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Sources of Light
It's 1962, a year after the death of Sam's father--he was a war hero--and Sam and her mother must move, along with their very liberal views, to Jackson, Mississippi, her father's conservative hometown. Needless to say, they don't quite fit in.
People like the McLemores fear that Sam, her mother, and her mother's artist friend, Perry, are in the South to "agitate" and to shake up the dividing lines between black and white and blur it all to grey. As racial injustices ensue--sit-ins and run-ins with secret white supremacists--Sam learns to focus with her camera lens to bring forth the social injustice out of the darkness and into the light.
People like the McLemores fear that Sam, her mother, and her mother's artist friend, Perry, are in the South to "agitate" and to shake up the dividing lines between black and white and blur it all to grey. As racial injustices ensue--sit-ins and run-ins with secret white supremacists--Sam learns to focus with her camera lens to bring forth the social injustice out of the darkness and into the light.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
18 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
Margaret McMullan
15 books30 followersMargaret McMullan was born in 1960 in Newton County, Mississippi. At the age of ten, her family moved to Chicago, Illinois.
McMullan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Grinnell College and an M.F.A. in Fiction from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
For twenty-five years, she lived in Evansville, Indiana, where she taught and served as the Chair of the English Department at the University of Evansville. She was also the Melvin Peterson Endowed Chair in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Evansville.
McMullan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Grinnell College and an M.F.A. in Fiction from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
For twenty-five years, she lived in Evansville, Indiana, where she taught and served as the Chair of the English Department at the University of Evansville. She was also the Melvin Peterson Endowed Chair in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Evansville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 15, 2021
Set in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi, this is a well-written young-adult historical novel about one girl’s experience of the American civil rights movement. The story focuses on Samantha “Sam” Thomas, a high-school freshman whose Mississippi-born father died the previous year in Vietnam when his military helicopter was shot down. Sam has moved to the South from Pittsburgh with her unconventional and outspoken mother, who has just landed a job as an art history professor at a small all-white college. Mother and daughter remain in close contact with Sam’s dad’s family, who live in Franklin, not far from Jackson. They enjoy a particularly close relationship with Sam’s wise and supportive grandmother, Thelma Addy.
Initially, all Sam wants to do is fit in at her new school. This is hard to manage when you still wear your cousin’s hand-me-downs and when you’ve been raised with a set of values about race and women’s roles that don’t match those of your very conservative classmates and their parents. One route to acceptance is to cozy up to the pretty, popular, queen bee, Mary Alice McLemore, even if she’s a repugnant airhead. If she’s got a handsome and chivalrous older brother, Stone, who happens to like you, though, you might be motivated to put your distaste aside for a while.
Sam’s mother becomes romantically involved with an appealing young photography instructor, Perry Walker, who also works at the college and who has begun to make a name for himself. Some of his Korean War photography and his images highlighting racial injustice have made it into Life Magazine, and a publisher is interested in producing a book of his critically acclaimed photos. Even Sam, who’s initially wary of him, falls under Perry’s spell. He gives her one of his cameras, shows her how to use it, and teaches her how to develop the pictures she’s snapped. Sam produces what is probably the most unusual State-of-Mississippi project submission her small-minded teacher has ever seen.
Perry is an activist dedicated to voter registration of African Americans. His main role is to create a photographic record of demonstrations, which are regularly met with anger and violence from stick-and billy-club-carrying white men. Under Perry’s tutelage, Sam is soon taking her own photos of the racial injustice around her. After her mother dares to give a lecture to students at a local all-black college, making the front page of the local newspaper for doing so, the Thomases’ home is vandalized. Sam snaps pictures of the fallout. A trip downtown with their African-American housekeeper provides a further opportunity for Sam to create her own record of Jackson’s racial turbulence. It’s a real wake-up call for the girl to learn that while she might be able to buy a Coke for Willa Mae at the drugstore, the black woman won’t be allowed to drink it indoors. A lunch counter sit-in occurs that same day, and Sam takes multiple photos of the mob violence that ensues. The hatred she sees on the faces of the whites shocks her.
