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One Mississippi
This exuberantly acclaimed novel by the author of the bestselling Crazy in Alabama tells an uproarious and moving story about family, best friends, first love, and surviving the scariest years of your life. You need only one best friend, Daniel Musgrove figures, to make it through high school alive. After his family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, Daniel finds fellow outsider Tim Cousins. The two become inseparable, sharing a fascination with ridicule, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and Arnita Beecham, the most bewitching girl at Minor High. But soon things go terribly wrong. The friends commit a small crime that grows larger and larger, and threatens to engulf the whole town. Arnita, the first black prom queen in the history of the school, is injured and wakes up a different person. And Daniel, Tim, and their families are swept up in a shocking chain of events.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
81 people are currently reading
3212 people want to read
About the author
Mark Childress
33 books239 followersMark Childress was born in Monroeville, Alabama. He is the author of the novels A WORLD MADE OF FIRE, V FOR VICTOR, TENDER, CRAZY IN ALABAMA, GONE FOR GOOD, ONE MISSISSIPPI, and GEORGIA BOTTOMS. Childress has received the Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Author, Thomas Wolfe Award, the University of Alabama's Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Alabama Library Association's Writer of the Year. He is a staff member and a director of the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. He has lived in Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, California, Costa Rica, and currently lives in Key West, Florida, where he is writing his eighth novel and a film script.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 559 reviews
November 10, 2017
★★★★★!!!
Blurb from the book:
You need only one best friend, Daniel Musgrove figures, to make it through high school alive. After his family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, Daniel finds fellow outsider Tim Cousins. The two become inseparable, sharing a fascination with ridicule, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and Arnita Beecham, the most bewitching girl at Minor High. But soon things go terribly wrong. The friends commit a small crime that grows larger and larger, and threatens to engulf the whole town. Arnita, the first black prom queen in the history of the school, is injured and wakes up a different person. And Daniel, Tim, and their families are swept up in a shocking chain of events.
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My Review:
It is not too often that I will go into a book blind e.g., reading reviews, but this time I did. And I am so glad! I feel like I unearthed a hidden gem. When I find a book on my own, having heard nothing about it prior.. and it's amazing, I feel like I hit the jackpot! I savored this book. There were so many different facets of this book that I didn't want to devour it in one sitting. This was also my first foray into southern fiction. And, I was quite pleased!
There were so many things that I liked about this book. I loved the character development. The descriptive language was beautiful. The author really nailed the dialect of the character's in the south. I could literally hear that southern twang in my head. If I closed my eyes, I felt like I was transported into that era.
There were some heavy thematic elements, too. This book took place right when reintegration was happening in the school system. Therefore, not surprisingly, there was a lot of racism. The reintegration had just taken place, and neither the caucasians or african americans were too happy about it. Bi-racial dating was also a big no-no during this time.
Overall, I was blown away by this book. This book had surprises that I never saw coming, both good and bad. I had no idea what I was in for when I picked this book up and I ended up getting SO much more than I bargained for. In such a wonderful way..
Blurb from the book:
You need only one best friend, Daniel Musgrove figures, to make it through high school alive. After his family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, Daniel finds fellow outsider Tim Cousins. The two become inseparable, sharing a fascination with ridicule, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and Arnita Beecham, the most bewitching girl at Minor High. But soon things go terribly wrong. The friends commit a small crime that grows larger and larger, and threatens to engulf the whole town. Arnita, the first black prom queen in the history of the school, is injured and wakes up a different person. And Daniel, Tim, and their families are swept up in a shocking chain of events.
---------------------
My Review:
It is not too often that I will go into a book blind e.g., reading reviews, but this time I did. And I am so glad! I feel like I unearthed a hidden gem. When I find a book on my own, having heard nothing about it prior.. and it's amazing, I feel like I hit the jackpot! I savored this book. There were so many different facets of this book that I didn't want to devour it in one sitting. This was also my first foray into southern fiction. And, I was quite pleased!
There were so many things that I liked about this book. I loved the character development. The descriptive language was beautiful. The author really nailed the dialect of the character's in the south. I could literally hear that southern twang in my head. If I closed my eyes, I felt like I was transported into that era.
There were some heavy thematic elements, too. This book took place right when reintegration was happening in the school system. Therefore, not surprisingly, there was a lot of racism. The reintegration had just taken place, and neither the caucasians or african americans were too happy about it. Bi-racial dating was also a big no-no during this time.
Overall, I was blown away by this book. This book had surprises that I never saw coming, both good and bad. I had no idea what I was in for when I picked this book up and I ended up getting SO much more than I bargained for. In such a wonderful way..
June 29, 2018
2.5 stars
"I knew better than anybody how a harmless little lie could turn into a Lie, and take over your life."
