Mudbound, Hillary Jordan

Mudbound is the book chosen this year as Pasadena's One City One Book. It is a first novel by a woman whose grandparents had a farm in Arkansas, just after the second words war, and she grew up hearing stories about it. It won the 2006 Bellwether Prize for Fiction, awarded biennially to a debut novel that addresses issues of social justice.

It was a primitive place, without running water, electricity, but full of the racism of the deep south. The story is told in six voices; Laura the wife/mother on the farm, Henry, her husband, Jaime, his brother who had been a pilot in the war, Florence, the black negro midwife, and housekeeper, Ronsel, Florence son, and a former soldier, and Hap.

There is a section of q and a's in the back, with the author, but I hope I get to attend the meeting in Pasadena.