Reviewed by Sam Slaughter Is it too late for this? That was the first question that came to mind upon opening Thomas Zigal’s fifth novel Many Rivers to Cross. Is a novel set among the wreckage of post-Katrina New Orleans published in 2013 still relevant almost decade after the tragedy? MRTC follows various members of […]
“A Long Time Gone,” by Karen White
August 13, 2014 by 1 Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Take a wounded woman with a good heart and addiction problems. A troubled child who needs love. A dog in need of a home. And a man who has known since childhood the name of the woman he wants to marry. Throw them into the same story, mix thoroughly, and you […]
August Read of the Month: “Hush Puppy,” by Lisa T. Cresswell
August 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Ana Reyes Corrine Lamb earns her nickname, “Hush Puppy,” in the opening pages of this young adult novel by giving away her lunch – a sack of hush puppies – to Jamie Armstrong, a poor boy who’s just moved to town. It’s a fitting introduction to her character, as later on, she will […]
“Battlegrounds of Memory,” by Clay Lewis
July 31, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Yasser El-Sayed In Battlegrounds of Memory, Clay Lewis traces a rich and conflicted trajectory of loss, pain and redemption over the course of generations. This slim book is a uniquely American story that is narrated with unflinching honesty and infused with such elemental raw emotion that its ultimate achievement lies far beyond a […]
“The Salvation of Miss Lucretia,” by Ted Dunagan
July 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Mollie Waters The Salvation of Miss Lucretia is the fourth installment in Ted Dunagan’s series for young adult readers. The books feature two young boys, one white and one black, who are able to overcome the difficulties of the segregated South during the 1940s in order to form a lasting friendship. In their […]
“The Secret of Magic,” by Deborah Johnson
July 22, 2014 by 1 Comment
Review by Donna Meredith The fiftieth anniversary of the Freedom Summer is the perfect time for the release of Deborah Johnson’s novel, The Secret of Magic. Johnson’s story reminds us in a powerful way how severe the effects of racism were just a short time ago, yet the novel’s achievements go far beyond a simple […]