This book was full of these seemingly harmless ‘little’ lies and secrets… lots of secrets. It takes place in Mississippi at the time of desegregation in the schools. Many 1970s references abound in this one, which many readers may appreciate - I was a bit too young during that era to appreciate some of these; rather, I was a teen of the 80s. It’s also a coming of age story about a guy named Daniel Musgrove. I liked Daniel at first. The Musgroves were uprooted from home as the salesman father is once again transferred. This time the big move will be from Indiana to Mississippi. How in the world is a boy from the north to fit into a school in the south?! It’s difficult enough being a teen! Daniel wasn’t too thrilled about the situation, but he took it in stride and tried to make it work. Friends were scarce until Tim Cousins came around. "All you need is one friend who makes you laugh, who laughs at the same things you do. Almost at once I knew Tim Cousins would be my friend." When the boys decide to attend the prom, events take a serious turn after Arnita Beecham, a beautiful and intelligent black student, is elected prom queen. Life seems to take a downward spiral after this night when mistakes are made and secrets are covered up.
I was really engaged for perhaps the first third of the novel. I think what threw me off was that the author tried to tackle one too many issues. Desegregation of the school system and the damaging effects of racism would have been enough to keep my interest. Then more hot button topics were thrown into the mix. The focus became unclear to me at this point. The actions of the characters became more confusing, and I wasn’t even sure I found it very believable any longer. The way some of the parents reacted to certain events was questionable as well. One thing in particular I have to remind myself – I simply don’t get along well with most coming-of-age novels. I really don’t! I must have led a very sheltered life… actually, I should say I DID live a very sheltered life, because I simply cannot relate to most teen issues in the books I stumble across. Or are most of these topics exaggerated for dramatic purposes? Likely they are not; more likely, these things just did not come too close to me personally. I tried to steer clear of attracting unnecessary attention to myself – whether good or bad – and somehow escaped the usual ‘woes’ of teen-hood. I’m not saying the teen years were fun; I was eager to move on to the next stage just like the next person!
I can’t say to what audience this book is aimed. It simply was not to my taste, but others may very well enjoy this book more. The ending was very intense, but seemed to be a bit of a weird mash-up also. I had simply lost interest by then. Take a look at some other reviews to see if this book would suit you!
"The good thing about not lying is, you don’t have to think twice before speaking. All you have to tell is the truth."
"I knew better than anybody how a harmless little lie could turn into a Lie, and take over your life."
This book was full of these seemingly harmless ‘little’ lies and secrets… lots of secrets. It takes place in Mississippi at the time of desegregation in the schools. Many 1970s references abound in this one, which many readers may appreciate - I was a bit too young during that era to appreciate some of these; rather, I was a teen of the 80s. It’s also a coming of age story about a guy named Daniel Musgrove. I liked Daniel at first. The Musgroves were uprooted from home as the salesman father is once again transferred. This time the big move will be from Indiana to Mississippi. How in the world is a boy from the north to fit into a school in the south?! It’s difficult enough being a teen! Daniel wasn’t too thrilled about the situation, but he took it in stride and tried to make it work. Friends were scarce until Tim Cousins came around. "All you need is one friend who makes you laugh, who laughs at the same things you do. Almost at once I knew Tim Cousins would be my friend." When the boys decide to attend the prom, events take a serious turn after Arnita Beecham, a beautiful and intelligent black student, is elected prom queen. Life seems to take a downward spiral after this night when mistakes are made and secrets are covered up.
I was really engaged for perhaps the first third of the novel. I think what threw me off was that the author tried to tackle one too many issues. Desegregation of the school system and the damaging effects of racism would have been enough to keep my interest. Then more hot button topics were thrown into the mix. The focus became unclear to me at this point. The actions of the characters became more confusing, and I wasn’t even sure I found it very believable any longer. The way some of the parents reacted to certain events was questionable as well. One thing in particular I have to remind myself – I simply don’t get along well with most coming-of-age novels. I really don’t! I must have led a very sheltered life… actually, I should say I DID live a very sheltered life, because I simply cannot relate to most teen issues in the books I stumble across. Or are most of these topics exaggerated for dramatic purposes? Likely they are not; more likely, these things just did not come too close to me personally. I tried to steer clear of attracting unnecessary attention to myself – whether good or bad – and somehow escaped the usual ‘woes’ of teen-hood. I’m not saying the teen years were fun; I was eager to move on to the next stage just like the next person!
I can’t say to what audience this book is aimed. It simply was not to my taste, but others may very well enjoy this book more. The ending was very intense, but seemed to be a bit of a weird mash-up also. I had simply lost interest by then. Take a look at some other reviews to see if this book would suit you!
"The good thing about not lying is, you don’t have to think twice before speaking. All you have to tell is the truth."
May 31, 2018
The whole time I was reading this book, some of the details just weren't adding up for me, but then I kept reminding myself that I don't know everything, and plus, the setting of the story was 1973. That's 45 YEARS AGO, people! 45 YEARS! Two years after I graduated from high school myself. A different world, when teen-agers were still saying gosh, worrying about their first kiss, trying to figure out how to get places because they didn't have their own car. Schools were slowly being desegragated, pot was still an exotic drug, and parents still ruled the roost. So I was following along, trying to remember if it really was the way the author portrayed it.
Then I was rapidly catapulted into today's headlines. Just like that, just that quickly. I read the last 100 pages at breakneck speed. Turned the last page with astonishment.
45 years, and it seems that everything has changed, yet nothing has really changed at all.
Then I was rapidly catapulted into today's headlines. Just like that, just that quickly. I read the last 100 pages at breakneck speed. Turned the last page with astonishment.
