All about da blog

After a lifetime of failed new year resolutions- from wanting to wake up on time to solving world hunger, I have decided to tweak my previous resolution. I shall read and blog about less than or equal to 50 books during the course of the year- with emphasis on the "less than"

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Mudbound- Hilary Jordan

I just finished reading the book a couple of minutes ago and am thinking if I need some more time to form my thoughts-maybe read what otherpeople are sayingabout this, think about the characters, what I want to write down here for when I want to remember this book...
First - I should keep a lookout for other books by Hilary Jordan- for her first novel, she has done an excellent job. Using different characters to tell the story works really well with the plot- though I must admit I am a little partial to this story telling method.
Second - the characters are really memorable. The main narrators are Laura- the city girl who marries at an older age to a guy she likes but still learning to love. She is forced to move with him to a farm which she nicknames as 'Mudbound' in the  Mississippi delta. Henry- is her husband the strong, good man who is following his passion of the land. One who is always striving to do what he thinks is right. Jamie- Henry's laughing- aviator-scared-boyish-dealing with war experiences- younger child craving for father's approval-brother. Ronsel- the one I liked the best- black- ex soldier who fought for his country and has just found out he cant take being treated like a 'negro' almost slave. Florence- his mother and probably one of the strongest characters in the book. and Hap- her husband, a preacher. I am probably not doing justice to Hap but hey- this is my review.
The story is set a couple of years after the end of WWII and starts off with the death of Pappy - Henry and Jamie's father and an annoying man. It moves back from there and then works its way to the funeral. One thing I liked about the book was that it was not just about the civil rights or treatment of blacks in the south, but balances out with the troubles of Laura a 'city girl' adjusting to the farm and Henry and his love of farming etc. A nice rounded human interest story. It also does not have any 'hero' figures that somehow makes it more believable. Even the decent folks - like Henry and Jamie- are still racist but you can somehow understand them and look past that. Ofcourse what I liked the best was that the ending is nicely satisfactory- that somehow all - well almost all- find their footing and everything is tidied up.
Which is what I need more time to think over- is this what stops it from being a great book? There is no longing, no craving to meet up with the characters again, no turmoil, and no great heartbreak- just a slight wistfulness and a satisfactory acceptance.

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