The Dry Grass of August

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.