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Jackson
Jody Luther is a 15 year-old white girl battling insanity at home and hate-filled 1970 Jackson, Mississippi leading to the Jackson State Massacre.
Review by Jackson Free Press:
‘Jackson’ Regales a Laborious, History-Packed Tale
Cindy Marabito's novel "Jackson" focuses on dark times in Mississippi.
By Carlton McGrone
Despite the leaps of progress in our capital city, its less-than-glamorous roots come as no shock to natives or migrants. Often, a forced encounter with that bloody history is met with drastic denial and resistance, especially when experiencing this turmoil through an all-encompassing narrative. However, giving a courageous lens to curious readers can present a reflective commentary on an era overflowing with ignorance. Boasting a digestible, engrossing title, "Jackson" aims to portray the titular city at the height of one of its most disastrous moments in history.
In this novel, Austin, Texas, resident Cindy Marabito constructs a narrative in the vein of her influencers, namely Harper Lee, Margaret Mitchell and Eudora Welty. At its very core, "Jackson" is a novel about smashing prejudice and unburying genuine love for a wide variety of people, despite differences. It examines the treatment of the mentally ill, toxic masculinity and even the maturing lineage of feminism.
The story, which is set in 1970 Jackson, follows the aptly named Jody Luther, a 15-year-old white southerner who transfers into Murrah High School on the historic day that black students were finally allowed to attend. Marabito magnificently runs with this initial premise, sketching iconic black-and-white photos of armed soldiers reluctantly escorting children onto the premises. Passive racism and silent hatred ooze from Jody's classmates who are suddenly squashed into a classroom under the care of a black teacher.
Jody, herself, presents one of the biggest triumphs and tragic failures of the novel. In some ways she is a cliche white hero; she is strong-willed and not easily bent toward the whim of others, thanks to the enlightened household she grew up in with her forward-thinking mother, Grace. Still, being a high school student, Jody is woefully unaware of her safety and privilege until she is forced to research Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy murdered by white men in Money, Miss., with her black classmate.
However, in several instances within the book, Jody more closely resembles a rambling object than a human being. Told entirely in first-person, Jody's inner thoughts are strangely analytical and unfeeling in the wake of unfamiliar, morally corrupt occurrences. She comes across as a character who regularly experiences disassociation, which would be understandable considering the life she had lived taking care of her mentally decaying mother.
Jody's inner dialogue ironically makes the narrative that much more impersonal, drawing the reader's attention toward her long-winded explanations and away from whatever point she may or may not be making.
As Jody mentions early in the novel, she has always been a fan of history, and the author is never afraid to flex this particular muscle through the portrayals of her characters. Marabito's fascination with the various social contracts hidden within Mississippi's climate is what makes this novel so compelling. As his name was mentioned, novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence is also entangled throughout the narrative.
Big Jim's family is one worthy of the racially obsessed Tom Buchanan as he is characterized as the most immediate threat Jody faces in her everyday life. Men, in general, play a chaotic role in Jody's story. Marabito capitalizes on the sheer vile nature of the most basic instincts of white, southern men, displaying how the trait contaminates offspring and those within their vicinity.
Jody and her younger sister are, both physically and morally, shown as foils to the intolerable Big Jim and Jim Jr. Meanwhile, Jody's "insane" mother ends up being the one to teach her the value of equality, while the remaining members of her family idly encouraging racist tendencies only serves to punctuate Marabito's underlying criticism of the social treatment of the mentally ill—however sparse and disconnected that particular storyline feels from the rest of the novel.
Despite its various weaknesses, "Jackson" achieves, and surpasses, what it sets out to accomplish. While Marabito may not be the most elegant when it comes to her prose and scene construction, her surrounding cast of utterly uncomfortable characters feels unique to this familiar yet out-of-reach world. With it, Marabito has bottled the hopeless despair of a Jackson forced to integrate in 1970.
Review by Jackson Free Press:
‘Jackson’ Regales a Laborious, History-Packed Tale
Cindy Marabito's novel "Jackson" focuses on dark times in Mississippi.
