Mississippi Books

In the heart of Mississippi are five siblings partaking in sibling rivalry at its best. Cassandra Darden Bell's Mississippi Blues is the story of five sisters and brothers who are as different as night is to day and showcases how each forged their way into adulthood, some with success and others, if you are judging, not so successful. All of them stayed in Mississippi with the exception of Beverly Lemark, a best selling writer penning under an assumed name.

Looking from the outside in, one would assume that Beverly has it all, her writing career, a husband, two children and a beautiful home. But as Beverly is left alone to write, her drinking increases and the writing decreases. When Beverly receives word that she must return to Mississippi to attend to family business, her lonely yet seemingly idyllic life comes crashing down. Mississippi Blues pits sibling against sibling through lack of communication and lack of understanding. Beverly comes to realize through a tragic event that she must stop running away from her problems and we cannot choose our family but in the end it is family first and forever.

Cassandra Darden Bell showcases a story with a clear imagery of the Vicksburg, Mississippi area, developed characters who are likeable and not so likeable and dialogue that is heartfelt and realistic. A truly touching story.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
APOOO BookClub

This was a really good book it was hard for me to put it down.
the storyline stayed in a nice even flow, loved the southern drawl the author used with the voice of her charactors.
I look forward to reading more of her work.

At first, I really thought that this book was really going to boring, but as I got into the book and read the story, I just couldn't put it down. I got the book Saturday afternoon, and I finished it last night and was sorry to see it end. It is good that one can hold their own in this world, and Beverly did it. But, as time moved on, she distanced herself from her siblings due a simple disagreement. When she goes back down there to take care of the family land, she finds out that no matter what, family is going to be there for you, and when she suffered her loss, they really were. I was glad to see that they did something constructive as well for the land, although, I probably would have given some to the oldest brother to get himself together. You know, you look at a character and you feel taht they can be one way, but as time goes on, you find out, that they are a whole other person, and I found that with Bobby. He had such a good heart, and though he made wrong choices, he wanted the best for his family. Great story. Highly recommended.

Cassandra Darden Bell's Mississippi Blues is carefully crafted with the best of the author's considerable gifts. It is immediate, involving and relies on Bell's deep insight into the many layers of American family life. Events are stagnant or stormy, humorous or pathetic, but always imbued with recognizable charm and feeling. Unlike lesser novels that rely on situations, stereotypes and plot-driven dialogue to advance the story, Bell lightly dances over events while maintaining that very human sense of existing within oneself and feeling, at times, like an observer watching aghast at how one's own life has developed--or failed to do so. Bell displays a deft talent for characterization, quietly subverting our assumptions as we share in the complex but satisfying process of rediscovering the strength of blood ties, and embracing the best within ourselves. Recommended for fans of compelling family drama. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."

MISSISSIPPI BLUES is a story about avoidance. Beverly Lamark has run away from her issues with her siblings in Mississippi by cutting off communication with them, her marital problems by drowning them in alcohol, and her true dreams as a writer by masking her identity and writing novels that will make her a lot of money but never make her happy. On what seems like a typical day she gets a call from one of her sisters telling her that she and her siblings must make a decision about some land their father left them upon his death several years ago. Suddenly Beverly is forced to travel home to Mississippi, a trip she has long been avoiding. As she and her children take the road trip together, Beverly realizes how little her children know about her family and her hometown and pledges to share more about her past. The last time she was home she didn't leave on the best of terms and is dreading the confrontation that is sure to come. Later, a tragic event that forces Beverly to stop running. She realizes that she and her siblings have to deal with their issues and she must face the fact that her marriage has been unhappy for a long time.

Cassandra Darden Bell has penned a novel that truly captures the essence of family drama. The story takes place over the course of a relatively short period of time, yet the plot was satisfying and the characters were well developed. The fact that so many of the issues between the characters were due to misconceptions, miscommunication and the masking of hurt feelings gave the plot a sense of realism that made the story an unforgettable one. There is no drama like family drama, but the love between siblings is a force to be reckoned with. The ultimate lesson in this book is that in spite of it all, families stick together.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A very important book dealing with race and history. A must read for people interested in the subject.

