Picking up this book from the shelf at 2nd & Charles, I wasn’t exactly sure to expect. Another book about the South that probably wouldn’t hold my attention because, sadly, I do not enjoy reading about the pigs and cows on the farm and watching that ever so green grass grow. I can feel the dust collecting on my body and eyelids reading this kind of books. Most of the time, I would rather watch grass grow than read those types of books, and, looking at this book I felt this feeling seep into my bones and soul, as I started to pray to deity I don’t believe in that this book would be good. Don’t let it be another True Grit. Don’t put me through this torture again. However, as I plopped my butt down in my small arm chair in my house’s living room and began to delve into this book, Mudbound, I began to realize that I quite liked this book, and I felt that heavy weight of not wanting to read this book lift off my shoulders as I read a good 100 pages without realizes how much time had passed while reading. Hillary Jordan’s writing took me to that dance floor with Jamie and Laura. She had taken me to that raggedy, old shack Henry, Laura and the girls had to call home. Oh yeah, and Pappy too. Can’t forget that old devil. Literally the devil, I’m not kidding. I never thought I would enjoy the book as much as I did, and I didn’t think I’d find myself enthusing about it to my older sister while trying to shove it into her hands so she’d read it. I enjoyed the book so much that I drew some of the characters in the beginning pages of the book( Oops. I regret nothing, nothing at all).
Throughout this book there are many themes, predominately Racism. So much that it is impossible to miss. Being shoved down our throats and around every corner to be found in this book, there is not escaping the Racism engulfing and emulating from this book. However, that’s not the topic or theme I am choosing to discuss in this post. Another theme I think is large in this book, or themes, are the ideas of love and hate and what one will do for those things. Every character in the book in which we are granted the opportunity to read their point of views makes sacrifices for love. For the family’s benefit. I sort of think that’s why the book is split up for those certain character’s points of views. To see the love and the sacrifices they make. Because the book is so heavily coated with racism, it makes it so easy to only see the hate emulating from the people in the book, and, in a way, it makes it harder to see the love that is so blatantly put forth. This is why I believe why Hillary Jordan never put Pappy’s point of view into the book. We all can already see the hate, breath in it, and be suffocated by it. There was no need to add to it by creating Pappy’s point of view and killing us all with the overwhelming amount of hate. Therefore, instead, to counteract that ultimate and universal truth of hate, she gave us love. In different ways and through different eyes. What each thought love should be. A mother’s love, a wife’s love, a brother’s love, etc. Each perspective as interesting as the others.
My favorite to read was always Ronsel. He brought me life and joy with all that surrounded him, all that made up this young, fictional character. A man that really had a shine, as the book states. I especially enjoyed the parts where he was at war. It was interesting how Hillary Jordan crafted the perfect image of what it was like to be in World War II, or as close to what it would be as I’ve ever seen. I loved the detail she had put in about the Jewish people and how Ronsel had accidentally killed a woman by giving her a chocolate bar. I also really enjoyed Jamie’s perspective too, and the drastic change you could see in him. All the guilt he carried and buried, well drowned, in alcohol. Just one more sip of that liquid guilt to wash all the pain away. He, by far, had the most development in the book, if you can call it that. Even though each perspective was good and interesting to read, my least favorite was Henry’s. He wasn’t a terrible guy. He, I feel, just had a lot of pride in farming and being white, and that was a flaw of his. He also couldn’t put anyone’s need’s above is own, and if he did, he made it like he was doing one a favor rather than caring. At least, that’s how I saw it most of the time.
All in all, Mudbound was a great book. It now sits on my bookshelf with all the other books I love and highly enjoy. It has become a new favorite, and I hope others find it as enjoyable and interesting as I have. It held my attention with every page, especially toward the end when the make shift KKK townspeople got a hold of Ronsel and Jamie’s failed rescue attempt. Thank you for having us read it, Mrs. Hilliard.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it and found value in it.