By Carlton McGrone
Despite the leaps of progress in our capital city, its less-than-glamorous roots come as no shock to natives or migrants. Often, a forced encounter with that bloody history is met with drastic denial and resistance, especially when experiencing this turmoil through an all-encompassing narrative. However, giving a courageous lens to curious readers can present a reflective commentary on an era overflowing with ignorance. Boasting a digestible, engrossing title, "Jackson" aims to portray the titular city at the height of one of its most disastrous moments in history.
In this novel, Austin, Texas, resident Cindy Marabito constructs a narrative in the vein of her influencers, namely Harper Lee, Margaret Mitchell and Eudora Welty. At its very core, "Jackson" is a novel about smashing prejudice and unburying genuine love for a wide variety of people, despite differences. It examines the treatment of the mentally ill, toxic masculinity and even the maturing lineage of feminism.
The story, which is set in 1970 Jackson, follows the aptly named Jody Luther, a 15-year-old white southerner who transfers into Murrah High School on the historic day that black students were finally allowed to attend. Marabito magnificently runs with this initial premise, sketching iconic black-and-white photos of armed soldiers reluctantly escorting children onto the premises. Passive racism and silent hatred ooze from Jody's classmates who are suddenly squashed into a classroom under the care of a black teacher.
Jody, herself, presents one of the biggest triumphs and tragic failures of the novel. In some ways she is a cliche white hero; she is strong-willed and not easily bent toward the whim of others, thanks to the enlightened household she grew up in with her forward-thinking mother, Grace. Still, being a high school student, Jody is woefully unaware of her safety and privilege until she is forced to research Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy murdered by white men in Money, Miss., with her black classmate.
However, in several instances within the book, Jody more closely resembles a rambling object than a human being. Told entirely in first-person, Jody's inner thoughts are strangely analytical and unfeeling in the wake of unfamiliar, morally corrupt occurrences. She comes across as a character who regularly experiences disassociation, which would be understandable considering the life she had lived taking care of her mentally decaying mother.
Jody's inner dialogue ironically makes the narrative that much more impersonal, drawing the reader's attention toward her long-winded explanations and away from whatever point she may or may not be making.
As Jody mentions early in the novel, she has always been a fan of history, and the author is never afraid to flex this particular muscle through the portrayals of her characters. Marabito's fascination with the various social contracts hidden within Mississippi's climate is what makes this novel so compelling. As his name was mentioned, novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald's influence is also entangled throughout the narrative.
Big Jim's family is one worthy of the racially obsessed Tom Buchanan as he is characterized as the most immediate threat Jody faces in her everyday life. Men, in general, play a chaotic role in Jody's story. Marabito capitalizes on the sheer vile nature of the most basic instincts of white, southern men, displaying how the trait contaminates offspring and those within their vicinity.
Jody and her younger sister are, both physically and morally, shown as foils to the intolerable Big Jim and Jim Jr. Meanwhile, Jody's "insane" mother ends up being the one to teach her the value of equality, while the remaining members of her family idly encouraging racist tendencies only serves to punctuate Marabito's underlying criticism of the social treatment of the mentally ill—however sparse and disconnected that particular storyline feels from the rest of the novel.
Despite its various weaknesses, "Jackson" achieves, and surpasses, what it sets out to accomplish. While Marabito may not be the most elegant when it comes to her prose and scene construction, her surrounding cast of utterly uncomfortable characters feels unique to this familiar yet out-of-reach world. With it, Marabito has bottled the hopeless despair of a Jackson forced to integrate in 1970.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2019
3 people are currently reading
1573 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Marabito
9 books45 followersCindy Marabito is a longtime writer and author of Pit Bull Nation, Jackson and Jules, the Truth Finder. She directed and produced the movie The Dicks From Texas about the punk rock hardcore Austin, TX band along with a double covers cd featuring great Dicks songs covered by great bands, The Dicks From Texas and Friends. Cindy is the creator of Cowbells and Ding Dongs, a podcast with its big toe never straying too far past Austin City Limits.
