In this book the Logan children experience a lot of things that get them ready for the real world. At the beginning, life is going pretty well. Life changes when Cassie's big brother, Stacey buys a new car that is very nice for an African American. It all starts in Strawberry when some white boys are making fun of Moe. They say things that really make him mad. He explodes and hits them with a crow bar. He then jumps into a truck that belongs to Jeremy Simms, a long time friend of the Logans. Jeremy is related to the people Moe just beat up. Being the good friend, Jeremy jumps in the truck and drives off. The Logans take off and pick up Moe in another town so they can take him to Memphis so he can catch a train to Chicago. On their way to Memphis they run into a lot of trouble with white people and they have a lot of car trouble. When the get near Memphis, Clarence gets really sick and has to go to an old lady's house to get better. The Logans finally get to Memphis and they get their car fixed so they can make it home. They finally get Moe on a train ticket. When he is getting ready to leave he expresses his love for Cassie. She is very disappointed because she knows she might not ever see him again. The ending of the book amazed me so to find out you need to read it.

I really enjoyed this book because it showed what black people had to put up with everyday. Also because it taught a very good lesson which was that even if things go bad they can turn out well.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the first book of this series.
Let the Circle Be Unbroken is the second book in this series.

I read this book in one day!! I read "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" in 8th grade as a class requirment and I loved it and I started looking for the sequals and prequals a couple of weeks ago. So far I like this one the best. Cassie Logan is 17 and still has a temper when it comes to segragation and one of the young white boys Jeremy Simms cousin Statler is setting eyes on young and beautiful Cassie Logan. an incident happens causing the Moe to flee to Memphis with the help of Cassie, Stacie, Clarence, Little Willie, and Jeremy Simms. On the way Cassie meets a very handsome man in a cafe........... Great book I highly reccomend you read it or get it for your child. Taylor is very good in expressing the hardships of the African American people during that time period.

I love The Road To Memphis. I started reading Mildred D. Taylor's book at the beginning last year at school as a class reading but right away I loved it by the time my teacher stared I was at the end of chapter 1 in Roll of Thunder,Hear My Cry. After that I couldn't stop reading, and I got in trouble for reading it so quickly, but then I read Let the Circle be Unbroken, then found myself reading The Road To Memphis. The main charcters of this book is Cassie,Stacey,Moe,Claudia,Little man,Christopher-John. When Moe gets tired of the whites treating him like dirt,he beats up 3 white boys,almost killing them. Then has to make a run for a train in Memphis to get to Stacey's uncle Hammer, But on the way somebody dies (i'm not saying who).In the end even a white's life messes up.Before I read this book I knew slaves had a hard time, but after slavery I didn't know how they were treated, and I think all whites (including me) are well respected of blacks even without reading theese books.! And I recomend you reading her other books to!

Anne Moody's powerful story brings the reader into the world of Negroes in the fifties and sixties, where on a daily bases, they faced bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice. Her words make the reader fell as if they're sitting next to her at the Woolworths food counter, having food thrown at them for sharing her views on life. She makes her fear of being beaten by the local police a fear you feel as the knot in your stomach gets tighter with each page. But along with these fears and acts of violence, you see the courage and strength in this young girl that makes her such a memorable individual. This book tells you the story of a fighter for eqality that just won't quit, teaching us that when times are tough, you don't run and hide. She has described every painful detail of the equal right movement that became her life, so that other generations as well as her own could know what she as well as many others were forced to live with. And along with these admirable strengths, Anne Moody reminds us that even when we think we've achived our goal, that doesn't mean it's time to stop and relax. She shows us that there is always something better to strive for.

"Coming of Age in Mississippi," is a powerful story that will surely stir your emotions. The Autoboigraphy spares nothing about being a black person in a hateful pre-Civil Rights Movement south. Anne Moody, displays her childhood as one full of heartbreak and hostility. At a young age Anne's father leaves the family, and Moody is forced to support her mother and her many siblings all before the age of nine. This single hardship made me come to realize how good my own life really was. Anne, who perseveres through high school faces all sorts of hate and bigotry. Even something that I personally couldn't identify with,believe it or not had a profound effect on my outlook on life. As Anne grows older and gets involved in the Civil Rights Movement,(the most exciting part of the book for me) all the racism she faced as a child is now resurfaced in a more agressive form. Facing threats from many southerners, and even showing up on a Ku Klux Klan "blacklist", Anne maintains her fight for black freedom. We can all learn a lesson from Anne's determination to make a difference in society. For her guts and fortitude , I admire Anne Moody.The personal struggles and the perseverance grabs the reader and enriches you with a new perspective on the events in a racist Mississippi.That's why I strongly recommend this book to readers everywhere.