Stone and Mary Alice McLemore’s affluent parents extend gracious Southern hospitality to Sam and her mother. It’s hard for the girl to reconcile their seeming generosity and kindness with Mr. McLemore’s prominent role in a citizens’ group which is committed to maintaining the status quo and fiercely opposed to racial integration and basic human rights for blacks. As evidence surfaces that Mr. McLemore engages in violent acts against both black and white activists, Sam struggles even more with her feelings towards the McLemores' son. However, her greatest test comes when Perry is brutally attacked and hospitalized.
Margaret McMullan has taken some liberties with the civil rights timeline. She’s included a few well-known events that actually occurred a full year after the time in which her novel is set. One of these events is the murder of a 13-year-old black boy, Virgil Ware, who was shot in the chest and face while riding on the handlebars of his brother's bicycle. His shooter was a 16-year-old white teenager. The other incident is Mayor Bull Connor’s infamous authorization of the use of force by local police (including fire hoses, clubs, and dogs) against young civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, Alabama. Why the author has been loose with dates isn’t clear to me. It seems she wanted to have some key events of John F. Kennedy’s presidency—his commitment to space exploration and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in particular—jostle against the South’s growing racial turmoil. I’m not convinced that the novel really demanded this sacrifice of historical accuracy. That criticism aside, Sources of Light is a fine book with a credible, relatable protagonist. It’s a novel that raises important issues that are still pertinent to young adults. I think McMullan, herself a native of Mississippi, was pretty brave to even write it.
Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Initially, all Sam wants to do is fit in at her new school. This is hard to manage when you still wear your cousin’s hand-me-downs and when you’ve been raised with a set of values about race and women’s roles that don’t match those of your very conservative classmates and their parents. One route to acceptance is to cozy up to the pretty, popular, queen bee, Mary Alice McLemore, even if she’s a repugnant airhead. If she’s got a handsome and chivalrous older brother, Stone, who happens to like you, though, you might be motivated to put your distaste aside for a while.
Sam’s mother becomes romantically involved with an appealing young photography instructor, Perry Walker, who also works at the college and who has begun to make a name for himself. Some of his Korean War photography and his images highlighting racial injustice have made it into Life Magazine, and a publisher is interested in producing a book of his critically acclaimed photos. Even Sam, who’s initially wary of him, falls under Perry’s spell. He gives her one of his cameras, shows her how to use it, and teaches her how to develop the pictures she’s snapped. Sam produces what is probably the most unusual State-of-Mississippi project submission her small-minded teacher has ever seen.
Perry is an activist dedicated to voter registration of African Americans. His main role is to create a photographic record of demonstrations, which are regularly met with anger and violence from stick-and billy-club-carrying white men. Under Perry’s tutelage, Sam is soon taking her own photos of the racial injustice around her. After her mother dares to give a lecture to students at a local all-black college, making the front page of the local newspaper for doing so, the Thomases’ home is vandalized. Sam snaps pictures of the fallout. A trip downtown with their African-American housekeeper provides a further opportunity for Sam to create her own record of Jackson’s racial turbulence. It’s a real wake-up call for the girl to learn that while she might be able to buy a Coke for Willa Mae at the drugstore, the black woman won’t be allowed to drink it indoors. A lunch counter sit-in occurs that same day, and Sam takes multiple photos of the mob violence that ensues. The hatred she sees on the faces of the whites shocks her.
Stone and Mary Alice McLemore’s affluent parents extend gracious Southern hospitality to Sam and her mother. It’s hard for the girl to reconcile their seeming generosity and kindness with Mr. McLemore’s prominent role in a citizens’ group which is committed to maintaining the status quo and fiercely opposed to racial integration and basic human rights for blacks. As evidence surfaces that Mr. McLemore engages in violent acts against both black and white activists, Sam struggles even more with her feelings towards the McLemores' son. However, her greatest test comes when Perry is brutally attacked and hospitalized.
Margaret McMullan has taken some liberties with the civil rights timeline. She’s included a few well-known events that actually occurred a full year after the time in which her novel is set. One of these events is the murder of a 13-year-old black boy, Virgil Ware, who was shot in the chest and face while riding on the handlebars of his brother's bicycle. His shooter was a 16-year-old white teenager. The other incident is Mayor Bull Connor’s infamous authorization of the use of force by local police (including fire hoses, clubs, and dogs) against young civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, Alabama. Why the author has been loose with dates isn’t clear to me. It seems she wanted to have some key events of John F. Kennedy’s presidency—his commitment to space exploration and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in particular—jostle against the South’s growing racial turmoil. I’m not convinced that the novel really demanded this sacrifice of historical accuracy. That criticism aside, Sources of Light is a fine book with a credible, relatable protagonist. It’s a novel that raises important issues that are still pertinent to young adults. I think McMullan, herself a native of Mississippi, was pretty brave to even write it.
