Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

For the time being, Mudbound is my new favorite book. Actually, it's in a tie with The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
The Help has a spirit of realism that engages the reader to think, to question, to understand, and to wonder. This realism threads the reader into the story quickly and easily, as if you are sitting in the living rooms or kitchen tables of these individuals who could be neighbors, friends, or family members. I soon forgot I was reading a piece of fiction; it read more like chapter from one's life; a primary source, of sorts - a piece of historical and cultural sentiment unearthed by accident.

Mudbound intertwines a collective history and culture with individuality - a narrative of expectations, experience, and perspective. Each character is deeply indebted to one or another, yet wanting to gain freedom from that which they are beholden. A history lesson taught not through facts and figures, but through words, emotions, and actions.

The age-old saying of "actions speak louder than words" resonates within this story of individual needs versus family duty, race and class, and personal identity. Laura, Jamie, Henry, Ronsel, Hap, and Florence are all individuals or personalities one could meet today. The voices are loud, yet controlled; their actions controlled, yet meaningful, and their silence says more than any words.

Moments of laughter, reflection, and learning exist in the mud, the racism, the patriotism, and the culture of the land which owns the people. Dare I say that it even made me cry.

Ms. Brennan