One Mississippi
By Mark Childress
8/10
My Synopsis:
High school is tough.
Daniel Musgrove quickly finds that out after moving with his family from
Indiana to rural Mississippi just before his junior year. A displaced Yankee, Daniel finds it difficult
to adapt to traditional southern ways but finds a friend in Tim Cousins. Together they manage their way through the
turbulent teens. Then on the night of
their junior prom, Daniel and Tim commit a small crime. It is a crime that although minor manages to
grow and overwhelm their small town.
Will the two boys ever be found out?
Will one of them break down and admit to their actions? Will their one mistake change their lives and
a whole town forever?
My Opinion:
One Mississippi by Mark Childress is an eye opening
tale of growing up, racial tensions, self discovery and the bonds of
friendship. The character of Daniel is
as lovable as can be. He is written with
a great sense of reality to him that isn’t an easy accomplishment. The writing is smooth and the
characterizations are wonderful. The
setting is also written in a way that makes you feel as though you too are
experiencing the oppressive heat of a southern summer and the oppressive tension
of racial integration. Daniel’s family
provides some comic relief. What happens
to them is unimaginable though it does make you chuckle. As I always find disappointing in a book, I
was able to see what was going to happen in the story. Maybe its good foreshadowing but I just don’t
like it. I prefer a twist or two but
didn’t get it with this one. I did find
the ending somewhat disappointing in a way - maybe because I saw it
coming. At least the end had a sense of
closure that I often look for in a book.
That was comforting. The book
really made me think about racial relations of that period in time in a way
that I hadn’t before. You read about
racial integration in your history books but having this fictional account
makes it feel more personal. It puts you
right in the middle of everything. Just
when you think you have experienced all the oppression you can, it appears again
in another form – a form that at the time was quite possibly more tense than
racial relations. Don’t get me
wrong. This book is not just about the
struggles of individuals in a time of discrimination. It is also a story of much light hearted fun
and is full of nostalgia. Overall the
pictures painted by this author were magnificent. If you are ready to laugh, cry and actually
feel the humid heat of the deep south, this is the book for you. 8/10
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