Rating: 3.5 rounded up
March 8, 2023
On my goodness!! As a participant in some of the Civil Rights movements, this story sure rocked some memory marbles! As the late John Lewis always said, we created some "good trouble" ..And the premise of the story damn sure hit the bulls eye.
I can imagine learning the photographers tip of letting the eye do the work..which is what my own daughter says you must do in order to capture exactly the shot you want...
The days of marching, sit-ins, helping to get voters signed up, I clearly remember some tough stuff..thankfully not as drastic as it were in other places we ALL read and know about. We ALL know about the injustices and downright nastiness that went on! And,even tho this is just a novel (there is a hidden story inside if you only stop, look and listen) in today's political,social realm this hits home.
I can just also envision this book being on a banned book shelf somewhere else.
The cover of my book is different than the one here, it's still the same content. And by golly I liked this book! I can also hear the "oh jeez, what a crack pot" and my question is, can you not see,hear history repeating itself?
So yes, to me it's worth (well earned) a 5 star rating! Go ahead, grab a copy. See for yourself! (And if you're over 65-70+) you'll either like it, but at least understand it!--P/
I can imagine learning the photographers tip of letting the eye do the work..which is what my own daughter says you must do in order to capture exactly the shot you want...
The days of marching, sit-ins, helping to get voters signed up, I clearly remember some tough stuff..thankfully not as drastic as it were in other places we ALL read and know about. We ALL know about the injustices and downright nastiness that went on! And,even tho this is just a novel (there is a hidden story inside if you only stop, look and listen) in today's political,social realm this hits home.
I can just also envision this book being on a banned book shelf somewhere else.
The cover of my book is different than the one here, it's still the same content. And by golly I liked this book! I can also hear the "oh jeez, what a crack pot" and my question is, can you not see,hear history repeating itself?
So yes, to me it's worth (well earned) a 5 star rating! Go ahead, grab a copy. See for yourself! (And if you're over 65-70+) you'll either like it, but at least understand it!--P/
June 26, 2013
As seems to be the case with many of my book reviews, Goodreads recommended Sources of Light to me. Due to the subject of the book I assumed it would be thicker and have smaller words. When I went to pick up the book from the library, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. My immediate thoughts were along the lines of “how can a book tackle an issue like social injustice in 240 pages?” Well, I learnt that a book doesn’t have to have millions of eloquent words to have a potent, long-lasting effect or to possess an inspiring message, because even in a few short sentences this book seemed to convey meaning. I read this book because it is about the subject social injustice, and also because it is told from a teenage girl’s point of view. Although the ideas were not spelled out using masses of words, each line seemed to carry significance. The text was economical yet it seemed as if every word was chosen for a reason, and the main character’s innocence was refreshing.
The category this book completes is “a book about the subject we have studied in the first half of the year” - in this case social inequality. Sources of Light is set in the 1960s in the then racist province of Mississippi. It is a time of great inequality between black and white people - either there is anger and abuse, or white people pretend the black people do not exist. This is a revealing story of a girl who uses her camera to show the truth about racism and it is a powerful comment on the way people can act during a time of such high racial tension. Sam’s photos of riots and protests reveal how ordinary people who would usually act in an ordinary way are thrown into frenzy during rioting about racial discrimination. Shocking secrets about families are exposed – for example, The book highlights the warped sense of righteousness held by many in a time of racial tension and also exposed some shameful things that can happen. It was shocking but captivating, and also a caution never to let this occur again. It certainly held some similarities to our film study The Freedom Writers.
“Sit on the truth too long and you mash the life right out of it.”
This was my favourite quote because it really expresses how imperative it is to make yourself heard. If you “sit on the truth for too long” you forget, loose interest and give up. In modern society this is increasingly important because although we like to think we have overcome problems such as racism, we haven’t. It is very easy to distance ourselves from the truth about racism however it is still there. People need to stand up for their beliefs and not let them evaporate into nothing while they wait for a time to do something about it. This quote makes us all consider this.