I read this book while attending Hunter College. This book is one that I will never forget. I will be forever grateful for her contributions to the struggle for Civil Rights. It made you feel the terror that several African Americans felt while living in Mississippi during the 40's and 50's. Ms. Moody inspired me to be strong in the face of danger and opposition at all costs. Ms. Moody's accurate portrayal of life in the South gives the reader a chance to understand the inner turmoil she experienced while attempting to make changes in the Jim Crow South. She faced difficulties with her family as well as the whites who lived in her town. She exerted strength at a time when most African Americans were barely looked upon as members of society. She preservered despite the racial bigotry that she faced on a daily basis. She managed to obtain scholarships to college to improve her life and the lives of her family members. She vividly describes the consequences of African Americans who chose to oppose the Jim Crow Laws in her hometown. She later emerged as an activist in the early demonstrations at Woolworth lunch counters that refused service to African American patrons. She faced eminent danger from the Ku Klux Klan due to her dedication to the Civil Rights Movement. Finally she portrayed the damaging effects of white supremacy on African American's self image, by noting the conflicts between darker skinned African Americans and lighter skinned African Americans. This is a truely influential book that will offer the reader a history lesson on what it felt to be involved in one of the most important moments in American history.

In this novel, the reader learns of the saga of 3 generations of women who dream of getting out of the small town of Rudell, Mississippi and realizing their dreams in the Big City.

Cora has a beautiful voice and wants to get to the city to sing. After the untimely death of her parents, Cora finally is able to realize her dreams. She leaves behind the love of her life and goes to Chicago. Only Cora finds that making her dreams a reality is at best difficult. She returns to Rudell, disillusioned and broken.

Emma, Cora's daughter has never been happy in Rudell. At the first opportunity, she flees and goes to New York. Everything seems to be going her way until she marries and has a baby. A midnight visit to Rudell makes things okay.

Parris, Emma's daughter inherits her grandmother's voice and her desire to sing in the Big City. With her grandparents blessings she moves to New York, meets Nick and begins to sing in his nightclub and the sparks fly. Parris has the means and the opportunity to do what the others could not.

Donna Hill's writing in this story was so vivid, a reader could just picture the scenes, the action and the scenery. I really enjoyed Cora and Emma's stories more. But, I will say this is not a book to be missed. Very good reading.

Rhythms by Donna Hill is an intricately woven tale of three generations of women. Cora, the daughter of a Baptist preacher, has the voice of an angel. Cora leaves the small town of Rudell, MS to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer. However, after a tragic event occurs, she returns to Rudell harboring a big secret. After giving birth to a white-looking baby, she is forced to live in shame and isolation.

Cora's daughter, Emma, is an outcast because she looks differently than everyone else in town. As soon as she can, she runs away to live in New York as a white woman, figuring life would be so much easier there. Emma finally finds happiness and the perfect man. All is well until Emma becomes pregnant She is determined to do whatever it takes not to allow her secret to be exposed.

Parris, Cora's granddaughter, inherits Cora's exceptional singing voice. Cora showers Parris with the love she was unable to give Emma. Parris also leaves Rudell for the big city to pursue a singing career just as her grandmother did years ago. Again, tragedy strikes, but this time, secrets are revealed instead of hidden.

Rhythms is excellent novel that draws on all of your emotions. It is a book of lessons: lessons of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Hill's lyrical writing and descriptive prose transports you into the book alongside the characters. You smell the aroma of down home cooking and hear the rhythmic sounds of music of the times. Rhythms truly shows the scope of this esteemed writer's talent.