Cindy penned the American Pit Bull Examiner column for over five years along with several other blogs. Cindy was Detour Magazine’s Video Detour editor for two years and currently writes F--k You I'm From Texas Film Talk blog. Hard at work right this minute on Free Lunch, a racy go-to on the crazy decadent Dallas 80’s and The Legend of Sky Diamond, a fake lowdown memoir on the DFW downlow.
Coming soon this summer for your crazy-ass beach reading....Small Texas, a collection of Cindy's short stories all about the strange and wonderful characters sprung from the deep bowels of the East Texas Piney Woods.
Cindy penned the American Pit Bull Examiner column for over five years along with several other blogs. Cindy was Detour Magazine’s Video Detour editor for two years and currently writes F--k You I'm From Texas Film Talk blog. Hard at work right this minute on Free Lunch, a racy go-to on the crazy decadent Dallas 80’s and The Legend of Sky Diamond, a fake lowdown memoir on the DFW downlow.
Coming soon this summer for your crazy-ass beach reading....Small Texas, a collection of Cindy's short stories all about the strange and wonderful characters sprung from the deep bowels of the East Texas Piney Woods.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 14, 2020
It is a great book, very sad and hard to read. I am so sorry I just can't post more, my sister, my only sister at 47 took her life Sunday night so this is pretty hard for me to do. As I said good book and you do learn so much, thanks my goodreads friends, sorry but I will try to be better as soon as I can, God Bless you all
October 8, 2019
Have you ever heard of the Jackson State Massacre? It happened 11 days after Kent State. Jackson is the story of events leading up to the Jackson State Massacre in which two black students were murdered by an army of armed police. The story is told by a fifteen year-old white girl, Jody Luther, who's battling the insanity in her own home and in the mean streets of a hate-filled town.
December 19, 2019
Told entirely from the first-person perspective, Jackson is a somewhat triggering and emotional read.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 December issue of InD'tale Magazine.
December 9, 2019
This book definitely has the potential for a 4 star rating. Great characters and story, just really needs an editor. Or at least someone to give a quick once over.
November 7, 2019
This book deserves every star and every positive review that I can possibly give. I was captivated from the first sentence and the intense journey continued until the last word. As I deeply related to the story, it both surfaced a combination of pain, hope, frustration, fear, and the determination to learn from the injustice I witnessed throughout this chapter in our country's history. I identified with Jody Luther in many areas but it made it especially vivid to see this world through the eyes of a girl who was only two years older than I was at the time. I was amazed at how detailed everything from TV commercials, clothes, social issues, and the personalities from the residents all blended together to take me back to the people and places I knew as a 15-year-old girl. Each character in the book mirrored someone from my past.
If you lived through the turbulent era of the 60's and 70's in America, this book will take you on an unforgettable journey to that time. If you are too young to have experienced it, this book is picture-perfect of the details that will put you in the midst of the story. My only warning would be that it is a strong, detailed story that will depict a story not for the faint of heart. It is an unforgettable story that none of us should forget. It will make you laugh, cry, become angry, have hope, be frustrated, but most of all it will give you an honest picture of life at a time in our history that should not be allowed to be repeated. You will NOT regret taking this journey with Jody. This is a powerful, outstanding book that is proudly placed on the shelf for my favorite classics. I love it!
If you lived through the turbulent era of the 60's and 70's in America, this book will take you on an unforgettable journey to that time. If you are too young to have experienced it, this book is picture-perfect of the details that will put you in the midst of the story. My only warning would be that it is a strong, detailed story that will depict a story not for the faint of heart. It is an unforgettable story that none of us should forget. It will make you laugh, cry, become angry, have hope, be frustrated, but most of all it will give you an honest picture of life at a time in our history that should not be allowed to be repeated. You will NOT regret taking this journey with Jody. This is a powerful, outstanding book that is proudly placed on the shelf for my favorite classics. I love it!
November 17, 2019
An incredibly painful book about a painful time in personal and national history. Although it could have been a quick read, I was forced to set the book aside several times to reflect on Marabito's message and to research some of the events she narrates. I wish we had progressed farther than we have in the nearly 50 years since the Jackson State massacre.