45 years, and it seems that everything has changed, yet nothing has really changed at all.
August 13, 2020
This was really a both a pleasurable and thought provoking read. I give it a 4.5 stars for the plot, writing style and the character development, as a year in the south changes Daniel forever. My interest was maintained throughout and it kept me up hours past bedtime.
The story unfolds when Daniel's father is transferred to a less profitable area of Mississippi from having a profitable three state territory while working for a major chemical company (think Dow). His father is a workaholic and disagreeable man, whose work kept him away except for weekends. The family must adjust from the life of mid-west Yankees to living in the Jim Crow south as well as adjusting to his father's capricious temperament on a daily basis. Daniel's older brother, Buddy joins the military to escape. Daniel's salvation seems to come quickly when he becomes fast friends with Tim and together they face off against the bullying of Red Martin, a line backer and his sidekicks. Daniel and Tim are both band geeks and spend their time focusing on Sonny and Cher's performances on Saturday nights. This changes after the first time they interact with Arnita Beecham, Daniel is immediately smitten. Soon their lives become wrapped up with Arnita's in a rather challenging way. Daniel falls in love with this beautiful young woman, when she is recovering from an accident that resulted in a head injury. Soon the town is talking when Daniel and Arnita becomes inseparable, some are even scandalized because Daniel is white and Arnita is definitely not. Arnita now believes she is white and though she realizes that her outward appearance is black, she has split into a white personality named Linda. Her family humors her as does Daniel but others have no interest in supporting this notion.
All is not well in their tiny community. Tim doesn't have a problem Arnita's skin as Daniel believes initially but it soon becomes clear that Tim doesn't like all the time Daniel is now spending all his spare time with Arnita. Other characters add to the challenges Arnita and Daniel's stressful relationship. Eventually, things culminate in a shocking response, that will leave the community traumatized.
The subplots are terrific as well as the main story. There are some great red herrings to keep us intrigued and moving to the story's climax. I knew what was coming but that didn't slow me down or disappoint during denouement. While the story structure and writing was nearly as good as "This Tender Land" for me, however, their similarities only exist in this area. If you liked "This Tender Land", I think there is a very good chance that this would satisfy. Those who are familiar with my reviews, will know how sparingly I award 5 stars, so hopefully that will motivate you to put this at the top of your future reads list.
Childress style is not preachy in the least but his various slices of life leave us with plenty to ponder. This would make an excellent book club discussion.
The story unfolds when Daniel's father is transferred to a less profitable area of Mississippi from having a profitable three state territory while working for a major chemical company (think Dow). His father is a workaholic and disagreeable man, whose work kept him away except for weekends. The family must adjust from the life of mid-west Yankees to living in the Jim Crow south as well as adjusting to his father's capricious temperament on a daily basis. Daniel's older brother, Buddy joins the military to escape. Daniel's salvation seems to come quickly when he becomes fast friends with Tim and together they face off against the bullying of Red Martin, a line backer and his sidekicks. Daniel and Tim are both band geeks and spend their time focusing on Sonny and Cher's performances on Saturday nights. This changes after the first time they interact with Arnita Beecham, Daniel is immediately smitten. Soon their lives become wrapped up with Arnita's in a rather challenging way. Daniel falls in love with this beautiful young woman, when she is recovering from an accident that resulted in a head injury. Soon the town is talking when Daniel and Arnita becomes inseparable, some are even scandalized because Daniel is white and Arnita is definitely not. Arnita now believes she is white and though she realizes that her outward appearance is black, she has split into a white personality named Linda. Her family humors her as does Daniel but others have no interest in supporting this notion.
All is not well in their tiny community. Tim doesn't have a problem Arnita's skin as Daniel believes initially but it soon becomes clear that Tim doesn't like all the time Daniel is now spending all his spare time with Arnita. Other characters add to the challenges Arnita and Daniel's stressful relationship. Eventually, things culminate in a shocking response, that will leave the community traumatized.
The subplots are terrific as well as the main story. There are some great red herrings to keep us intrigued and moving to the story's climax. I knew what was coming but that didn't slow me down or disappoint during denouement. While the story structure and writing was nearly as good as "This Tender Land" for me, however, their similarities only exist in this area. If you liked "This Tender Land", I think there is a very good chance that this would satisfy. Those who are familiar with my reviews, will know how sparingly I award 5 stars, so hopefully that will motivate you to put this at the top of your future reads list.
Childress style is not preachy in the least but his various slices of life leave us with plenty to ponder. This would make an excellent book club discussion.
January 31, 2008
Maybe you had to be around in the 70's to understand this book.If you have ever encountered true racism, had a friend commit suicide, dome something totally stupid and dangerous as a teenager, felt completely alienated from your parents, or tried to save someone from himself, you will still find an element to identify with in this book. This is one of my all-time favorites. If you are too young to have know the 70's. read this book anyway.
March 10, 2025
SPOILER-FREE (as always) REVIEW:
Daniel and his family have to relocate every year or so because of his father’s job. They have had a long stay in Indiana, though, and Daniel and his brother and sister have settled in happily. His father gets transferred again. This time they are going to Mississippi. While trying to adjust to the new school, Daniel makes fast friends with a boy named Tim. They soon become inseparable friends.