WONDERFUL! I read this book twice in two weeks and could read it again. This should be required reading at every high school in the country. Being new to Mississippi, I was looking to find out more about my home state and picked this book up at the library. Thinking it was a travel guide, it sat on my bedside table for a week until one night I picked it up and found everything I was looking for. Thank you Mr. Walton

Anthony Walton lets us ride along on his journey back to his Mississippi roots. A story of pain and survival, relayed through the voices of his parents (among others), is skillfully woven with history lessons and Walton's own moving poetry. A very readable and important contribution.

This book is about the author, a Mid westerner, travelling to Mississippi to learn more about the state where his people came from. It is extremely well done. The author travels around the state, interviews many prominent and not-as-prominent Mississippians about problems, solutions, and opportunites for the state to move beyond its history of severe racial problems.
In the process he summarizes a lot of history, and introduces many insights about how Mississippi got where it is and what it needs to do to move on. One thing I, as a white Mississippian with a somewhat liberal bent, found refreshing was his not falling into the trap that many of us Mississippians do of saying that all of that stuff is old news and we have moved beyond it. Things are undoubtedly better now than before, but while segregation may not be legal it is still very alive in the hearts and minds of the residents, both black and white If books like Walton's cause us to reexamine some of our "truths" about the state, it will have served an extremely useful purpose.

At any rate, for one wanting to understand more about Mississippi, reading this book is a good way to do it.

It would be impossible to define this book: American history, personal history, travel log, memoir, but only through this eclectic storytelling does such a brilliant and complex vision of Mississippi, and its place in this country, emerge. Anthony Walton dazzles on every page with some of the sweetest prose I have ever read, and an intellect to match, that had me re-reading sentences, and then entire chapters, and sometimes just putting the book down for a moment to think.

I really enjoyed the book. The pace of the events and the flashbacks to different times in Mr. Eriksen's life. Especially loved the childhood storys and flashbacks. Another reviewer mentioned a disapointment in the use of language and did not read the rest of the book - that's a shame because it was just that little bit in one chapter and used to discribe a paticular situation within his unit during the Gulf war. For me, made it more realistic given the circumstances. If you put yourself in the situation as a young man in the Marines - I'm sorry but that's just the way it is. Anyway, I found the book to be entertaining and I can't wait for the book on the recent trip to Hawaii. Please, Please Marcus!! - mgensel

Marcus Eriksen writes a wonderful book. I don't usually read from this genre, but I am so glad that I did. The book is littered with humor, agony, truth and healing.

Eriksen's cultivated writing style transported me from the Gulf War to an adventurous raft ride down the Mississippi. Eriksen's ability to interweave the two life-changing experiences in a struggle to find himself will make you laugh and cry.

This review is short because I found the vulgar language in this book to detract from the story and I stopped reading it. Don't get this book unless you don't mind reading this type of language.

This is one of those rare books that comes along once every decade or so that everyone should read. The true story deals with the realities of war, which are sharply contrasted with tales of a raft trip from the source of the Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. This book had me laughing out loud on one page and gripping the book in suspense the next.

Through the book, from his time in the First Gulf War to his 2003 trek down the Mississippi, the author is candid and open about his surroundings and the people he encounters along the way, and objectively articulates his own thoughts and feelings, both at the time of the events and retrospectively. The book is an amazing tale of reflection and self-discovery, and the realization that no matter how far your travels may take you, the greatest journey is always the path that leads to yourself.

Ms. Dixon exhibits her mastery of it all (plot, language, suspense, credibility, characters, and action) in this remarkably well-written first novel. Absent an unavoidable interruption, this would have been a single-seating read for me. Bravo, and bring on the sequel...

Louisa Dixon has written a terrific first novel. The tale is fast-paced and convoluted enough to satisfy the most discriminating reader of the "thriller/suspense" genre. Ms Dixon knows first-hand the inside workings of a state police agency and brings her experience to the pages of "Next To Last Chance."