May 16, 2021
A well written book about a 15 year old girl growing up in the south during a time of civil unrest with desegregation. She also had some traumatic events happen to her and it didn't help to have a mother who was an alcoholic.
September 7, 2019
A real page turner! You’ll laugh, cry, and get really angry. I loved it ❤️
December 21, 2019
Very good book about the south!
March 26, 2020
Want to exist in another time and place for a week, and be in that reader’s heaven that comes from a good book? That’s Jackson. It’s like Disney created a ride for grown ups and thoughtful teens that takes you past Atticus Finch and Eudora Welty all in the same ride. “Look, there’s Harper Lee in her rose garden.” Seriously, a great book that will leave searching for the sequel.
March 27, 2020
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. DEFINITELY A MUST READ!
January 20, 2020
I loved this book. It’s about a family battling addiction and a young girl struggling to keep that family together during the civil rights movement in 1970 which adds another layer of turmoil to this already painful story. Being an east Texas girl myself, I feel the characters were authentic and Ms. Marabito nailed the vernacular and attitudes of this era. It’s not all sad. The love of family and friendship is revealed and shines through. I hope there is a sequel. I would like to know more about Jody’s life.
January 10, 2020
I loved this book! Very emotional and I loved the details. I won this book on Goodreads and have already passed the book on to my sister. It's a must read.
December 22, 2019
I was very fortunate to receive this book through the goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed reading Jackson and found myself connected and routing for Jody throughout the entire book. Cindy included various perspectives and important issues in this book which i believe should be shared with a larger audience.
February 5, 2020
This book was hard to finish. Characters were not well developed and the plot of the story did little to encourage turning the page.
I say don't waste your time
I say don't waste your time
December 11, 2019
Life -affirming and profound.
*Thank you for my free Goodreads copy *
*Thank you for my free Goodreads copy *
Want to read
December 12, 2019Still reading it and it is great so far!!!!
March 21, 2021
Review held pending Maxey Awards.
July 8, 2023
THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS! I can only pray that the conversations it invokes will truly lead to a brighter future.
I am not sure if I have EVER felt LUCKY to have come across a book, but JACKSON by Cindy Marabito is just such a book. Beautifully read by Jessica Carter, it tells the story of a short time that was instrumental to history through the eyes of fifteen year old Jody Luther. When Jody, her mother and her ten year old sister Willie flee to Jackson, Mississippi in 1969 the country is teetering on the edge, an eruption is imminent and the epicenter for Jody and her family is JACKSON.
Jody and Willie have always had to depend on each other, never knowing when their mother who has mental health and substance abuse problems will be there for them. But in one short year the fault line between the two of them will widen more than ever before.
Touching on issues of race, class, substance abuse, sexual assault, American history and coming of age, I’m not sure how I would even classify this book. YA? Historical Fiction? Coming of age? Social/cultural? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
I had EVERY emotion as I listened to this; anxiety, confusion, fear, anger, and as they drove down that dusty road at the end I was cheering. While I was younger than Willie during that time, things happened that I STILL wasn’t aware of, ie, Jackson State Massacre just ten days after Kent State’s. I’m 60 years old and this is the first I ever heard of it!
The ONLY trouble I had was that the narrator speaks VERY fast. I’m a Yankee. We speak quite fast and even I had trouble keeping up at times. But otherwise the narrative was wonderful.
I cannot recommend this book enough! Settle in. Travel back to the summer of peace and love.
I am not sure if I have EVER felt LUCKY to have come across a book, but JACKSON by Cindy Marabito is just such a book. Beautifully read by Jessica Carter, it tells the story of a short time that was instrumental to history through the eyes of fifteen year old Jody Luther. When Jody, her mother and her ten year old sister Willie flee to Jackson, Mississippi in 1969 the country is teetering on the edge, an eruption is imminent and the epicenter for Jody and her family is JACKSON.
Jody and Willie have always had to depend on each other, never knowing when their mother who has mental health and substance abuse problems will be there for them. But in one short year the fault line between the two of them will widen more than ever before.