Oh, the drama! This novel was fun, it was comical, it was sad, and it was high-school cringy. It was also goes to very dark places. It is tense, heartbreaking, and soul-crushing. I’ve never read anything quite like this!
This coming-of-age story covered just about all teenage problems of today, even though the book takes place in the ‘70’s. As these kids navigate through their school years, Childress manages to include almost every issue that I, for one, could think of. No one issue was focused on, as one issue after another just floats through the high-schoolers everyday existence, just like real life.
I’m not sure it’s completely true to the times, but things varied wildly across the country during these tumultuous years. Mississippi was not somewhere I was familiar with, so I can’t judge.
The main trappings of the era, such as cars, parent/child relationships, music, etc. were done well. It was pretty much a “blast from the past”! I had forgotten many things, such as patients getting their jaws wired shut for weight loss, and the play Godspell, just to name a couple.
This novel is not completely reality-based, as there are a couple of issues in the plot that are a bit fantastic, but they are certainly very interesting! It’s not like magical realism, but reality does go just a bit off the rails without getting too crazy. These things made me use my imagination, and made me consider the possibilities. My advice is to just keep an open mind!
I’ve gotta say, I loved, loved this book! It was riveting. I really had trouble putting it down. I highly recommend, but brace yourself. Like Mama says, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt”. Five stars!
Daniel and his family have to relocate every year or so because of his father’s job. They have had a long stay in Indiana, though, and Daniel and his brother and sister have settled in happily. His father gets transferred again. This time they are going to Mississippi. While trying to adjust to the new school, Daniel makes fast friends with a boy named Tim. They soon become inseparable friends.
Oh, the drama! This novel was fun, it was comical, it was sad, and it was high-school cringy. It was also goes to very dark places. It is tense, heartbreaking, and soul-crushing. I’ve never read anything quite like this!
This coming-of-age story covered just about all teenage problems of today, even though the book takes place in the ‘70’s. As these kids navigate through their school years, Childress manages to include almost every issue that I, for one, could think of. No one issue was focused on, as one issue after another just floats through the high-schoolers everyday existence, just like real life.
I’m not sure it’s completely true to the times, but things varied wildly across the country during these tumultuous years. Mississippi was not somewhere I was familiar with, so I can’t judge.
The main trappings of the era, such as cars, parent/child relationships, music, etc. were done well. It was pretty much a “blast from the past”! I had forgotten many things, such as patients getting their jaws wired shut for weight loss, and the play Godspell, just to name a couple.
This novel is not completely reality-based, as there are a couple of issues in the plot that are a bit fantastic, but they are certainly very interesting! It’s not like magical realism, but reality does go just a bit off the rails without getting too crazy. These things made me use my imagination, and made me consider the possibilities. My advice is to just keep an open mind!
I’ve gotta say, I loved, loved this book! It was riveting. I really had trouble putting it down. I highly recommend, but brace yourself. Like Mama says, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt”. Five stars!
May 4, 2016
This is one of the best books I've ever read. This author is a real southerner and he also was at one time a teen-age boy and he understands teen-age boys. Daniel the main character is wonderful. You never don't love him even when he does something wrong like steal a bicycle. This story has everything love, hate, racial issues, heart, family, high school issues, humor and sadness with redemption. Some parts of the book were so funny I was laughing outloud. I don't think I've ever laughed so much when reading a book. It was like watching an episode of Seinfield but about a young boy. The sadness came at the ending of course and there was not any humor there, but like I said before, this book had everything. I'll definitely read more books by this author.
February 17, 2010
I'm not sure of what kind of judgment to make about this book. When it starts you think "oh, another coming of age book" but the seemingly average characters have some dark and hidden secrets. Also the setting of Mississippi in the 70's (I think) gives a racial unsettling to the events. At times almost humorous but the book also has it moments of fear and tragedy.
Finished the book last night and it definitely had its tragedy. To me it was interesting that although it was set in the early 70"s some of the events (I won't ruin the ending) are much more common in recent times. With some books I don't want to come to the end but the way this story was headed I was anxious for it to be over.
Finished the book last night and it definitely had its tragedy. To me it was interesting that although it was set in the early 70"s some of the events (I won't ruin the ending) are much more common in recent times. With some books I don't want to come to the end but the way this story was headed I was anxious for it to be over.
December 27, 2007
Humorous?? I guess I didn't get that, and I consider myself to have a pretty good sense of humor. Which part was funny - the black girl being struck by a car, getting amnesia and then dating the biggest racist in the school or the gay kid that was outed and then committed suicide?? Oh, I know, it was the abusive father, right!? Hmmmm. What really threw me was the positive blurb on the back of the book by Annie Lamott. Annie, Annie, Annie.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2013
http://smartgirlsread.blogspot.com/
Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and thought to yourself, "That was messed up"? That was pretty much how it went for me today. At first, I was really enjoying One Mississippi by Mark Childress, our book club selection for August. The book begins as a kind of coming of age novel about a sixteen-year-old boy, Daniel, who has just moved to Minor, Mississippi, from Indiana. He has to make new friends and adjust to the culture of the deep south that is so new to him.