Louisa knows what she's talking about, as she puts her hero into the job she actually had herself heading the State Police in Mississippi. Horrific or courtly men abound, some out to get her, some willing to help this smart and effective law enforcer get the job done.

Louisa Dixon creates a compelling story through the eyes of a character, in many ways, based on her life. She weaves a web of southern politics, corruption inside government life, and heartbreak. She writes of incidents that very well could have happened, as well as imagining those that did not occur. Her story is fast pace and easy to follow which allows you to read a 300 page book, easily, in two days. It is a captivating novel which I recommend to all.

Deep in the heart of Dixie, Laura Owen is appointed Commissioner of Public Safety and head of the State Patrol in a brazen political move by Governor Gibbs Carver, a two-term lame duck who is readying himself for the national spotlight. Owen was chosen because of her successful investigations of government corruption. This sets the scene of "Next to Last Chance" (Genesis Press $24.95) by Louisa Dixon, who like her protagonist, served as Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992 and as Director of Investigative Audits for the State Auditor's Office from 1984 through 1988. She is the only women to ever head a state law enforcement body. During her time in office Dixon saw a lot of corruption and too much good-ole-boy politics. She puts her experiences, both real and imagined, to paper in "Next to Last Chance" and she does it with brilliant style. Laura Owen is much like the author. She's petite, but she packs a wallop. In the story, Governor Carver appoints Laura to office to further his own career in politics, to help build up his record on crime-fighting and to boost his image with women. Waiting in the wings to take his place as governor is Alex Markham, United States Attorney and the chief federal prosecutor. He uses his drug prosecutions to strengthen his public image until Laura puts a stop to his plans by severely disrupting the flow of illegal drugs. Dixon writes with expert authority about what she knows - law enforcement, politics and corruption in the south. "Next to Last Chance" is first in a series that will leave the reader wanting more. It is available through your favorite book store.

The Night Cry is one of the best books I have ever read!! It is about a young girl and her father. The girl's father gets a job and she has to stay alone for a week. Some unexpecting things happen when she is there. She winds up trying to rescue a small boy that was kidnapped out of his own room. I chose this book because I like horses and on the cover there was a horse. My favorite character was the Grandma because she was funny and mysterious. Everyone in town thought she was crazy. The best part was when the girl was in the barn trying to find out a way to rescue the boy. She finally busted out of the barn on the horse. I liked that part because she hadn't ridden the horse since her brother got kicked off and was killed. The only bad thing about this book is that it is very predictable. Otherwise it was very good!!

For all you readers out there,I would like to tell you a short summary of the book Night Cry by Phliss Reynolds Naylor.Night Cry is a book about a very bravy little girl who gets over a big fear of hers,the girl uncovers a mystery while overcoming her fear of a horse who killed her younger brother.She is remarkablely brave.The girl also betrays a kidnapper to whitch she does not know kidnaps Jason Cory a son a of a famous actor.But this also is a tragic heroic story.I inspire all you readers out there that is into tragic mystery storys to read this book it is terrific.(At first I did not think I would like it because Iam not much of a reader but i really enjoyed it.)

For all you readers out there,i would lik eot tell you a short summary of the book Night Cry by Phliss Reynolds Naylor.Night Cry is a book about a very bravy little girl who gets over a big fear of hers,the girl uncovers a mystery whils overcoming her fear of a horse who killed her younger brother.she is remarkablely brave.the girl also betrays a kidnapper to whitch she does not know kidnaps Jason Cory a son a of a famous actor.but this also is a tragic heroic story.I inspire all you readers out there that is into tragic mystery storys to read this book it is terrific.(at first I did not think I would like it because Iam not much of a reader but i really enjoyed it.)

I thought this book was an ok reading book. I am in 8th grade and I thought it was a little young for me. It could have been better.

