The Dry Grass of August, Anna Jean Mayhew
The Dry Grass of August, Anna Jean Mayhew
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The Dry Grass of August

Author: Anna Jean Mayhew

Narrator: Karen White

Unabridged: 9 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/15/2011

Categories: Fiction


Synopsis

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 adulthoodand for the woman who means the world to her.On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteenyearold 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 familys black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been therecooking, cleaning, compensating for her fathers rages and her mothers benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the antiintegration 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.

About Anna Jean Mayhew

Anna Jean (A. J.) Mayhew's first novel, The Dry Grass of August, won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, and was a finalist for the Book Award from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. She has been writer-in-residence at Moulin a Nef Studio Center in Auvillar, France, and was a member of the first Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Writers' Network. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, A. J. has never lived outside the state, although she often travels to Europe with her Swiss-born husband. Her work reflects her vivid memories of growing up in the segregated South. A. J.-a mother and grandmother-now lives in a small town in the North Carolina Piedmont with her husband and their French-speaking cat.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lisa

A touching coming of age story set among the turmoil of overt discrimination and racial tensions in the Deep South in the 1950’s. SUMMARY Road Trip! It’s a hot August in 1954 and thirteen year old Jubie Watts, her family and their maid are all headed to Pensacola, Florida in their Packard. Everyone e......more

Goodreads review by Tina

I loved this book! A wonderful debut novel. It is the summer of 1953 and 13 year old "Jubie" from Charlotte, North Carolina sets off on a family trip (with their black maid) heading down south to Florida. There are two stories told thru her eyes. One, is the travels down south and the deep rooted ra......more