Daniel begins school and feels lucky to have found a new friend. "All you need is one friend who makes you laugh, who laughs at the same things you do. Almost at once I knew Tim Cousins would be my friend....He enjoyed making fun of everything as much as I did. Right there on the first day of school, we formed a team, just the two of us."
I was less than 100 pages into the novel when I started having an unsettled feeling and it continued throughout most of the book. Something bad happens and the way the boys handle it worries me. One wants to tell the truth, one wants to pin the blame on someone else entirely. I just knew something bad was going to happen and I just kept waiting for it like waiting for the other shoe to drop. As the story progresses, more and more anxiety just piled onto the heap, finally peaking with a huge disaster. I won't give away more than that, but I will say that once I saw what was coming the sense of foreboding was almost unbearable.
On the front cover of my copy of this book is a recommendation from renowned author Stephen King. He says, "Funniest novel I have read in ten years!" Really? This was the funniest novel he has read in ten years? I will admit that I have never read any Stephen King because his genre doesn't appeal to me at all. I have no interest in reading horror novels. Perhaps our distinct differences in taste account for him thinking this novel was funny and me thinking it was a tragedy. I know I laughed at parts of the book, but once I got to the end and noticed King's quote on the front of the book, I suddenly couldn't remember any of the funny parts. To me it just felt disturbing. Maybe I worry too much. Maybe the humor was just too dark for me.
Have you read One Mississippi? What did you think?
Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and thought to yourself, "That was messed up"? That was pretty much how it went for me today. At first, I was really enjoying One Mississippi by Mark Childress, our book club selection for August. The book begins as a kind of coming of age novel about a sixteen-year-old boy, Daniel, who has just moved to Minor, Mississippi, from Indiana. He has to make new friends and adjust to the culture of the deep south that is so new to him.
Daniel begins school and feels lucky to have found a new friend. "All you need is one friend who makes you laugh, who laughs at the same things you do. Almost at once I knew Tim Cousins would be my friend....He enjoyed making fun of everything as much as I did. Right there on the first day of school, we formed a team, just the two of us."
I was less than 100 pages into the novel when I started having an unsettled feeling and it continued throughout most of the book. Something bad happens and the way the boys handle it worries me. One wants to tell the truth, one wants to pin the blame on someone else entirely. I just knew something bad was going to happen and I just kept waiting for it like waiting for the other shoe to drop. As the story progresses, more and more anxiety just piled onto the heap, finally peaking with a huge disaster. I won't give away more than that, but I will say that once I saw what was coming the sense of foreboding was almost unbearable.
On the front cover of my copy of this book is a recommendation from renowned author Stephen King. He says, "Funniest novel I have read in ten years!" Really? This was the funniest novel he has read in ten years? I will admit that I have never read any Stephen King because his genre doesn't appeal to me at all. I have no interest in reading horror novels. Perhaps our distinct differences in taste account for him thinking this novel was funny and me thinking it was a tragedy. I know I laughed at parts of the book, but once I got to the end and noticed King's quote on the front of the book, I suddenly couldn't remember any of the funny parts. To me it just felt disturbing. Maybe I worry too much. Maybe the humor was just too dark for me.
Have you read One Mississippi? What did you think?
June 11, 2018
When Daniel Musgrave and his eccentric family move from the North to Mississippi in high school he soon finds another outsider Tim Cousins to befriend. With a " you only need one friend to survive high school" theme the two become inseparable and then almost unintentionally commit a crime that becomes larger than life in their small town.
I love it when I enjoy a book more than I expect. This coming of age tale (which reminded me of something John Irving might write) along with being humorous takes on some pretty big subjects such as sexual preference and racism in the 1970's. Because these were my high school years all of the music and fashion references ( sky blue prom tuxedo's) really resounded with me.
This is my second Mark Childress read (Crazy In Alabama) He's an author I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but am glad I did.
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail 6/18 4 stars
I love it when I enjoy a book more than I expect. This coming of age tale (which reminded me of something John Irving might write) along with being humorous takes on some pretty big subjects such as sexual preference and racism in the 1970's. Because these were my high school years all of the music and fashion references ( sky blue prom tuxedo's) really resounded with me.
This is my second Mark Childress read (Crazy In Alabama) He's an author I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but am glad I did.
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail 6/18 4 stars
June 4, 2018
After some consideration, I have lowered my rating to 1-star. The more I think about this book, the less I like it. I suppose for me it was not "okay", so I am revising accordingly.
***********
This book was a big disappointment to me. For the first 3/4 of the book, I found the plot ludicrous. I attended high school in the 60s in the South. The events portrayed in this book could never have happened in my school at that time nor in any school in my state.
In last 1/4 of the book, there was improvement, but I felt it came too late to do much in the way of salvaging the plot, and in truth, I had to imagine this taking place in more recent times to make even that part of the book work.
I would have given it a 1-star rating had I not thought the writing itself was of a higher quality than the plot deserved. In fact, I would have stopped reading it less than halfway through had it not been a group read.
I’m afraid Childress is not going on my list of authors to read more of.
***********
This book was a big disappointment to me. For the first 3/4 of the book, I found the plot ludicrous. I attended high school in the 60s in the South. The events portrayed in this book could never have happened in my school at that time nor in any school in my state.