For all you readers out there,I would like to tell you a short summary of the book Night Cry by Phliss Reynolds Naylor.Night Cry is a book about a very bravy little girl who gets over a big fear of hers,the girl uncovers a mystery while overcoming her fear of a horse who killed her younger brother.She is remarkablely brave.The girl also betrays a kidnapper to whitch she does not know kidnaps Jason Cory a son a of a famous actor.But this also is a tragic heroic story.I inspire all you readers out there that is into tragic mystery storys to read this book it is terrific.(At first I did not think I would like it because Iam not much of a reader but i really enjoyed it.)

Thanks for great service and speedy delivery! The book is in excellent condition.

I've heard a lot about this book, and in fact I will be involved in a faculty summer discussion group about it. Some people I respect think very highly of it. I can't for the life of me understand why. Moses deserves nothing but credit for his history of activism and his obvious talents and commitment as an educator. But he is utterly unconvincing in his argument that math literacy is a central civil rights issue. His whole argument seems to be based on the increasingly discredited "new economy" thesis about jobs and calls for "economic access" as a "radical" change similar to those in the 1960s. I disagree heartily. His attempt to link math education with the civil rights movement is a stretch, and I think he trivializes his own experience. His discussion of cultural experience as the basis for education is nothing new. And I still don't know what the "Algebra Project" is! I found the description in the appendix to be even more alienating and incomprehensible than my high school calculus teacher, who flunked me. If Mr. Moses is getting kids to demand algebra classes, more power to him--he is doing something right. He is probably a far better teacher than I am. But this book leaves me cold and confused. I look forward to my discussion group--perhaps they will show me what I'm missing, but I doubt it.

Robert P. Moses, a leader of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, has (correctly) reached the conclusion that Math literacy is, in these times and for the predictable future, a prerequisite for first-class citizenship, and since he still wants everyone to be a first-class citizen (and rightly so) he has embarked on a campaign to enable every child to be mathematically literate, and he has enjoyed a considerable degree of success. There is still a long way to go; his program (or more accurately, the program developed by Moses and his associates and the children, parents, and teachers they have worked with) has so far been adopted only by a small minority of the schools, but in those schools where it is in place, math achievement has increased significantly, and (SURPRISE!) reading scores have also improved significantly.

THIS IS A RESULT THAT EVERY TEACHER AND EVERY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT! THIS BOOK SHOULD BE IN EVERY SCHOOL LIBRARY!

I have only one small carp with this book. On page 7 is the statement: "The result was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the world's first programmable computer. I asked three Afro-American students, ages 15-21, what was the world's first programmable computer, and not one of them mentioned ENIAC. Rather, they all replied that the first programmable computer was the Zuse Z3. They were all correct. The Z3, disigned and built by Konrad Zuse in Germany, and operational in 1939, approximately 2 years before ENIAC, was the world's first programmable computer. Fortunately, the German High Command didn't take Zuse and his computer seriously.

However, the error is understandable. Most textbooks on the subject in America incorrectly credit ENIAC with being first (I would expect that few if any German texts fail to give credit where it belongs.) Moses was probably innocently repeating what he had been taught at Harvard. And in any case, this one minor error is but a very minor blemish on a very relevant and valuable book. If you are a parent of school-age children, you should get this book, and then get together with other parents and with your children to demand that your school adopt the Algebra Project curriculum. Your children deserve the best education possible, and that means using the Algebra Project curriculum. Also, buy and read Victory in Our Schools: We Can Give Our Children Excellent Public Education, by John Stanford. The two books complement each other.

watziznaym@gmail.com

"That's what we learned in Mississippi, that it is getting people at the bottom to make demands, on themselves first, then on the system, that leads to some of the most important changes. They have to find their voice."

Robert Moses is a brilliant mathematician, and a little bit of a seer, who sets himself the task of defining his life in terms that constitute a radical equation.

Moses relates his personal history in the movement that broke the back of segregation and Jim Crow in the South. He connects the young SNCC field secretaries, who, with guidance from the older local organizers like Amzie Moore and Fannie Lou Hamer helped black communities take charge of their own destinies. And, he demonstrates how economic factors have made math illiteracy the functional equivalent of political disenfranchisement that threatens future generations of black youth with a bondage no less frightening.

