Book Review: The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


It's the 1950's in Charlotte, NC and 13 year old Jubie and her family (minus her father and plus their black maid Mary) are on their way to Florida for a family vacation.  On their way, Jubie takes note of increase in segregation and hostilities towards Mary, whom Jubie adores.  The trip does not end well, as manifested in the first couple of chapters, the rest of the book being a flash back of incidences that occur to their family down in Florida and on their way back home. 

I did not like this book at all.  The characters fell flat for me, everyone being one dimensional in their personalities.  Mary was a saint, the dad was a monster, the mom was a complainer, etc.  The book jumped around so much at the end, I didn't know what was the point of all the incidences after they drove through Georgia.  It all seemed a bit far fetched that all of those things (funeral, business law suits, suicide, divorce, etc) would happen so closely together and resulting in the conclusion of the book.  I was told this book was like "The Help", which I loved, and it didn't even come close in my opinion.  I don't object to a sad book that deals with tough issues, but I didn't really see the point in this one.



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