I enjoyed When She Woke very much, but it didn't move me nearly as much
as this novel. I got through this one in 2 days, but I feel like I will
be dwelling in this story for a long time. Just when I thought I had
everyone figured out, some character would find a way to surprise me.
This happened again and again--always something that I take as a signal
of good writing. The story has a nice build in part one, but it really
grows into itself once Jamie and Ronsel return to Mudbound with their
war scars. Their internal struggles end up perfectly guiding us into
the situation that allows the book's other concerns to become realized.
Jordan does a great job of reminding readers that although the story
reads like it is set in the 19th century, it is actually happening just
after WWII. That was roughly sixty years ago, which really gives the
novel some impact when you think about how little time sixty years is.
It's the same feeling that I get when I'm reminded of Civil Rights
movements from the 60s. How can all of that still be so recent? How
can I live in a world where people like Pappy might be a vivid memory in
the lives of my generation's parents? The racism of the rural
Mississippi setting flows with such a passion that it is almost
impossible to believe this wasn't something from former centuries.
However, as much as I want to not believe the viability of this story, I
know that it could have happened. People are capable of so much, and
that can be channeled into positive and negative activities that in both
cases are capable of leaving me stunned. The issues of Mudbound are
ones that are still present today, although they have taken new forms
and shapes in which they can torment. Jordan has written a compelling
and important novel, and I am happy to have it tucked away in my mind.
-JG