Moses' vision is profound rather than simple. Charles Cobb, Jr. does an artful job of helping Moses find a voice capable of uttering the insights of a lifetime of formidable accomplishment. Particularly since, as Moses admits, " reaching out to probe into really personal things isn't a particularly strong point of mine."

Caveat emptor: this is not just a ripping memoir of the Southern civil rights movement. It is that, but Moses is a demanding teacher. He makes his audience come to grips with and think about the dehumanizing legacies of the "isms" he's spent a lifetime combating in Africa as well as America. This may put off some readers, as it clearly did some reviewers. Too bad. Those who do the math with Bob Moses will learn from their struggle -- and be thankful for his.

This is a very good book on how math literacy is the next civil right. The book discusses the Algebra Project, an organization founded by 1960's civil rights leader Bob Moses, to teach algebra to kids in inner-cities and rural communities.

The beginning of the book reads like Moses' autobiography about his years organizing in Mississippi. He then discusses how groups like the Jews, Koreans, and Chinese relied on math as the basis for their upward mobility. Moses' theory is that as the world becomes more and more focused on technology and innovation, math will have an even greater importance.

Summation: Read this book -- it is very eye-opening.

For fans of Kubrick's work, this book is essential. The man only did a few interviews in his existence and semed to despise every minute of them but this book provides some essential information and opinion from one of the greatest filmmakers ever. Hearing his philosophies alone completely blew me away! By the end of the book I was wishing there were more interviews. Get it.

In Stanley Kubrick: Interviews (University Press of Mississippi), we have more of the voice of Kubrick than anywhere else. The interviews go chronologically and run the gamut from short three-page profile throwaways to massive, 30-page question-and-answer marathons. Many are worth noting: Jeremy Bernstein's profile dates from 1966 but is still fresh and amazingly well-written and candid, and Eric Nordern's interview with Kubrick for Playboy is insightful and worth reading for the Master's (mostly incorrect) predictions of immortality and space travel by the year 2001. Another excellent interview comes from Joseph Glemis, who talks to Kubrick about all of his films up to Clockwork Orange, and there are two interviews with Gene Siskel that are worth reading, too.

Simply put, this is a fine volume that should belong to every Kubrick fan. Most of these interviews, if not all of them, are long out of print and the book is 98% worthwhile. Moreover, reading the words of Kubrick is like reading poetry-he did retain the right to extrapolate and modify his answers before any interview was published-with each sentence and word well chosen. Only complaint: there are no interviews with Kubrick regarding The Shining; why this film was left out is curious. Gorgeously printed with a spartan design, sturdily bound, set in Stone serif, rag right, this is a very reader-friendly book.

Considering the fact that Stanley Kubrick rarely gave interviews, this book is a godsend. Compiling articles and interviews over a span of several decades, "Stanley Kubrick: Interviews" offers a fascinating insight into one of the cinema's greatest directors. Many of these have been widely reprinted already, but it's great to see them all in one collection. Once you've bought this book ...get the Stanley Kubrick Collection DVD box set!

There is a huge amount of Kubrick in this one. Parhaps the most complete collection of things he has uttered to the press throughout his career. It covers all his fascinations, all obsessions and great visions for the modern mankind - and it unveils the gradual loss of hope, dienchantement with how the modern world develops.
But, being a collection of interviews, it is also slightly repetitive and many topics are discussed several times, so for non-scholars this can be increasingly boring while they advance.

You've heard many times that "Seinfeld" was "a show about nothing." That's pretty much what you get here...

Kubrick loathed publicity and hated doing interviews even more. Since he himself had been a photojournalist, of sorts, before starting his career making movies, this is a little paradoxical, but understandable.

I don't doubt that just about every documented Kubrick interview ever done is, in some way, represented in this book - but it still ends up a mighty slim volume. Students of Kubrick will not learn much here that has not already been cited, in secondary source, in the great number of other Kubrick "biographies" and critical treatises.

