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A Novel
A powerful and emotional coming-of-age novel set amid the turmoil and profound changes of the 1960s by the bestselling author of West with Giraffes.
In segregated High Cotton, Texas, in 1964, the racial divide is as clear as the railroad tracks running through town. It's also where two girls are going to shake things up.
This is the last summer of thirteen-year-old Corky Corcoran's childhood, and her family hires a Haitian housekeeper who brings her daughter, America, along with her. Corky is quick to befriend America and eager to share her favorite new "grown-up" novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. America's take on it is different and profoundly personal. As their friendship grows, Corky finds out so much more about America's life and her hidden skill: she can run as fast as Olympian Wilma Rudolph!
When Corky asks America to play with her girls' softball team for the annual church rivals game, it's a move that crosses the color line and sets off a firestorm. As tensions escalate, it fast becomes a season of big changes in High Cotton. For Corky, those changes will last a lifetime.
Set on the eve of massive cultural shifts, Mockingbird Summer explores the impact of great books, the burden of potential, and the power of friendship with humor, poignancy, and exhilarating hope.
You can see the full discussion in our legacy forum here. This discussion will contain spoilers!
Some of the recent comments posted about Mockingbird Summer:
"A book, like music, is very personal. You bring yourself, your own story, to everything you read." In what ways is this reflected in Mockingbird Summer? Have you found it to be true in your own reading?
Corky brought her innocence and lack of life experience to To Kill a Mockingbird - totally different from what America brought to the book. I definitely think it’s true in my own reading. I’ve shared books I’ve loved with friends ... - gvieth
"In big times of change, normal is what is being changed." Do you think this is true? What "normal" changes over the course of the book? What "normal" has changed in your own lifetime?
I believe that "NORMAL" is different for every person. Everyone looks out of different windows. So, even if you see something today that appears normal to you, you may see it differently tomorrow. What once was is now changed. Normal ... - christine
"While a journalist's job is to tell what is true, a novelist's job is to tell what is truth." What's your interpretation of this statement? Do you agree with it?
A novelist tells their truth as they see it. Unfortunately, today, journalists don’t necessarily always report what is true. - gvieth
A number of people work to help America succeed. Why do you suppose each is so intent on doing so? Do you think they were right or wrong to encourage her so strongly?
Pastor Pete might have started out with the selfish reason of wanting to win the softball game, but I think they all genuinely wanted American to succeed because they could see her talent and hard work. - gvieth
At several places in the book it's mentioned that young people are the ones pushing for change, and we've seen that today as well. Why do you suppose that is?
Young people are pushing for change to live as they want with cleaner air etc, they are innovative and are energetic. - dorothyh
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This information about Mockingbird Summer was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Before she became a novelist, Lynda was a professional writer for over 25 years, working as a copywriter, restaurant and film reviewer, book collaborator, nonfiction author, travel writer, and freelance journalist. She petted baby rhinos, snorkeled with endangered sea turtles, hang-glided off a small Swiss mountain, and dodged hurricanes to write articles for national and international publications, such as the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Poets & Writers, Houston Post, San Diego Union-Tribune and many more, her travel photographs often appearing with her work. She's also crafted book-length nonfiction for famous organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the San Diego Zoo Global (for which she's shown below doing an interview with one of her favorite animals that inspired...
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In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us
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