In last 1/4 of the book, there was improvement, but I felt it came too late to do much in the way of salvaging the plot, and in truth, I had to imagine this taking place in more recent times to make even that part of the book work.
I would have given it a 1-star rating had I not thought the writing itself was of a higher quality than the plot deserved. In fact, I would have stopped reading it less than halfway through had it not been a group read.
I’m afraid Childress is not going on my list of authors to read more of.
July 10, 2016
I thought this was an incredible story. What starts out as a tale of youthful innocence ends up as so, so much more. The results of that first, relatively small lie cannot be imagined even by the reader. Despite the dark undertones and serious subjects tackled by Childress in this portrait of the South in the early 70s, there is a lot of laughter and fun here — the Fullflower Baptist Church musical, what Daniel’s father does after he loses his job, Daniel and Tim’s meeting with Cher, for example. All you can do in the end is trust that Daniel will be okay. It was so much more than I was expecting.
June 28, 2018
I found this coming-of-age tale of a friendship of two high school misfits entertaining and engaging although some of the people who I read this with found that it didn’t ring true to them. That could be because they were raised in the South during the 1970s and saw few similarities between the novel and their own experiences growing up. It could also be that the author, Mark Childress, has a habit of injecting a high degree of absurdity into his novels. (Readers of Crazy in Alabama will know what I mean.) I find his unique way of looking at the world both humorous and thought-provoking. The reader may have difficulty seeing the events happening in the real world but it is interesting to suspend disbelief and just roll with it.
Some of the events in the book, unfortunately, are far too familiar to most readers. Bullying those who don’t quite fit is so common that one would be hard-pressed to name somewhere where it doesn’t occur. The psychic damage it causes can last a lifetime.
Bottom line: I really enjoyed this novel although I’m not sure it is quite as memorable as Crazy in Alabama. This may be because the events that it deals with can be found almost daily in the news.
My thanks to the folks at the On the Southern Literary Trail group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.
Some of the events in the book, unfortunately, are far too familiar to most readers. Bullying those who don’t quite fit is so common that one would be hard-pressed to name somewhere where it doesn’t occur. The psychic damage it causes can last a lifetime.
Bottom line: I really enjoyed this novel although I’m not sure it is quite as memorable as Crazy in Alabama. This may be because the events that it deals with can be found almost daily in the news.
My thanks to the folks at the On the Southern Literary Trail group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.
January 6, 2008
Half way through this book, I'm irritated with yet another story that "needs" to use sex and language to sell it. The premise, however, is captivating and the writing style engaging. I'm going to finish the book but would be slightly embarrassed to recommend it.
Like Mark Childress' novel, Crazy in Alabama, and later movie with Melanie Griffith, it is a topic that covers Civil Rights and integration in the South during the 1970s.
continuation...
It's confusing that is how I previously viewed the 1st half of the novel based on my conclusive understanding. What it ended up being about was not desegregation, but homosexuality, bullying and violence in schools. I find this an odd turn for the story. Perhaps my hopes were too high from how inspiring Crazy in Alabama was for me. bummer
Like Mark Childress' novel, Crazy in Alabama, and later movie with Melanie Griffith, it is a topic that covers Civil Rights and integration in the South during the 1970s.
continuation...
It's confusing that is how I previously viewed the 1st half of the novel based on my conclusive understanding. What it ended up being about was not desegregation, but homosexuality, bullying and violence in schools. I find this an odd turn for the story. Perhaps my hopes were too high from how inspiring Crazy in Alabama was for me. bummer
February 20, 2013
Set in a high school in Mississippi during desegregation in the seventies; a formula for disaster, which the author delivers. It is a coming of age story for Daniel Musgrove and filled with other interesting characters. I found this novel disturbing even with the tongue-in-cheek humor throughout. Although very well written, it hurt to read it.
October 9, 2008
A good read with snappy language that really deals with some complex and hefty social issues.
It starts off simple, innocent, and I found myself thinking--okay, I've seen this before. Yet another coming of age story. But very quickly, I realized that there was oh-so-much more going on in this novel. By the time this novel finishes, Childress has addressed everything from racism to homophobia, from the social ostracism of high school to how ridiculous religious zealots can be.
The main criticism that I had was that there were a few elements, including the how the main character got his "five spot" nickname and Arnita's change of self-image, that I found to be a tad bit unbelievable. I had to literally check my disbelief, and then continue.
The book itself is fast paced, and the writing is witty and engaging. While there were definitely humorous moments, I'm not sure I buy into the idea of it being a “funny” novel, despite what many reviewers have claimed. In fact, I would say that this novel presents a pretty heavy and cynical look at life.
I definitely found it worth the read.
It starts off simple, innocent, and I found myself thinking--okay, I've seen this before. Yet another coming of age story. But very quickly, I realized that there was oh-so-much more going on in this novel. By the time this novel finishes, Childress has addressed everything from racism to homophobia, from the social ostracism of high school to how ridiculous religious zealots can be.
The main criticism that I had was that there were a few elements, including the how the main character got his "five spot" nickname and Arnita's change of self-image, that I found to be a tad bit unbelievable. I had to literally check my disbelief, and then continue.
