grisham's novel A Time To Kill centers around a white lawyer fresh out of law school and struggling to pay the bills comes to be council for Carl Lee, the father of a young girl, Tonya, who was sexually assaulted, raped, beaten, and left for dead by two backwoods hicks. Carl Lee decides to take the "law into his own hands" and eradicate the two criminals who are white and will most likely be let out with a small tap on the wrist. Throughout the novel, Jake and Carl Lee must overcome the stigmas of the times centering around race, fight attacks from the KKK, and other such personal attacks."
This book really portrays the racial tension in the south. I sure hope people see the ills of
prejudices against skin color, race or sexual beliefs or whatever.
Please enter me in the contest.
rbooth43(at)yahoo(dot)com
Black Like Me
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
It looks like we most of us are on Team Atticus! I love To Kill a Mockingbird, also.
What interests me about books on racial tension and racial issues is that I am a white mother to 3 black children and we live in the south. I was quite ignorant to racial issues when I was young, thinking as many whites do, that things aren't so bad. It isn't until you have walked in another's footsteps that you notice even the most subtle snubs and judgements.
Thanks for the great review and giveaway.
ape2016(at)aol(dot)com
The most recent book that I have read takes place during pre-Civil
South, The Kitchen House. By having an indentured servant living with the kitchen slaves, she grew up to think of them as family. When she was brought to live in the big house she felt out of place. I love that book.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
The most recent book that I have read takes place during pre-Civil
South, The Kitchen House. By having an indentured servant living with the kitchen slaves, she grew up to think of them as family. When she was brought to live in the big house she felt out of place. I love that book.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I think ROOTS was the first one I read that made me think about black and white.
taffy(dot)lovell@gmail.com
i enjoyed reading 'the help.'
thanks for the chance to read jennifer's latest.
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
To Kill A Mockingbird
Ann_Lee_Miller@msn.com
From the mainstream media, I would have to agree with other posters and name To Kill a Mockingbird first, followed by Roots. But I've recently read two excellent books in the Christian market that deal with racial tension, and I can't get them out of my mind:
1) The Color of the Soul by Tracey Batemay
2) Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan-Lake
Jennifer is a great author and I appreciate the chance to win Catching Moondrops.
cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
and the winner is...
Taffy!
I can't remeber the name of the movie, (not a book) but it had Mathew McConahe in it. I was a great movie.
I think if a story about racial tension can be told, without causing division, but bringing light to a real subject, that is amazing.
Linda E
klassykleaning@hotmail.com
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