Tina
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

Rhythms takes us on a wonderful journey of African American life from the late 1920s to contempory times. She chronicles the lives of Cora, Emma, and Parris. It is a story about dreams and the price one is willing to pay to make them come true. In the background of the story is a sociological history of African Americans. Ms. Hill's writing creates wonderful, colorful pictures in the mind. Your emotions run the gamut. Within the telling about Cora, Emma, and Parris you will experience first love, sorrow, rage, humiliation, fear, bitterness, fire, low self esteem, confusion, honor, and faith. Each makes choices that causes a ripple of effects. The book show us the power of love and forgiveness. It is never to late to set things right by honoring the truth. This is a book you need to have on your shelf. Bravo Ms. Hill! I can't wait for the next one.

William Faulkner's Light in August is a very wonderful story about various characters, each with real depth and character. The story is set in the South, in the early 1900's I believe. The main character is Joe Christmas, a very complex character who seems to have trouble fitting in, perhaps on account of his being of mixed race. But, there are other interesting, well-developed characters such as Reverend Hightower, Lena Grove, Joe Brown and Byron Bunch.

It's kind of hard to describe exactly what the plot of the novel is. But basically, it intertwines the tales of the aforementioned characters in Jefferson, Tennessee. A large portion of the novel concerns Joe Christmas' pursuit by the law after his suspected murder of a middle-aged woman.

The writing style in this novel is very interesting. It tends to delve into the mind of each of its characters, giving the reader a sense of the motivations behind their actions. As I said, the novel intertwines story and so it tends to jump back and forth in time shedding light on events and people in a very interesting manner. Faulkner does this very well, without doing it so much it becomes confusing.

I had originally read this novel 3 years ago as a junior in high school and for some reason I can't really explain, I just kind of felt I should read it again. So, I did and I'm glad I did because Light in August is a great novel. I haven't read anything else by Faulkner, so I can't compare it to any of his other works, but this novel is a pretty good read.

William Faulkner's Light in August set in the south at times of slavery. What seems to be a tale of an ambitious, determined pregnant woman hitch-hiking out from Alabama to look for the child's father evokes the lives of a skein of interesting characters whose lives readers will not easily forget.

Lena Grove was pregnant with Lucas Burch's child. She set out from Alabama for Jefferson, Mississippi to search for the man who promised to send for her as he settled down with a job at the mill. Welled with anticipation and hope, Lena arrived at the plant only to realize that she had mistaken Byron Bunch for Lucas Burch.

As soon as the search shed lights Faulkner takes away Lena from his readers and defers her until the end of the book. Joe Christmas, a man with mixed ancestry (part white and part Mexican) somehow befriended with Lucas Burch who carried a fictitious identity "Brown" and colluded in bootlegging whiskey.

A substantial coverage of the book recounts Joe Christmas's childhood in an orphanage, his abused adolescence under the McEacherns, his mystifying affair with a slave advocate Miss Burden, and his apprehension after he allegedly burned down the house in which Burden resided in and thus murdered her. Brown sold him out for the thousand-dollar reward.

Byron Bunch, if not dredging overtime at the mill, would visit and keep accompany of Reverent Gail Hightower, who had be expelled by the elders in town after his adulterous wife committed suicide in Memphis. The ex-minister inherited a small income, gave arts lessons and handpainted Christmas cards. He was constantly plagued by visions of Confederate horsemen who killed his grandfather.

So go back and forth the narratives of the book, over vast intervals of time. Byron Bunch, who was in the know of Lucas Burch's dual identity from the beginning, deftly dodged Lena from the truth but arranged her to settle down at Burch's cabin. Together with Lena, Byron also ascertained the identity of Joe Christmas when the Hines, an old couple from Mottstown, arrived in Jefferson.

I don't want to elaborate on the aspects of symbolism (this book has an abundance of them). The names could be symbolic (Christmas, Burden, Bunch, etc). The notion of race and skin color is outrageous in this book. Joe Christmas led a tragic life as a desperate, oppressed, enigmatic drifter who was irreparably consumed by his mixed ancestry. His very own grandfather talked of lynching him because of his copper, parchment-colored skin.

Political overtones seep through the book. Miss Burden's father moved back south from California and spent much time cursing slavery and slaveholders. I get the impression that the curse of the black race is God's curse, while the curse of the white race is those whom the white race has suppressed. The chapter on the reverent is so obscurely filled with dissertation on sins (some of the most arduous, tenacious reading of the entire book).