And you cannot help believing that this is exactly what Kubrick wanted. Over and over again, in this book itself, he insists that the movies he made were to stand on their own merits. Talking about movies meant nothing to him - making them was everything.

This is the first concise review of one of the great stylists of the Golden Age of Hollywood cartoons. You may not have known Maurice personally, but you enjoyed his work. Every time a Roadrunner cartoon or Bugs Bunny, you saw Maurice's wonderful design sense. This book not only speaks about his work, but also his influence on the subsequent generations of artists. And it gives you a good sense of the man's passion and drive.

Anyone with an interest in animation history and technique is well served by this book. A wonderful tribute to a great artist and an insight into the historical technique and approach of film animation. A fun and worthwhile read.

Maurice Noble was a world class artist and designer and a wonderful friend. Its great to see such a comprehensive book on the life of someone who influenced so many contemporary artists.

Stepping Into the Picture is a terrific read for anyone with even a passing interest in the golden age of animation. For someone like myself who enjoyed the Warner Brothers cartoons growing up, this book gave a very entertaining insider's look at how the films were made and the personalities and events that shaped them. Maurice is a fascinating character and Robert Mckinnon's book is well researched and full of interesting anecdotes from interviews with the artist. The next time I watch a Maurice Noble Warner or Disney feature I will have a much better appreciation of the artistry behind it because of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend Stepping Into the Picture.

I had eagerly awaited Stepping into the Picture: Cartoon Designer Maurice Noble, because it brought back fond memories of my friendship with this versatile, remarkable man. I was not disappointed. I remember Maurice as a pleasant, down to earth man, humble and immaculate who surprised us as a gourmet cook and an accomplished piano and organ player. During the early 50's when Maurice was a sojourner in St. Louis, the rage for renovating kitchens was the snazzy Youngstown look--a stark, utilitarian style of metal cabinets and appliances. While my kitchen was being redecorated in this latest fashion, no coordinating backdrop had yet been selected. Maurice instinctively sensed artistic urgency and had the prescription. He took charge by saying, "Let me take care of this matter!" Maurice planned and oversaw the installation details that centered on the unusual and imaginative color scheme of purple and green wallpaper depicting flowers and grapes. These striking features wonderfully offset and enriched the plain white Deco equipment. An illusion of crawling vines encircling the room and meeting above the sink at a focal point was just what was needed. Everyone who saw this distinctive room expressed amazement. I guess you could say that we really stepped into the picture!

I recently purchased this, having read a review in either the Wall Street Journal or New York Times. It provides background information regarding the Freedom Riders within the civil rights movement and then offers photos of the individuals arrested and profiles of many of them: what they were doing then, why they joined the effort and what they've done since and are doing now.

The book provides a human face to a movement -- something that is very effective here given that the participants spanned various parts of the country, different socioeconomic backgrounds, etc.

The only issue I had with it, which is minor, is that the project is ongoing, which makes the book seem incomplete. That doesn't make me regret the purchase, however. Well worth the money and time.

The Freedom Rider mug shots were collected by Mississippi's State Sovereignty Commission, which was established to protect segregation in perpetuity. The aim was probably to assure that if the Riders returned to the state, they could be run out on a rail, or perhaps blackmailed if they were later ashamed of their youth.
Who knows why the police photos went into the archives? Mississippi Sovereignty Commission employees were notoriously drunken incompetents (see numerous scholarly articles to that effect) and they needed to collect every shred of evidence of having shown up for work.
When the Sovereignty Commission's files were finally open to the public thanks to years of work by the ACLU, the evidence of their intimidation & spying & incompetence was astonishing.
And yet, even in the mug shots, the strength of character & idealism of the Riders showed through. Photographer Eric Etheridge made it his mission to track down those of the 500 Riders who were still alive, and persuaded many to allow him to do new, artistic, penetrating "mug shots" for posterity.
My regret is that the interviews which went with the portraits were so curtailed by the art book format. I also feel that the intensity of his approach made many people look more forbidding than they are in a more natural setting.
This is a valuable, powerful & revealing book, which presents to the public some of the people who have not been celebrated but who made the history while others got the kudos.