Touching on issues of race, class, substance abuse, sexual assault, American history and coming of age, I’m not sure how I would even classify this book. YA? Historical Fiction? Coming of age? Social/cultural? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
I had EVERY emotion as I listened to this; anxiety, confusion, fear, anger, and as they drove down that dusty road at the end I was cheering. While I was younger than Willie during that time, things happened that I STILL wasn’t aware of, ie, Jackson State Massacre just ten days after Kent State’s. I’m 60 years old and this is the first I ever heard of it!
The ONLY trouble I had was that the narrator speaks VERY fast. I’m a Yankee. We speak quite fast and even I had trouble keeping up at times. But otherwise the narrative was wonderful.
I cannot recommend this book enough! Settle in. Travel back to the summer of peace and love.
July 9, 2020
This is a great read. I started reading the book thinking it was going to be about a mother being taking out of the Jackson mental hospital in Louisiana. She was indeed taken from the hospital and had some major mental problems but the book was about a mother and her daughters in Jackson, Mississippi during the school desegregation.
Jody Luther is a 15 years old. She is in high school, has a job, takes care of her younger sister and deals with her mentally ill mother. If that is not enough it was happening during the civil rights movement in 1970.
Jody Luther is a 15 years old. She is in high school, has a job, takes care of her younger sister and deals with her mentally ill mother. If that is not enough it was happening during the civil rights movement in 1970.
July 6, 2023
What an enteresting book. It's about segregation in Jackson, MS in the 70's. Some mental illness. Some poverty. Sad at times. Harsh at times. Funny at times. Very reminiscent. I loved it.
The narrator took some getting use to. She read too fast and without much emotion. There was alot to this book and slower and more thoughtful would have been much better for me. I listened to it twice and probably should listen again to get it all. 3.5 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Audible copy of this book from the author through Story Origin.
The narrator took some getting use to. She read too fast and without much emotion. There was alot to this book and slower and more thoughtful would have been much better for me. I listened to it twice and probably should listen again to get it all. 3.5 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary Audible copy of this book from the author through Story Origin.
May 12, 2023
Such a tragic but beautifully written story. The author makes you feel like you’re alongside the characters the entire time.
May 2, 2020
When i first found out i wouls be recieving a copy of this book i had no idea what i was going to be reading. So i looked into it a little bit. I didnt know anything about the Jackson State Massacre then.
When i first started reading it i didnt really know what i was getting myself into. There a so many injustices that happened. Families and communities that were destroyed.
This book broke my heart a few times. I found myslef unable to put it down once i really got into it. Thank you Cindy for sharing a side of the story that needed to be shared.
When i first started reading it i didnt really know what i was getting myself into. There a so many injustices that happened. Families and communities that were destroyed.
This book broke my heart a few times. I found myslef unable to put it down once i really got into it. Thank you Cindy for sharing a side of the story that needed to be shared.
January 2, 2020
i won this book as a goodreads giveaway. eh.. what to say about this book. i really would've given it a 2.5 rating if i could've. it was just riddled with typos including a youtube link thrown in randomly, misplaced quotation marks, and a chapter that ended in the middle of a word.
the story itself was just ok, so much exposition. it started out really strong and then just nothing happened for 200 pages and i honestly would've quit reading if it wasn't a book i won and felt obligated to finish. how many times can we say that the main character felt like something bad was coming? how many times can it be expressed that the Dupree's are bad people? there was good material for this story but it just didn't come together. the glossing over of rape as well as the actual shooting event made the narrative seem like it wasn't actually committed to telling a story.
the story itself was just ok, so much exposition. it started out really strong and then just nothing happened for 200 pages and i honestly would've quit reading if it wasn't a book i won and felt obligated to finish. how many times can we say that the main character felt like something bad was coming? how many times can it be expressed that the Dupree's are bad people? there was good material for this story but it just didn't come together. the glossing over of rape as well as the actual shooting event made the narrative seem like it wasn't actually committed to telling a story.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews