The Dry Grass of August [J0229]

2011 - French-Flap PB. With minor wear. In this beautifully written debut, Anna Jean Mayhew offers a riveting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation and what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood and for the woman who means the world to her. On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally. Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence. Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us from child to adult, wounded to indomitable.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Excellent characterisation. Atmospheric with a strong pull that won't let you leave the book for long. It might look simple, but a lot of thought and skill have been put into it. June's voice will stay with me."; "The struggle to grow up and figure out your place in the world is real...and very well depicted in this book. When you know there is something you need to do, but your parents don't agree...what do you do? That also plays out here. Everyone needs someone to stand by them when the unexpected happens and remind us that we are equal to the task set before us. Love for humanity and having the courage to stand up and do our part to make the world "right" is repeated throughout the story."; "The Dry Grass of August is a thoughtful coming-of-age novel set in 1950s Charlotte, North Carolina. Through the eyes of young Jubie, readers are drawn into a pivotal summer as she travels to Florida with her sisters, Stell Ann and Pudding, baby brother Davie, and their family's Black housekeeper, Mary, to visit their Uncle Taylor. What begins as a seemingly carefree summer quickly becomes a season of awakening."