I
had a lovely time speaking at the Como Civic Club last week. The program was to
be “Mississippi Authors - Then and Now,” but I shifted focus after reading
Into the Free by Julie Cantrell. She is one of the bright now writers
supporting my theory that our shared Mississippi experience produces
outstanding talent.
Last
week’s Book Talk was Into the Free, but while researching Cantrell for the
presentation I was shocked to read the book’s reviews all promoting it as
Christian fiction instead of Southern literature. Even her publisher David C.
Cook specializes in the genre, but Southern(ness) oozes throughout.
While
I focused on the dichotomy of good and evil in the book, others saw the
presence of God. Author, River Jordan, said, “Julie Cantrell writes with the
beautiful hand of someone who understands the soft nuance of God’s brushstrokes
on the human heart.”
Sure,
I would have accepted it as Christian fiction if not for the violence. For
instance, father beats wife. Starving dog buries puppies. Mother commits
suicide. Yet main character, Millie, sees her dead friend Sloth during times of
stress. The introduction of a ghost even hints to the subgenre of gothic within
Southern fiction.
One
of the members of the club asked if the book would be suitable for teens. An
excellent question since Millie enters the story as a 10-year-old and
progresses to her teenage self. It is the perfect coming of age story one finds
in Young Adult novels.
Cantrell
cautioned during an interview with Adele Annesi, “Because there are some rough
scenes, I recommend that parents read the novel first for any child under 16,
but many parents have asked their daughters as young as 13 to read this book
because it opens communication about many important topics such as sexual
abuse, racism, classism, substance abuse, faith, love, conformity, and personal
choices.”
Yet,
one more genre can be added to this book. The story takes place during the
Depression when gypsies spend a week celebrating their fallen matriarch. The
historical fiction is based on true events surrounding a Romany group who lost
their “Gypsy Queen,” Kelly Mitchell, and laid her to rest in Rose Hill
cemetery. It is said that approximately 20,000 attended the 1915 funeral in
Meridian.
Into
the Free is a Mississippi Must-Read genre!
1 comment:
I've added this to my list of books to get. Thanks for the great review.
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