The book itself is fast paced, and the writing is witty and engaging. While there were definitely humorous moments, I'm not sure I buy into the idea of it being a “funny” novel, despite what many reviewers have claimed. In fact, I would say that this novel presents a pretty heavy and cynical look at life.
I definitely found it worth the read.
December 19, 2013
A solid 3.5 stars….takes place in the 70's in Mississippi, new boy in town becomes friends with another boy….story dealt with racism, coming of age, friendships, relationships….I liked the references to things that were going on at that time period…I thought it was going to be a "lighter" story than it was, but it did have some teen age humor & it was a pretty sad book….
April 8, 2017
A blast back into the 1970s. Buckle your seatbelt for the opening chapters-laugh out loud funny. Very imaginative story, a good sense of time and place with well written characters. This is an enjoyable journey and a great portrayal into the post human rights era of the south. This is a trip through the past with a look at not only the times but at ourselves as well. Good writing style and character development. Overall, a good ride but a tragically shocking ending. Mark Childress is a masterful storyteller.
January 8, 2013
The opening paragraphs of this novel do what a good opening to a novel is supposed to do – draw the reader in and let them know what they are about to read without giving the story away. In its opening scene, One Mississippi shows a group of 15-year-old boys spending an afternoon “following the mosquito truck through the streets, breathing the sweet-smelling clouds of DDT because we’d heard it would get you high.” p. 3. The message – no matter how sweetly it may smell, poison is still deadly. Mr. Childress spends the next 382 pages concocting a deadly brew that is often hilariously sweet and, in so doing, making the poison all more bitter.
Just as Daniel Musgrove is about to enter his junior year of high school, his father is transferred from Indiana to Minor, Mississippi, about 10 miles from Jackson. Already deeply troubled, the move succeeds in deepening the chasms in the family. The book is told from the first person point-of-view of Daniel, is set in 1974 the first year of forced integration of schools, a reality that gives the outsider Daniel reason to feel all the more isolated. The reader experiences the hilarity of Daniel’s Junior Prom (the images of his Tuxedo are worth at least two readings) and is blindsided as is Daniel when the night ends in ways that are life-changing for many in attendance at the prom. The next six months of Daniel’s life is filled with the confusion, danger, pleasant surprises, unexpected discoveries and meanness one remembers from high school and that does nothing to alleviate the tragedy of that April night.
I was much looking forward to reading the book. Reading Mr. Childress previously has been a delight and his writing skills have only improved in the interim of my previous reading of this author. The sharpness of his characters, with the vividness of his description of the story’s setting gives this book the breath of live. His ability to magnify the teenage angst without making it cliché is a gift not given to many authors. By the end of the book, I was grieving having to say farewell to the Musgrove family, celebrating a bit of good fortune for Daniel and vaguely depressed at what I had just “gone through” in the process of being so deeply attached to this tale.
The book contains violence of various kinds – the most painful being the emotional abuse teenagers heap upon the weaker in their midst so aptly described. There are moments of a sexual nature and graphic sexual language within its pages as well. I read this book in four days of a very busy week – this was due to my taking every available moment to read it. Even when I knew I did not want to see what was next, I could not keep from turning the next page. What more can be said of how well this book is written.
Just as Daniel Musgrove is about to enter his junior year of high school, his father is transferred from Indiana to Minor, Mississippi, about 10 miles from Jackson. Already deeply troubled, the move succeeds in deepening the chasms in the family. The book is told from the first person point-of-view of Daniel, is set in 1974 the first year of forced integration of schools, a reality that gives the outsider Daniel reason to feel all the more isolated. The reader experiences the hilarity of Daniel’s Junior Prom (the images of his Tuxedo are worth at least two readings) and is blindsided as is Daniel when the night ends in ways that are life-changing for many in attendance at the prom. The next six months of Daniel’s life is filled with the confusion, danger, pleasant surprises, unexpected discoveries and meanness one remembers from high school and that does nothing to alleviate the tragedy of that April night.
I was much looking forward to reading the book. Reading Mr. Childress previously has been a delight and his writing skills have only improved in the interim of my previous reading of this author. The sharpness of his characters, with the vividness of his description of the story’s setting gives this book the breath of live. His ability to magnify the teenage angst without making it cliché is a gift not given to many authors. By the end of the book, I was grieving having to say farewell to the Musgrove family, celebrating a bit of good fortune for Daniel and vaguely depressed at what I had just “gone through” in the process of being so deeply attached to this tale.
The book contains violence of various kinds – the most painful being the emotional abuse teenagers heap upon the weaker in their midst so aptly described. There are moments of a sexual nature and graphic sexual language within its pages as well. I read this book in four days of a very busy week – this was due to my taking every available moment to read it. Even when I knew I did not want to see what was next, I could not keep from turning the next page. What more can be said of how well this book is written.
June 3, 2015
I read this book in one day. The kind of marvelous day when the kids have swim practice and then have friends over and it's cloudy so you can sit in a chair and read and read. That's a big run-on sentence, I know, but I don't care. I may give this book 5 stars actually; it was that good. For me, on this day. I love the title. Does everyone count by Mississippis or is it only a southern thing? In one Mississippi--one second--everything can change. I was on the edge of my seat, knowing that laughter doesn't last and something bad was brewing. Something big, though I didn't know what could be done to stop it, so I kept turning the pages until...