I didn’t have a favourite character as such within this book, however I thought the character of Willa-Mae was intriguing. Willa-Mae is Sam’s families’ maid however they treat her more like part of the family. She helps Sam’s mother with the housework; she doesn’t do it for her. There is an interesting comparison of Sam’s families’ liberal views compared to that of Stone’s family, where the maids are treated like dirt. The reason this character was so interesting is the way she seemed to have given up. You would think that a person in that situation would be angry, but Willa-Mae seemed to simply accept her situation. It was as if she had succumbed to racism, and this is a powerful message as it shows how it completely disempowering racism is.
I think I learned a lot of things from this book, but especially that making yourself heard about issues like racism doesn’t have to be done in a big or flashy way. All Sam did was take pictures, which was in itself an act of controversy-for example when the policeman asked her to wipe her camera of images of a riot. Sam showed her photos to her class, her friends, to anyone who would listen. Many people wouldn’t listen and no, Sam does not end racism in her community. However, she took a stand and the people she leaves behind at the end of the novel will have learnt something from her legacy.
While some could comment that the end of this book was rather anti-climatic, I would argue the opposite. I found the last few chapters particularly powerful. This goes to show that people try to distance themselves from the issue at hand and cannot see what is right in front of them. It also shows that some people don’t care, and some will never care. Although the students tried to act as if they didn’t care, it was obvious that Sam had opened their eyes to the racially prejudiced ways. While she didn’t get the A she was hoping for, she left a lasting impression on the students. The fact they were to afraid to admit it made it all the more potent.
Overall this was a book filled with thought and insight. It was a revealingly simple look at social injustice during the 1960s, through the eyes of a teenage girl who wanted to make a difference.
The category this book completes is “a book about the subject we have studied in the first half of the year” - in this case social inequality. Sources of Light is set in the 1960s in the then racist province of Mississippi. It is a time of great inequality between black and white people - either there is anger and abuse, or white people pretend the black people do not exist. This is a revealing story of a girl who uses her camera to show the truth about racism and it is a powerful comment on the way people can act during a time of such high racial tension. Sam’s photos of riots and protests reveal how ordinary people who would usually act in an ordinary way are thrown into frenzy during rioting about racial discrimination. Shocking secrets about families are exposed – for example, The book highlights the warped sense of righteousness held by many in a time of racial tension and also exposed some shameful things that can happen. It was shocking but captivating, and also a caution never to let this occur again. It certainly held some similarities to our film study The Freedom Writers.
“Sit on the truth too long and you mash the life right out of it.”
This was my favourite quote because it really expresses how imperative it is to make yourself heard. If you “sit on the truth for too long” you forget, loose interest and give up. In modern society this is increasingly important because although we like to think we have overcome problems such as racism, we haven’t. It is very easy to distance ourselves from the truth about racism however it is still there. People need to stand up for their beliefs and not let them evaporate into nothing while they wait for a time to do something about it. This quote makes us all consider this.
I didn’t have a favourite character as such within this book, however I thought the character of Willa-Mae was intriguing. Willa-Mae is Sam’s families’ maid however they treat her more like part of the family. She helps Sam’s mother with the housework; she doesn’t do it for her. There is an interesting comparison of Sam’s families’ liberal views compared to that of Stone’s family, where the maids are treated like dirt. The reason this character was so interesting is the way she seemed to have given up. You would think that a person in that situation would be angry, but Willa-Mae seemed to simply accept her situation. It was as if she had succumbed to racism, and this is a powerful message as it shows how it completely disempowering racism is.
I think I learned a lot of things from this book, but especially that making yourself heard about issues like racism doesn’t have to be done in a big or flashy way. All Sam did was take pictures, which was in itself an act of controversy-for example when the policeman asked her to wipe her camera of images of a riot. Sam showed her photos to her class, her friends, to anyone who would listen. Many people wouldn’t listen and no, Sam does not end racism in her community. However, she took a stand and the people she leaves behind at the end of the novel will have learnt something from her legacy.