This is a unique piece of literature that gives you a sense of pride for those unsung heroes of the past who made significant history. Great pictures and autobiographical sketches. This should be in every American's household library!

"Here is a picture of the emergent civil rights movement plunging forward, adeptly taking its strategy of nonviolent direct action to the national stage" writes Eric Etheridge in the introduction to this wonderful book.

Etheridge found approximately 320 mug shots of Freedom Riders who had been arrested in Mississippi in 1961. Ironically, the mug shots were warehoused by the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a Mississippi agency formed in 1956 "to protect the sovereignty of the State of Mississippi...from encroachment thereon by the Federal Government." The Commission got the mug shots and arrest records from Jackson and Mississippi State police. (The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission: Civil Rights and States' Rightsis an excellent history of the Commission.)

Etheridge has worked as a magazine story editor and on various Web-related projects. He was able to track down and photograph and interview more than 100 Freedom Riders. Many of the modern photos appear next to the original mug shot, as well as the all of mug shots of every Freedom Rider arrested in 1961 in Jackson.

A sample entry (for Larry Bell) consists of the two photos and the following text:

"Born: March 5, 1942, in Monroe, GA. Grew up there and in Los Angeles, where his family moved in 1950.

"Then: Freshman, Los Angeles City College.

"Since then: Returned to Los Angeles, working as a janitor during the day and attending City College at night. In 1966 was one of the first blacks to go to work for United Airlines in California. When he retired in 2000, he was a flight-attendant supervisor and also trained newly hired flight attendants. Still lives in Los Angeles.

"Quote: The clothing that they gave us in Parchman was a t-shirt that was military green and some green boxer shorts. No shoes, no. And as we began to protest, they took them from us and left us with nothing. Then they took the mattress, so now we had to lie on a metal slab with them little round holes--and boy, you talk about some hard sleeping at night? When you're sleeping on the thing, there's that indentation where your skin goes through that little round hole, and there you are, half of you is like being suffocated and the other half is being cut out, you couldn't sleep any way you tried. So we sat up and we debated all night, and we got more boisterous in our songs."

As Etheridge notes: "The irony here is that the Sovereignty Commission documented the success of the Civil Rights movement instead of defeating it, and left behind a great visual record and the names of everybody involved."

There are two excellent histories of the Freedom Riders:Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement by Ann Bausum and Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice (Pivotal Moments in American History) by by Raymond Arsenault.

Etheridge's excellent book adds a human element of great power to the story.

***

Reviewer's Disclosure: I worked on various Civil Rights matters in Mississippi between 1961 and 1970 as a law student and later as young lawyer.


Robert C. Ross 2008

My review is not in anyway impartial or detached. Forty seven years ago tomorrow (June 2) myself and five fellow Riders were arrested in Jackson. Three members of our group are no longer with us today, with this disclosure in mind I will now review "Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders" by Eric Etheridge.
The book is beautifully printed and the portraits are of outstanding quality. The text is, of course, minimal but to me at least, provacative in the extreme. The interviews Mr. Etheridge was able to conduct and include were the flesh on the bones. Incidently, I spoke with Mr. Ehteridge and was advised that the interviewing connected with his project is continuing and they will eventually show up on the internet.
This book is a perfect complement to Raymond Arsenault's "Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice"(see my review). For primary history enthusiasts, I cannot strongly enough recommend: Mississippi Department Archives and History (MDAH Digital Collection). To get a feel for the real situation in Mississippi of what segregation meant in that state.
Perusing the portraits was like a portal back into time. Bittersweet memories of accomplishment and failure. Yes, we accomplished the immediate objective of integrating interstate travel and in the ensuing years(at the cost of a lot of blood) removed most overt forms of discrimination. But, sadly if one takes the time and energy to peer into her or his surroundings(locally and globally) the idealism of that time is rarely observed.
WE SHALL OVERCOME?