The structure of the novel is worth a discussion. With 21 chapters, Lena Grove's search for the father of her child is deferred until the very end. Faulkner barely mentions her in passing in Chapter 14 when she settles down in Jefferson. The third and the second-to-the-last chapters devote to Reverent Gail Hightower. From Byron Bunch seems to be sewing all the pieces together as he recounts all the happenings in town and Lena Grove to the reverent. So everything in between shrouds the story the Joe Christmas. The result is a concentric ring structure Faulkner has astutely and deftly constructed in the novel.

Light in August deftly captures the Southern life focusing both on the personal histories of his characters and the moral complexities and uncertainties of an increasingly dissolute, diverse (of which Joe Christmas is an epitome, nobody recognized him as part Mexican) society. The book is a unique combination of a plethora of symbolism and a stream-of-consciousness technique. The characters stay with readers. 4.0 stars.

Light In August is America's finest novel about the South, and the struggle to come to grips with the entire country's racial problems. It tells the story of four very different characters:
Lena Grove, a young pregnant woman, searching for the deadbeat father of her child; Byron Bunch, the man she meets in her search who falls in love with her; Rev. Hightower, Bunch's friend, an ostracized cleric; and Joe Christmas, a man of dubious racial origin.

Faulkner tells each story with the ease of a great storyteller. He moves the story back and forth in time, although the actual time elapsed from the beginning to the end of the novel is a few short days. Each of the stories intersects the others and a complete world is woven from their details.

Lena is looking for her "fiancée", a man named "Brown" who left her as soon as he heard the "happy news." She is capable of enormous perseverance and is determined to make a family for herself and her child. Against all odds, she seems destined to succeed.

Byron is biding time, waiting for his life to begin. His love of Lena gives him his purpose in life, and starts him on the journey to becoming a man.

Rev. Hightower is biding his time, also, waiting for his life to end. It ended many years before when he lacked the courage to help or deal with a wife who went insane. He finds his salvation at the novels end when he finds the courage to try to help someone, even though he fails.

And Joe Christmas - a man who pretends to be have black blood in him, and lives in both the white and black worlds. Most reviewers mistakenly believe that he is half-black. In fact, his father is described as a foreigner, and may or may not be black. It doesn't matter because Joe has come to believe that he is part black. The perception has more reality than the truth.

The novel streaks through the central events of the book - including sexual depravity and a gruesome murder. There are dozens of minor characters who have more life to them than in a dozen novels of a Grishom or King.

This book should be read and re-read - just for the fun of it. It's a great book because it is a page-turner, a romance, a character study, a ... well, a great read!

Amidst the hundred of pages of describing the drug-saturated life of alienated protagonist Noel Weatherspoon, author Lee Durkee sadly betrays the considerable comedic talents he possesses as a writer. "Rides of the Midway" could have been a wicked, dark satire on the 1970s, a time when the flowering of the drug culture reached even backwater Southern cities and created a class of alienated, self-absorbed young people whose anguised lives reflected distortions, induced not only by drugs, but by sleepwalking through their lives, absent social purpose and serious human connection. Instead, despite its flashes of terrific humor and delightfully etched descriptive passages, "Rides" fails in a particularly sad way.

Lee Durkee attempts to create a dark comedy and social commentary through the live of his protagonist. Possessed by visions of the dead, thoroughly frustrated by his virginity and repeated failures with women, ensnared in a recreated family headed by a nefarious step-father, Noel Weatherspoon could have been a captivating character. Instead, readers wade through excessive descriptions of his seemingly interminable adventure with drugs (literally hundreds of pages) at the expense of developing any identification or empathy with his character. As if that weren't cruel enough, the author refuses to invest any of his other characters with much believability. Noel's rebellious mother inexplicably chooses to remarry a born-again idiot. Noel's encounters with a religion professor's wife reads like a sex manual for frustrated teens. Noel's relationships -- friendship is far too intimate a term for his association with men of his own age -- are so shallow and unidimensional as to border on the superfluous. Noel's visions of ghosts -- his father and a young boy sent into coma as a result of a freak baseball collision with Noel -- could have been the saving grace of the novel. Instead, these surreal visions provide the only welcome reflief from alcohol, tobacco and a cornucopia of illegal drugs.

