One Mississippi

Pregnant With Laughter is on hiatus today. I figure you're all babied out for now due to my last post.

Instead, I promised you a book review so it's high time I come through with that.

I was perusing the local library in search of parenting books or dog training saviors, but I found myself gravitating toward the fiction section once those were in hand. I really like a good story and I didn't feel as if either of the books in my hand were going to satisfy that.

The online card catalog was nearby, but I didn't feel like using it. I enjoy entertaining the idea that books find me instead of me finding them so I just walked with my index finger sliding across the shelves, picking up dust- no doubt. When my feet stopped, my left hand rested on a Mark Childress book called One Mississippi.



Childress is a writer of Southern fiction stories.

This book follows a time period in Daniel Musgrove's life that is full of turmoil, mischief, and opportunities to learn many life lessons. Forced to move to Mississippi just before his junior year in HS, Daniel is less than thrilled with his new surroundings. He begins to give this new state a chance when he meets a new friend, Tim Cousins. The two become best friends, bonding over their various similarities. One of these is their disdain for the star football player who often bullies both of them. They soon find themselves mixed up in a crime involving the linebacker and the first black prom queen in the history of their school. Daniel's world slips out of his control as the lie engulfs him.

I liked this book because of the seemingly never-ending chain of events. There was always something exciting going on. The excitement was often dark, however, as this book was set in a time of racial conflict. There is no social faux pas that goes undiscussed in this book. Each character has skeletons in their closets that are itching to get out. I would recommend this book, especially to those who are looking for a good crime scene story.

Happy Reading!