Mudbound

i've been putting off this review for almost two months now because i don't think i can possibly say what needs to be said. it is too much, too powerful, too emotional for me to find the words to really convey what it meant to read this. but, it was such a deeply moving and passionate book that it absolutely should be read. the story centers on Henry and Laura McAllan during the time leading up to and the decades following their marriage. Henry was a simple man and Laura, a simple man's wife, living life on the farm that appropriately came to be called Mudbound. "When I think of the farm, I think of mud. Limning my husband's fingernails and encrusting the children's knees and hair. Sucking at my feet like a greedy newborn on the breast. Marching in boot-shaped patches across the plank floors of the house. There was no defeating it. The mud coated everything. I dreamed in brown." however, the book is not exactly about the farm, or just Henry or Laura. it is about their family - Pappy, who is Henry's live-in bitter, emboldened father, and Henry's younger brother Jamie, who has recently returned from war, with his magnetic and compulsive personality. the book is also very much about the colored Jackson family, shareholders on the McAllan farm, hardworking and fierce. when Ronsel, the Jackson's oldest son, returns from military service in the war and finds and unlikely friend in Jamie McAllan, a spiral of events is set in motion that will effect everyone on the farm. the chapters alternate narrators between the various characters providing an encompassing view of the events and the lives that are touched by them. from Henry, we see things in an almost dry and passionless, yet honest way. through Ronsel's eyes, we see the stark comparison of the time, where he had gained respect and honor in the military and was then subjected to harsh realities of racism upon his return home. through Laura, we are drawn the comparison of the gentle life she had expected to live next to the less refined farm life. and through her eyes, i loved the story the most. her strength and imperfections were so honest that i couldn't help but be emotionally drawn to her. the writing, along with the excellent characterization, were really what made this such an enjoyable read for me. Jordan captures the essence of the Mississippi Delta in all of its glory and shortcomings and although there were some cliche moments, i loved nearly every bit of this book. some people said it was a fast read for them, but for me, it was a book i wanted to savor, to experience and it took me several weeks to work my way through it. i think i could have easily read it faster, but i honestly didn't want to do that. Mudbound deals with racism and injustice without being too overbearing and is told with pitch perfect rendering of the voices. there was one particular line, that was from one of Jamie's chapters, that really encapsulated so much of the book for me. though, i don't expect it will make much sense out of context, it holds a lot of truth regardless, and, in the end, says pretty much everything that can be said about this book all at once. "What we can't speak, we say in silence." i would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. but, please understand that it is not a feel good book. it will tear at your heart strings and leave you breathless, but it will absolutely be a rewarding experience.

Heartbreaking story - I felt the ending was lacking after being such a good story. The Annie people in the book are extremely shallow, except for Jamie.

A story of life in rural Mississippi after WWII spotlights the characters in two families--one white, one black--and depicts the troubling issues of the times. Narrated in the voices of six characters, Mudbound thrusts the reader right into the midst of their lives, with the back-breaking work of farm life and the intimate portrayal of what it felt like in the Jim Crow era of the South. Laura marries late for the times (in her thirties), just when she thinks her life will be all about spinsterhood and her work as a teacher. Henry is also college-educated, but at some point shortly after their marriage, his desire to own land surfaces. And the hardships, resentments, frustrations of this new rural life surround her, even as the poignant losses of her previous life fill her thoughts. But she strives to be a good wife. Which is not easy, since Henry's cranky, frustrating, and sometimes evil father joins them on the farm. One solace comes in the form of Jamie, Henry's charming younger brother, who really notices her. In ways that Henry does not. Florence and Hap are sharecroppers who become a necessary part of their lives; at times, Florence becomes a confidante and a comfort to Laura. When Hap and Florence's son Ronsell comes home from the war, the troubles begin. What secrets hide within Ronsell, Jamie, and finally, Laura...and what harsh realities of the times soon descend upon each of them? How do they deal with what happens next, and will any of them recover? In many ways, I am reminded that the setting of Mississippi had been the seat of much violence in the years to come, especially during the 1960s when social change began to make an impact. While these characters and their voices tell us much about the times, they also reveal a great deal about family, hardship, and dreams. This was a very quick read, since I loved each of the characterizations. The absence of a voice for "Pappy" felt very right, too; he was the least likeable character and symbolized the evils of a time we must never forget. A definite five star read recommended for those who enjoy great writing, issues of social change, and wonderfully complex and layered characters.

This book is really powerful. It's set in the Deep South of the USA just as World War Two has finished, where little had changed since the abolition of slavery. White and black farmers live side by side amidst terrible prejudice, yet the war has changed things, and terrible consequences follow. But there's also a lot of love, and family in the book. If you liked Cold Mountain I think this might be a good choice. The story is incredibly dramatic. It's told by each character in turn, so you hear lots of different voices as the tale progresses. My hair was on end for much of the book and I cried at the ending, which is heart-wrenching. It is as vivid as a good film, but in addition, is beautifully written, with a really strong, muscular sense of the story and of the characters. Hillary Jordan makes a point of showing the goodness and the evil that are both in the world, and links the terrible events of the book to tiny chance decisions that could have gone either way. The ending is really brilliant too. I think Richard & Judy have picked some really good books and this is another one.

The richness of the characters and storytelling has brought me back to this wonderfully imagined novel several times already. Prepare yourself for a really great read!

Pour un premier roman c'est une réussite. Il vous plonge dans l'état du Mississippi avant la lutte pour les droits civiques et raconte la vie d'une femme blanche dont le mari choisit d'acheter une ferme.La narration et donc les points de vue sont multiples et ce roman vous prend aux tripes. le lecteur se retrouve lui aussi embourbé dans cette histoire qui laissera une trace bien après que la dernière page ne soit fermée.

Story is a vivid description of South that touches you like never before. Brutality, search for better life and the life shackled with poverty and class divide is beautifully told by the author.

excellent novel depicting the difficulties and hardships of farm life as well as the absurdity and cruelty of discrimination of coloured people in Mississippi in the 1940s in a very thrilling and compassionate way. This novel should be on every school reading list, it's a far better read than, for example, "To kill a mockingbird" and even has a more powerful message.