While some could comment that the end of this book was rather anti-climatic, I would argue the opposite. I found the last few chapters particularly powerful. This goes to show that people try to distance themselves from the issue at hand and cannot see what is right in front of them. It also shows that some people don’t care, and some will never care. Although the students tried to act as if they didn’t care, it was obvious that Sam had opened their eyes to the racially prejudiced ways. While she didn’t get the A she was hoping for, she left a lasting impression on the students. The fact they were to afraid to admit it made it all the more potent.
Overall this was a book filled with thought and insight. It was a revealingly simple look at social injustice during the 1960s, through the eyes of a teenage girl who wanted to make a difference.
April 14, 2011
It's 1962, and Samantha is settling into her new home in Mississippi. She and her mom moved there shortly after the death of her father in heroic action while serving in Vietnam. There new home was chosen for two reasons. First, it is close to Sam's father's hometown, which will allow them an opportunity to reconnect with family. The other reason is that Sam's mom has taken a position at a local college teaching art history.
Sam quickly finds herself feeling out of place. She does well in school, but she definitely doesn't understand the mindset of the community, which still celebrates the Civil War. Fortunately, she can turn to her mother for support, but she also has a growing bond with the family's African American maid. It is this relationship that starts to open her eyes to the horrible disparity between the races that is evident.
It isn't just the racial divisions that are highlighted in the book, though. Sam's mom is quickly viewed as being an outsider and an agitator. Besides working full time, Sam's mom is less concerned about making sure her hair, clothes and makeup are just right. Instead, she opts for an easy-to-maintain cropped hairdo, slacks whenever possible, and a clear avoidance of gloves unless they are needed to keep warm. To make matters even worse, she goes out of her way to give talks about art at the nearby African American school.
Their relationship hits a minor bump in the road as Sam's mom starts to see a Perry Walker, who has come to town because of his career as a photojournalist and teacher at the same college as Sam's mother, He and Sam quickly build a connections around his camera as he teachers her how to make use of it. It is through the lens of the camera he gives her, that she gets to see the differences between the black and white residents of her new community.
Perry isn't the only new man in Sam's life, though. She starts building a relationship with Stone, the older brother of one of her classmates. Stone's family is the richest in the town, and they have about everything. Of course, this causes them to look down on Sam and her mom because they are different, but also on the African Americans in the community for simply being lesser beings.
McMullan has done an incredible job of capturing a sense of the time. Readers are drawn into Sam's world. While this results in some shocking moments as people such as Sam's teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, make statements that are horribly bigoted, but they are definitely representative of the time and the place in which the book is set.
The author concludes the book with an interesting Author's Note that highlights that the book really constructs much of the content from real events that either she or those she knows experienced during the town. This only makes some of the horrifying events in the book more real for the reader. This is crucial as today's kids are looking at this time period as being that of their grandparent's youth.
Sam quickly finds herself feeling out of place. She does well in school, but she definitely doesn't understand the mindset of the community, which still celebrates the Civil War. Fortunately, she can turn to her mother for support, but she also has a growing bond with the family's African American maid. It is this relationship that starts to open her eyes to the horrible disparity between the races that is evident.
It isn't just the racial divisions that are highlighted in the book, though. Sam's mom is quickly viewed as being an outsider and an agitator. Besides working full time, Sam's mom is less concerned about making sure her hair, clothes and makeup are just right. Instead, she opts for an easy-to-maintain cropped hairdo, slacks whenever possible, and a clear avoidance of gloves unless they are needed to keep warm. To make matters even worse, she goes out of her way to give talks about art at the nearby African American school.
Their relationship hits a minor bump in the road as Sam's mom starts to see a Perry Walker, who has come to town because of his career as a photojournalist and teacher at the same college as Sam's mother, He and Sam quickly build a connections around his camera as he teachers her how to make use of it. It is through the lens of the camera he gives her, that she gets to see the differences between the black and white residents of her new community.
Perry isn't the only new man in Sam's life, though. She starts building a relationship with Stone, the older brother of one of her classmates. Stone's family is the richest in the town, and they have about everything. Of course, this causes them to look down on Sam and her mom because they are different, but also on the African Americans in the community for simply being lesser beings.
McMullan has done an incredible job of capturing a sense of the time. Readers are drawn into Sam's world. While this results in some shocking moments as people such as Sam's teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, make statements that are horribly bigoted, but they are definitely representative of the time and the place in which the book is set.