Durkee also flounders with attempts at symbolism. The darkly meaningful midway ride, associated with his father's disappearance, receives mention in the evocative pologue and then dissolves in significance. Noel's uncle, representative of truth and freedom, has far too insignificant of a role. Ben, Noel's innocent half-brother, serves mainly as a device to advance the central theme of the novel.

"Rides of the Midway" is not without merit. Devotees of kinky sexuality will find interesting and bizarre practices. Readers who enjoy learning about what happends to young people when they embark on drug binges will not leave the novel hungry. Durkee knows how to write and write well, and his style alone makes reading "Rides" tolerable. Yet, novelists must do far more than make us laugh or shake our heads in disbelief. Perhaps Mr. Durkee will realize his potential when he learns that great novelists capture our desire to identify with their characters, understand how those characters illuminate the human condition and teach us enduring lessons of life.

Hats off to Lee Durkee for giving us a completely enjoyable first novel. Rides of the Midway is a delightfullly entertaining novel which I must admit surprised me. For some reason, I was expecting something different, something more along the lines of what I expect to be "Southern" fiction. In Rides of the Midway, the focus is primarily on Noel Weatherspoon as he grows up, and not on the place he grows up in. The turning point in his life comes when he slides into home plate during a peewee baseball game, trying to stretch a triple into a home run. He crashes into the catcher, who is later hospitalized in an irreversible coma brought on by a pre-existing condition. Sounds serious, but it really isn't. The young boy's ghost, and many others, periodically haunt Noel. He sleep walks, can't live without his asthma puffer, discovers girls, photography, sex, drugs, all with a sort of bemused disassociation that is endearing. Durkee captures the surrealistic quality of growing up. I am sure we can all remember incidents when we said to ourselves "What am I doing here?" That's the essence of Noel's life. He is a likeable protagonist and this is an enjoyable novel. Have fun.

Lee Durkee is a brilliant storyteller. I laughed with recognition at his hip, harried, 1970's mothers. I cried at the incredibly detailed, pitch-perfect tension Durkee reveals between blood brothers and ideas about prayer in this Mississippi town. Rides of the Midway transcends geography in its dreamy interludes, breadth of expression, and quality of language. I love how often the most reckless characters are also unexpectedly thoughtful. Noel Weatherspoon is drawn with the red-achey squint of every charming pothead, and moral burdens ascribed more often to soldiers than to kids. The beauty of this book is in the depth of attention paid to the smallest moments of joy and danger in the lives of children and their parents, the moments in which peace of mind vanishes and revelation comes too fast, or just soon enough to offer up a welcome surprise.

Mr. Barry has done a very credible job in trying to present a history of the the great Mississippi flood of 1927. After reading the book, one cannot help but to wonder what might have happened to the crescent city if the levee had not been blown up. Would Huey Long have ever bcome a power to be recognized? Would Herbert Hoover had been elected President? Would the plight of the Afro-American been reduced or increased? The major problem with the book is the diversity used in trying to bring this disaster into perspective. Perhaps some of the references noted in the back of the book would lead some to wonder if these were innuendo or just idle gossip? The Mississippi is a river that is not only a stream creates life in the surrounding lands as it flow by, but also creates thoughts and feelings in any writer who has either seen or experienced it's might.

Picked this book up after the recent PBS/ American Experience documentary based on it. It's far better than that show was, is wonderfully written, is as solidly researched a book as you are likely to find on any subject, and it's as tense as a disaster movie. The author was blessed, of course, with great material: some extraordinary characters, not to mention the Mississippi River itself, and the greatest natural disaster in American history (close to 1 million people flooded out of their homes). He more than does justice to the subject and teaches much about how science should be done, then gets into a very original and provocative-- and well supported by the evidence-- interpretation of race relations and the flood's impact on national politics. As the author says, the story starts out as book of man against nature, and becomes one of man against man. Read this book.

Rising Tide has joined my short list of all-time personal favorites, and I am an eclectic reader who does not limit his choices to history. It's amazing both for its form, style, and substance.

