Book Review: Mudbound, by Hilary Jordan

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mudbound, by Hilary Jordan
★★★★

Synopsis: In Jordan's prize-winning debut, prejudice takes many forms, both subtle and brutal. It is 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband's Mississippi Delta farm—a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family's struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura's brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not—charming, handsome, and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South. It is the unlikely friendship of these brothers-in-arms that drives this powerful novel to its inexorable conclusion. The men and women of each family relate their versions of events and we are drawn into their lives as they become players in a tragedy on the grandest scale
In A Sentence: A beautiful, sad read that's worth a look.

What Was Good: I really enjoyed this novel. It was wonderfully written, the characters were well developed, and the pace was very well done. I liked how it was told from 6 different points of view. It made the book more well-rounded and more interesting.
I Don't Have Anything Bad To Say About It Right Now Honestly, I don't. The main reason I haven't given this 5 stars is because books that I think deserve that rating are books that hit me emotionally or wow me. This one didn't do either, and that was mainly because of the book setup. It's a great setup, but from the first chapter, you know that something bad is going to happen. As the story continues, you figure out what that bad thing is going to be. Because you know from the get-go, you are emotionally prepared, therefore the story doesn't have as big of an impact. However, the final chapter makes up for all the depression you were feeling beforehand (I won't explain how).
Overall: This is a very good book, and an excellent debut novel by someone who clearly has a talent for writing. It tells a sad story of racism in 1945. I strongly recommend this book. Trust me, it's worth a look.

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