Effigies is well written. It goes into a background of early American History that hasn't been researched and written up as much as it should have been. It does make one think and it just might be the way to get some of the younger people to think about their ancesters. I like archaeology so this is up my alley.

The author's setting in Mississippi gives the reader an insight on the little known history of the Choctaw nation in the Mississippi region. Evans write a fast-past murder mystery while bringing in the racism, bigotry and prejudice still embedded in certain areas of the deep south. Her expertise in archeology makes the story a great combination of archeology, mystery, romance and the heroine a female sleuth with brains. I cannot compare her writing to Hillerman's because their styles are totally different. The only comparison with Hillerman's is that both write of Native Americans. Her characters come to life and I found it a
very enjoyable read. Bettye Johnson, award-winning author, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.

Faye Longchamp is on another archeological dig with her faithful friend Joe Wolf Mantooth in tow. I don't know why Joe tags along after her, especially when Faye starts dating a slick political lobbyist. I guess following Faye is Joe's unfortunate lot in life.

The archeology team hasn't been on site for a day before they instigate a confrontation that alienates both the local farmers and the indigenous Choctaw. Later that confrontation results in murder. As in Evan's previous books, Joe tops the list of likely murder suspects.

The story revolves around a new road, a pot field, an Indian mound, a county fair, cultural disagreements, a recent murder, and an old hate crime. Mary Anna Evans had to do a lot of complicated plotting to mix all those diverse things into one cohesive storyline. I'm not altogether sure she succeeded. Several portions of the book lagged seriously as the author tried to introduce new elements into the story. The county fair was a complete waste of time as was Evan's rewriting of old Indian legend. These old stories require a lot of detail and atmosphere, both are absent in this emotionless retelling.

The greatest flaw in the book was that the killer was obvious very early on. Sometimes knowing who the killer is doesn't matter, but in this case knowing is fatal to the enjoyment of the book. Another serious flaw; Evans has never been on an actual dig. She has Faye doing things with a trowel that a backhoe would struggle to accomplish.

The reason for the questions at the book's end escaped me. It seemed almost as though the author was trying to pass fiction off as serious research.

I've just finished the second reading of this third installment, which only happens with books I truly enjoy, and it was as entertaining as a the first. This is one of my favorite mystery series' because I get so caught up in the story that I don't spend a lot of time trying to think ahead of the author's vision and simply let the story unfold naturally. The characters are so thoroughly developed that I never find myself questioning their actions, as I often do with most mystery series. I don't feel that the protagonist or sidekick is ever doing something completely out of character; instead, I find myself understanding them more clearly, which is thoroughly refreshing.

Fay's honest objectivity and Joe's quiet strength and complete loyalty makes this duo irresistible and endearing, although it's obvious to everyone but herself that no one else will ever "get" Fay the way Joe does.

Mary Anna Evans, I admire your work - keep them coming!

In this third mystery of this series, we are in the world of archeology with Faye Longchamp and her yummy sidekick Joe Wolf Mantooth. They have, once again, left their comfort zone of Joyeuse Island in north Florida to excavate a site for a company building a highway in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The site happens to be very close to Nanih Waiya, a mound considered sacred by the Choctaws. When the archeologists, one of them local to the area, see another `mound' across the street from where they are digging, they ask for permission to excavate it, as well. The owner, Carroll Calhoun, a local man of many years, runs them off the property and then tries to destroy the mound with a bulldozer. A community uprising ensues, with many different tensions causing it. The local sheriff is able to control the crowd and protect the mound until the laws are interpreted, but that didn't stop someone from deciding that Calhoun should die. When Joe and Faye find his body, throat slit, in a grove of marijuana plants, suspicions abound, especially on Joe because of his flint-knapping abilities. As Faye is trying to protect Joe from the outside world, she is trying to work on her assignment while also attempting to save a possible effigy, not to mention her own life and the lives of her friends. While it appears like there are many characters and stories to follow, the plot is sound, as well as the research that went into the story. There is definitely a lot of character development, and some of the descriptions make you want to go out and sift through the dirt with them.