Re: Form: It manages to synthesize seemingly unrelated material (engineering, the Klan, the decline of New Orleans, race, control of the media, just to give a few examples) in a way that not only works but opens your eyes to the world in new ways.

Re: Style: Several other reviewers have commented on how this book reads like a novel. Let me correct that,. It reads like a GOOD novel. Nonfiction is always trying to do this, but few succeed. This succeeds.

Re; Substance: Rising Tide very simply teaches a tremendous amount of information that gives you a far better understanding of why things are the way they are. Re: race & politics, the book gives considerable and very original and provocative insight into the history of race relations in the Deep South, and how changes-- some of which were made by the flood-- shifted black voters from the GOP to the Democrats. Re: presidential politics, even the emergence of the New Deal, the book has something piercing and original to say. And of course on anything to do with rivers, this is an absolte must. In fact, it's a must anyway.

A book that once opened is hard to put down. An engaging read from the first page to the last. Filled with some of the most interesting and off-the-wall characters you will ever meet. Gives a vivid portrait of the time just after the Civil War, and of the place, a small town in the South, ravaged by war. Gawain Harper, a literature teacher at a girl's school in Cumberland Mississippi, is shamed by his lady love, Morgan Rhea, into joining the Confederate Army. He survives the war and on his way home in June 1865, he meets Captain Henry Stribling, an unusual man of many talents and past professions. When they reach Gawain's home, things have changed considerably and much of the town has been destroyed. The town is now occupied by Union Troops commanded by a tired Lt. Colonel Burduck with many problems, assisted by his no-nonsense Provost, Captain von Arnim. They are trying to keep the peace and help restore order. Morgan has written of Gawain as long dead and has trouble accepting his return. Her home has been burned and she now lives with a demented cousin along with her once powerful father, Judge Rhea, and her younger brother. While most of the people of Cumberland are struggling to return to normalcy, there is one evil man, the self appointed Captain Soloman Gault, leader of raiders, misfits, and murderers during the war, determined to stir things up and cause as much trouble as possible. Unfortunately, he has many willing accomplices. Gawain's newfound friend Henry Stribling has a talent for sticking a finger in a hornet's nest and stirring things around until something happens. Now that the stage is set, to say anything more would spoil the fun. Get a copy of this book and be prepared to not do anything but read for several hours.

Howard Bahr's second novel,THE YEAR OF JUBILO (following his powerful and beautifully written THE BLACK FLOWER), is an extraordinary work. As with any fine literary novel, its major action occurs within the hearts of the characters, all of them sensitively drawn, well-developed, and capable of producing within the reader the rare feeling of being among them on the page. Still, the story is filled with adventure, intrigue, and finely tuned twists of fate that make the reader eager to know what comes next, all the way to the haunting conclusion. THE YEAR OF JUBILO is set in Cumberland, Mississippi, just after the war, when Southerners are attempting to fashion their minds and lives around the new social order that is emerging from devastation and defeat. Caught up, too, are the Union soldiers left behind with the thankless mission of maintaining order among citizens, many of whom see them as the cause of their grief. Perhaps most striking is Bahr's ability to convey the essence of that time and place through speech, colorful detail, and flawless prose. As you read each page, you will realize you are in the hands of a master craftsman, one who understands the period he is writing about and one who possesses the ability to offer it up with beauty and power.

Bahr has captured the tentative hope, hardship, fear, and lingering hostility of the aftermath of the Civil War. It is June, 1865, and Gawain Harper returns from the war to Cumberland, Mississippi, where his sweetheart Morgan awaits him. But is she the same person he left years ago, and is Gawain the same man? Is Cumberland the same town? Questions like these complicate the homecoming and put Gawain's life and love in danger.

As historians know, the strife of the Civil war occurred not only at places like Gettysburg and Shiloh, between North and South. It raged within just about every community in the Union and Confederacy, among brothers whose loyalties and values came to intense blows. And it didn't end with the surrenders of Lee and Johnston, as Gawain, Morgan, and the occupying Federal army learn. The book kept me in suspense to the very end, wondering if there would be peace in Cumberland, and marriage for Gawain and Morgan.

