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pamiverson's review
5.0
A fascinating look at American history by focusing on one Mississippi town and generations of a Black and a white family. Disturbing to see the racism and its impact on all residents. Industry, the military, government actions. I like that on our Mississippi pilgrimage we actually met two of the civil rights actors and/or their families.
chicagoliz's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really great book and I enjoyed learning about Hattiesburg and the gradual rise of the Civil Rights movement and the ending of Jim Crow. I liked that the chapters alternated between focusing on the black community and the white community and it was enlightening to learn about the leaders, especially in the black community who preceded the Civil Rights movement.
I was particularly struck by a couple of things while reading this book -- one, while talking about the rise and fall of Hattiesburg as a forestry/lumber town reminded me so much of books I've read about towns that lost automobile (Janesville) or glass (Glass House) or other factories and how desperate the community was to attract new businesses to provide employment. It was particularly reminiscent of present day worries, in that people were warned there weren't enough trees to go on for very long, but those warnings were ignored and eventually all the trees were chopped down. (Which reminded me of The Lorax.)
It was also striking to read about the vast support that FDR and New Deal policies had in the town, especially among the prominent, wealthy white citizens. Yes, I know that the South was the "Solid South" for Democrats due to the Civil War, so it's not a surprise that there was support for the Democratic President, but there was huge support for New Deal policies and government programs.
I did wonder what happened to Charles Smith's children -- he is one community leader that is repeatedly mentioned in the book, and we learn about his parents and siblings, and it's noted that he had 4 children, but the book never says whether they still live in Hattiesburg, or if they moved and what they do.
The only quibbles I have with the book is that it was repetitive, and the author does state some opinions that are obvious from the facts that he's laid out, and it wasn't really necessary to state those opinions. But I didn't mind it so much because the opinions were valid and characterized the facts in the same way I do.
I've had The Warmth of Other Suns on my TBR list for quite a while now, and reading this makes me want to move it up and get to it very soon.
6/7
I was particularly struck by a couple of things while reading this book -- one, while talking about the rise and fall of Hattiesburg as a forestry/lumber town reminded me so much of books I've read about towns that lost automobile (Janesville) or glass (Glass House) or other factories and how desperate the community was to attract new businesses to provide employment. It was particularly reminiscent of present day worries, in that people were warned there weren't enough trees to go on for very long, but those warnings were ignored and eventually all the trees were chopped down. (Which reminded me of The Lorax.)
It was also striking to read about the vast support that FDR and New Deal policies had in the town, especially among the prominent, wealthy white citizens. Yes, I know that the South was the "Solid South" for Democrats due to the Civil War, so it's not a surprise that there was support for the Democratic President, but there was huge support for New Deal policies and government programs.
I did wonder what happened to Charles Smith's children -- he is one community leader that is repeatedly mentioned in the book, and we learn about his parents and siblings, and it's noted that he had 4 children, but the book never says whether they still live in Hattiesburg, or if they moved and what they do.
The only quibbles I have with the book is that it was repetitive, and the author does state some opinions that are obvious from the facts that he's laid out, and it wasn't really necessary to state those opinions. But I didn't mind it so much because the opinions were valid and characterized the facts in the same way I do.
I've had The Warmth of Other Suns on my TBR list for quite a while now, and reading this makes me want to move it up and get to it very soon.
6/7
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