Mudbound

Well, I am officially two book club meetings and approximately 6 books behind in blogging. I am going to blame a combination of things including deadlines for writing manuscripts at work and beautiful sunny weather for the last several months. How is a girl to get anything done? Sheesh.

Anyway, my review of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is a long time coming. My mom originally ordered this book for me close to a year ago after she read and loved it. After Amazon managed to send it to my college apartment (which I have not lived in for over 7 years now) not once but TWICE, a copy finally found its way to me in good old Coralville. I really hope the Loyola student who got the book in Chicago enjoyed it, that's all I can say! Maybe they gave the second copy to a friend...

I read this book at the same time as Wise Blood, and as I've previously mentioned, I managed to get confused on the names quite a bit. But, looking back at the two books, I realized they have much more in common than two syllable titles. Both novels take place in the south post WWII, both deal with soldiers struggling to understand life upon their return, and both have plenty of racial tension. 


Mudbound was a much easier read than Wise Blood, in my opinion, and perhaps more emotional. Whereas Flannery O'Connor made me think and scrutinize and look for symbolism in Wise Blood, Hillary Jordan pretty much spelled every emotion out for me in Mudbound... and I'm not sure if that is good or bad.

Mudbound is one story told from the point of view of multiple narrators, and comes across at times like a collection of short stories. I've read numerous books of this format lately  and while I really enjoy it, I'm also wondering if it is being over done. Mudbound is mostly told from the point of view of Laura, a city girl who finds herself living on a remote and rustic farm with her husband, children, despicable father-in-law, and the Jacksons a family of black sharecroppers. When Laura's brother-in-law, and the Jacksons' son return from WWII, they become unlikely friends. Throughout the book, there are chapters from every character's perspective, and Jordan really manages to bring the emotions and racial tensions of the time. I enjoyed the book a lot, and would definitely recommend it as an easy summer read.