Bahr's superb storytelling carries me back to a different time, as he did so well in The Black Flower. Yet, The Year of Jubilo is even better than Bahr's first novel. In fact, I rate this book among the best Civil War novels I have read, along with Frazier's Cold Mountain

It would appear that there is a general consensus from Nevada Barr fans that they like this book and feel it is consistent with her other novels. This being the first Nevada Barr book I have read, I can only provide prospective of an avid mystery fan.

Nevada Barr clearly does a good job of putting you in the setting. You can visualize the Natchez Trace Park and the surrounding area. It is apparent that she spent the time working there and she translates her experience well.

That being said, the amount of detail about the area becomes exhaustive. I found myself skimming thru pages (not paragraphs) that went into the description of the area. This made the book move slow.

As far as the mystery itself, it almost plays an incidental part in the novel. The solution itself is pretty weak and only plays a key part in the last 30 pages or so. The book revolves mainly around the life and surroundings of park ranger, Anna Pigeon. This approach to the book made it very easy to put down, and I would hardly call it a page turner. The sign of a good mystery is a book that keeps you guessing and has you eager to get the next page to find out what will happen next or what clue will surface. This lacked that.

If you want a book that puts you in the middle of Mississippi, with a mystery on the side then this is for you. However, if you are looking for a solid mystery book then I would suggest you move on.

This is the first novel that I have read by Nevada Barr, but I plan to "go back" and read the rest in this series because I really enjoyed the Anna Pigeon character. Also, the book had vivid descriptions of the area and persons surrounding the Natchez Trace which added much to the tale.

Anna has just assumed a management forest service job on the Natchez Trace. She is the first woman in such a position in this area of the "Deep South," and is subject to significant animosity on several fronts, especially from her two long-timer subordinates. Unfortunately, within days a local girl is found murdered in her jurisdiction, under peculiar circumstances. Along with her charming counterpart in the Sherrif's office, Anna dives into the investigation, although she has little understanding of the relationships and dynamics among the locals.

This is not the most suspenseful page-turner that I have read, although the mystery remains well-concealed until the end. It is, however, a very pleasant read. I highly recommend it.

I've enjoyed every Nevada Barr mystery I've read, which is all of them except for "Blind Descent." "Deep South" is no exception. In fact, it's one of my favorite entries in the Anna Pigeon series, even though I've never been farther south than Virginia and am a native of California who's always lived there. I've enjoyed the other novels immensely with their predominant western venues, but one of the joys of reading about Anna Pigeon's adventures in law enforcement as a U.S. National Park Ranger is the vicarious experience of traveling and experiencing new places. Nevada Barr is excellent at making the reader feel as if he or she were actually there.

In "Deep South," we readers get to have an experience of the southern portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. Some interesting characters are introduced -- people who make Anna's professional life interesting, positively and negatively, as she has assumed a management position in a completely unfamiliar park venue and a part of the country that is utterly new to her.

The plot is specific to the place and reveals much about local residents who live in towns and cities adjacent to the Trace. If I have a complaint at all, it's that Anna is subject once again to great injury and this time I found it upsetting. I had to put the book down and tell myself, "This is fiction. Anna Pigeon is not a real human being." I came to realize is that I wish she were a real human being.

One of the best parts of this book is the introduction of a new character who looks to be a promising love interest for Anna, someone she actually deserves who deserves her, too. We shall see in forthcoming books what happens in this regard as Anna progresses through her 40s.

Read "Deep South" and you'll feel the heat and humidity, experience aspects good and bad of Southern culture and politics, and learn the obvious truth that racism there, while firmly entrenched and prevalent, isn't universal.

Nevada Barr writes this novel very convincingly as she ought to -- her most recent post as a ranger with the National Park Service was on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi and even though she's now working as a novelist, she still lives in that state.

At first glance, Passing By Samaria might simply seem to be a book about racial prejudice during post- WWI America. Even though Sharon writes passionately about racial prejudices, her characters come alive when they struggle with man's inhumanity to man and God's grace; whether black, white, yellow, Jew, Greek, slave or free. Alena, Aunt Patrice, James, Pearl, Deac and Bates are just a few of her memorable characters that shout for a sequel. The story is engaging and well researched but the dialog gets a bit muddy in spots. I am looking forward to more from this first-time author. Congrats to you Sharon!

