BEV

by Andrea Williams, Matty Rich, Meredith Kopald

Based on the real life story of a little-known figure in the Civil Rights Movement: a white social worker who left the comforts of her life in New York City to travel to the segregated South, comes BEV, a fictionalized account of the strength, compassion, and dangers people faced in their fight to help African Americans achieve equality.

After watching the horrifying images of dogs, hoses, and violence on March 7, 1965 aka Bloody Sunday, Bev Luther, a white Northerner, determined she could no longer afford to remain a spectator. As a social worker, she knew she was needed to help and march alongside African Americans, Asians, and Latinos in the quest for equality. Along with several other Northerners—mostly whites—she decided to travel down to the tense segregated South right in the middle of an era that would change America forever.

With a clear understanding of history and evocative language, BEV is the fictionalized account of those who answered the call to help their fellow citizens earn the right to vote.

Genres: Historical Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 14, 2016

Reviews

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEV: A Novel is based on the true life example of Beverly Luther. Comfortable with her life in New York as an activist in the civil rights movement in 1965, Bev decides to go to Selma, Alabama to participate in the march to Montgomery. She leaves behind her ordered life and experiences life in the south, as lived by African Americans, as she works to make a difference in the fight for equality and civil rights there. She is confronted by the KKK, violent opposition to change, racism and desperation, but also hope for a better future.

This book was especially poignant for me because of the election results of 2016, and the very real possibility of the impending backslide in the area of civil and human rights in our country. The authors did a magnificent job of weaving together events of the time and the speeches of various public figures and personalities such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Johnson's address to a joint session of Congress as he spoke about the Voting Rights Act he was submitting for their consideration.

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to read and benefit from this book in enumerable ways. Advocacy for civil rights and social justice are two continuing efforts I am passionate about. I urge anyone who is interested in the subject to read this book. If everyone would do so, perhaps it may go far to defeat the grip of racism that seems to once again be dogging our politics and inhumane treatment of one another.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I graciously received a free copy from first reads of this book. I had a hard time with the writing and connecting with the main character until about halfway through the book. It was an interesting glance of the civil rights movement through the viewpoint of a white person from the north, but she seemed too pretentious for readers to really value some of the things she did.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it a local library.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bev a Caucasian woman from NY championed for the rights of equality + became a larger that life participant in the Civil Rights Movement. She started by marching in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march where she came to know Martin Luther King Jr. A 5 star read.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at the Dollar Tree of all places. Don't let that deter you though. I've found many good books hiding on the dollar tree bookshelves. This was one of them. It's a fiction book but it's based on a real person's real story. It was a good read and it was real.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides being a historical record of Bev Luther’s participation in the Civil Rights Movement, Bev by Andrea Williams and Matty Rich is a great story of a young woman becoming self-confident and making an important contribution to society.

In 1953, she had suffered serious injuries to her skull and brain in auto accident after falling asleep at the wheel. Ten years later, her mother still didn’t want her to drive. She was currently a supervisor of a social work team at Hillside Hospital when her friend Mickey announced that he and his wife, Rita were going to Mississippi to help with the black voter registration drive. She felt in her heart that she wanted to go and help but also wondered whether or not she would be capable of this brave act. So she called her mother who was still living in California. Should she go or not?

This book was a fast read but the details of Bev’s time in Mississippi should stick with you for life. She had some idea of what she would face but had some truly frightening personal experiences. Bev and the other volunteers all had their lives forever changed. I had no trouble in getting into this book and the pages flew by. I feel sad that she has already passed away but I am very glad that her contribution to social justice will not be forgotten because of this book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

I received a finished copy of this book as a win from FirstReads from the publisher but that in no way determined my thoughts or feelings in this review.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.

"Bev" is the story of Bev, a white social worker from the North who goes to Selma to participate in the march for Civil Rights in 1965.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's an easy-to-read experience and a story that draws you in. My only complaint was that the final chapter felt a bit stilted - parts of it read more like an epilogue or an afterward than an actual chapter, but other parts really did make sense as standard chapter and not a formal epilogue.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book. Provides great insight into horrible time in history that seems to be repeating itself today. Such an emotional roller coaster as you experience this time through Bev Luther's eyes. Very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an awesome book. Loved reading about the civil rights movement.

[Lora]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and will review once I've read it.