February 29, 2008
This is one of those books I picked up mostly because I liked the cover design. And it's set in Mississippi, where I have spent a lot of time visiting family. Turned out to be a good read. I like the fish-out-of-water main character and felt for him as he struggled with guilt, love and conflicted feelings about his best friend. The twists and turns were intriguing, if slightly predictable. I liked the mix of darkness with humor. And I identified with the southern-ness of Daniel's mother — she reminded me a little of my Granny.
January 11, 2015
Thought this would be just a coming of age book, but it was so much more. I loved Daniels family, so quirky and yet so real. I grew up with friends who's Dads were that way. No spoiliers, but I would recommend this as a good read
October 28, 2020
This book freaked me out as a kid.
Needlessly gratuitous and some really left field plot points.
Really confusingly marketed as well. Not the feel good book of the year (1974)
Needlessly gratuitous and some really left field plot points.
Really confusingly marketed as well. Not the feel good book of the year (1974)
October 5, 2017
I could not put this book down, especially as the end approached and I had to find out what happened. This is a very intriguing story of people who get involved in things they don't quite understand and can't control, and they make decisions that are not the best, with ramifications that will follow them the rest of their lives. There are those who try their hardest to be good friends, and those who don't know what good friends are, but who are destructive forces that change everyone around them. This is not a book that you can say you 'liked' because of things that occur in the story, but it is certainly a book that captures your attention and keeps you turning pages as fast as you can. There are comic parts, but overall it is not a comedy but a tragic drama that could easily have been taken from the pages of real life.
March 29, 2017
Wow- what a fantastic read. sort of like Pat Conroy meets Fannie Flagg meets Larry Brown meets Stephen King. One of the best novels I've read in a long time, one of those types of books that usually makes your next novel seem like a let down.
October 24, 2020
Wow -- definitely didn't see that end coming!
August 22, 2022
Read in 2007. An interesting adventure into the mind of a mid-west teenager moving to Mississippi.
November 27, 2024
It is a very good book with some adult issues for such young characters living in the 70s American South. Not what I expected at all. Do not recommend for young readers, unless you've talked about some big stakes topics. That said it was a page turner and one I couldn't put down. Could really put myself in the main characters' shoes.
November 18, 2008
At the start, this appears to be your basic southern childhood adventures memoir. Led by the famous "My Dog Skip" by Willie Morris, it's a genre that can be enjoyable, but pretty predictable. Kid moves to a small town. His parents are troubled. He's a loner. He bemoans that there is nothing to do there until he makes a wild new friend who leads him on dangerous adventures that help the kid find some true core of himself.
This started that way, but took some interesting diversions. It's set in 70's post-school-desegregation Jackson, MS, and both the black and white kids are trying to find their place in the new paradigm. The prejudices of both sides are shown in many shades of grey. When the band teacher refuses to drop an old minstrel song from their statewide band competition routine, the black students retaliate by purposefully sabotaging their performance. The later regret on both sides is nicely portrayed. It's the same with the treatment of a church youth group putting on a hilarious Jesus Christ Superstar style rock opera. The kids look at the intense church culture critically but enjoy the fellowship and music, and the church leaders are written as humans instead of stereotypes. The novel also deals with the extreme taboos against homosexuality at that time, but nothing feels heavy handed. It's just a natural part of these kids lives at the time.
Towards the end, the book turns suddenly quite dark. Although I truly didn't see it coming, it didn't feel disjointed. Life smacks you in the head with something horrible now and again. (Honestly I get a little sick of the ominous foreboding that many novels lay on thick at the beginning so that a tragic ending feels natural. Just let me ENJOY the good times in the book for now.) After the tragic events, the book didn't offer any easy answers, but it also didn't feel hopeless. I appreciate that.
It's not groundbreaking writing and the focus on teenage hijinks is pretty silly at times, but it was an engrossing read.
This started that way, but took some interesting diversions. It's set in 70's post-school-desegregation Jackson, MS, and both the black and white kids are trying to find their place in the new paradigm. The prejudices of both sides are shown in many shades of grey. When the band teacher refuses to drop an old minstrel song from their statewide band competition routine, the black students retaliate by purposefully sabotaging their performance. The later regret on both sides is nicely portrayed. It's the same with the treatment of a church youth group putting on a hilarious Jesus Christ Superstar style rock opera. The kids look at the intense church culture critically but enjoy the fellowship and music, and the church leaders are written as humans instead of stereotypes. The novel also deals with the extreme taboos against homosexuality at that time, but nothing feels heavy handed. It's just a natural part of these kids lives at the time.
Towards the end, the book turns suddenly quite dark. Although I truly didn't see it coming, it didn't feel disjointed. Life smacks you in the head with something horrible now and again. (Honestly I get a little sick of the ominous foreboding that many novels lay on thick at the beginning so that a tragic ending feels natural. Just let me ENJOY the good times in the book for now.) After the tragic events, the book didn't offer any easy answers, but it also didn't feel hopeless. I appreciate that.
It's not groundbreaking writing and the focus on teenage hijinks is pretty silly at times, but it was an engrossing read.
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