Mississippi is the setting for this inspiring, historical novel. Sharon Ewell Foster takes the opportunity to educate readers about the great migration of blacks from the south to the north through the eyes of the main character, Alena. Alena grew up in a happy home where her parents shielded her from much of the prejudice and ugliness around her in Mississippi. When Alena loses her best friend to a horrendous death, her innocent world falls apart.

Desperate to keep her safe from harm, her parents send Alena up north to Chicago to live with her aunt. While safe from harm, Alena still is not safe from the bitter spirit that overwhelms her. She eventually builds a wall around her heart that threatens to destroy her chance at true love.

This is a beautifully written debut novel that boldy uncovers the ugliness that existed between blacks and whites during this time period. The testimonial story of forgiveness unfolds in such a dramatic fashion, readers will never forget the ending.

Accolades to Sharon Ewell Foster for her well written book. I liked the African-American style and I felt it was refreshing. The characters were believable. Foster did not try to make saints, just ordinary people dealing with major issues and critical times. The closest person to being a saint was Aunt Patrice with her 'sermons', but she was so down to earth, that her wisdom did not strike me as false. I liked how Foster showed different kinds of people dealing with the racial prejudice. A girl brought up on the ideals of truth has to try to make it meet with reality. A wife of a corrupt sheriff is caught between love , fear and the truth. (I really liked Miranda, she was the type of person I feel is not really examined in Christian literature) I appreciate how Foster did not rush the reconciliation and took care to consider the different feelings involved. I think the book could have been divided into two parts. The first part labeled Chicago or Alena, because it was mainly about Alena's struggle against her bitterness. The second part labeled Mississippi. After Alena's personal conflict, the book seems to move to the conflicts within the community of blacks and whites. The anonymity of the white people, "the one who always agreed" and the "green-eyed" one, was original and helped clear away the clutter of names. It made the issue more about everyone rather than Mrs. So and So. Good job, Sharon Ewells Foster.

I absolutely loved this book. Nora Roberts managed to write a fantastic romance, which, by itself was great, but then wove in a murder mystery and came up with a real winner. The story takes place in a small town in Mississippi called Innocence. A serial murderer is killing women and they are all connected to the Longstreet family, especially Tucker. He is a laid back, kind of lazy, womanizer who had dated the first 3 women killed. The new girl in town, Caroline, has moved into her grandmother's house to recuperate from her hectic life as a concert violinist. Of course she is right in the thick of things from the time she arrives. The mystery is well written and had me guessing from one person to the next. It is such a good story and Nora Roberts has added lots of humor, and has a good talent for writing southern dialogue. I am anxious to find other books written by her as this was my first. I listened to it on Audio-book and was so impressed with the narrator, he sure had alot of characters to portray and did a fantastic job with all of them. If you happen to get the Recorded Books version on audio there is also a whole tape interviewing Nora Roberts that was fun to listen to. I would recommend this to anyone who likes either romance, mystery or a good combination of both.

A great read from Nora Roberts.

This story was anything but sleepy (like the town Innocence). When Caroline comes to town, she doesn't know that there is a seriel killet on the loose. The suspense and action was great keeping me turning the pages eagerly, and giving me a GREAT surprise at the end of the story.

The plot and sub-plots where nicely interwined so that story was more than about just Caro & Tucker. There relationship developed nicely with a nice sensitive touch to it. You got to know the other characters nicely, without owerpowering the main story.

I enjoyed the setting of this book as much as the story. This is the second book I have read from NR set in the south (Carolina Moon) and now have a wonderful visual picture of the area, despite not living in the US.

I am looking forward to reading more of your books Nora.

Nora Roberts does it again with another great read.

In "Carnal Innocence" the writer beautifully meshes romance and mystery into a wonderful page-turner from start to finish.It has you constantly guessing who the killer is, with the frequent twists and turns of the plot.

You will fall in love with Caroline and Tucker, and you will absolutely love Cousin Lulu.On the other hand you won't be able to wait to see the back of Austin.

If you have never read a Nora Roberts book before, this is a good one to start with.

As an avid reader of all genres of fiction, I recommend this book and I assure you that you will not be disappointed.