The author concludes the book with an interesting Author's Note that highlights that the book really constructs much of the content from real events that either she or those she knows experienced during the town. This only makes some of the horrifying events in the book more real for the reader. This is crucial as today's kids are looking at this time period as being that of their grandparent's youth.
May 17, 2010
This has been a great read and I highly recommend it for young adults everywhere. It's a story about Mississippi in the 1960s and the fight for segregation and how hate and racism affects all relationships, working, family, friendships, and community.
Samantha is 14 going on 15 and her after her dad dies in Vietnam, her mother accepts a teaching position in Mississippi. Samantha and her mom have different ideas about race, class, and segregation than the rest of Mississippi in 1962 tho and Samantha is about to find that out the hard way. After her mom goes to an African American college and gives a lecture, people begin attacking her mom in the papers, throwing stuff in their windows, and applying hateful graffiti to their front door. Samantha even witnesses the depths of southern hate right there in her local drug store while angry white men poor ketchup and drinks over the head of a young African American woman sitting at a counter. Samantha's school assignment is to do a report on the state of Mississippi and as she attempts to capture the state from behind a hand me down camera, racism and hate is all she sees.
On top of the race riots that seem to be going on right in her backyard, Samantha is also dealing with her first crush.. to a boy that may possibly be one of those angry white men. Will her personal beliefs take precedence over young love? She must also deal with a budding relationship between her mother and a young photographer.
Great novel. I only grew bored during one part. When Samantha visits her grandparents for Christmas... it really doesn't have much bearing on the rest of the tale... felt out of place. Otherwise, good tale and should be placed on children's summer reading lists this year.
Samantha is 14 going on 15 and her after her dad dies in Vietnam, her mother accepts a teaching position in Mississippi. Samantha and her mom have different ideas about race, class, and segregation than the rest of Mississippi in 1962 tho and Samantha is about to find that out the hard way. After her mom goes to an African American college and gives a lecture, people begin attacking her mom in the papers, throwing stuff in their windows, and applying hateful graffiti to their front door. Samantha even witnesses the depths of southern hate right there in her local drug store while angry white men poor ketchup and drinks over the head of a young African American woman sitting at a counter. Samantha's school assignment is to do a report on the state of Mississippi and as she attempts to capture the state from behind a hand me down camera, racism and hate is all she sees.
On top of the race riots that seem to be going on right in her backyard, Samantha is also dealing with her first crush.. to a boy that may possibly be one of those angry white men. Will her personal beliefs take precedence over young love? She must also deal with a budding relationship between her mother and a young photographer.
Great novel. I only grew bored during one part. When Samantha visits her grandparents for Christmas... it really doesn't have much bearing on the rest of the tale... felt out of place. Otherwise, good tale and should be placed on children's summer reading lists this year.
December 24, 2014
With exquisite prose the author tells the story of a 14 year old girl's awakening to the hate and prejudice that surround her in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. It's the beginning of the civil rights movement and Samantha (Sam) observes firsthand the beatings and arrests of black and white students doing peaceful protests as they sit together at lunch counters or attempt to register black citizens to vote. She sees all this through the lens of the camera given to her by her mom's friend and fellow college teacher. He teaches her that pictures tell a story, that "A person can shoot from her head, and she can shoot from her heart. The best pictures are shot from both." Sam starts to document what she sees happening around her when the violence increases as people start standing up, taking a stand, and speaking out for civil rights. Her father who died in Vietnam told her that she should always do the right thing. When she asked him how she's supposed to know what the right thing to do is, he told her, "You'll just know." Sam knows that fighting for the rights of others is doing the right thing. Highly recommended.
April 10, 2011
I read sources of light because it had one of the word it had to have iun the title, which was "light." I picked this book from the others b...moreI read sources of light because it had one of the word it had to have iun the title, which was "light." I picked this book from the others because the description on the back intreged me!
I liked this book because the charector was sort of like me in ways. She loved to hang out with people, and she is very creative. I also liked how the book explained jeliousy, love anf hate.
I recomend this book to any teenager looking for a good novel. i was HOOKED on this book, i finished it in on and a half days. I hope you have elized that this book is a good read and you look into reading it too!
I liked this book because the charector was sort of like me in ways. She loved to hang out with people, and she is very creative. I also liked how the book explained jeliousy, love anf hate.
I recomend this book to any teenager looking for a good novel. i was HOOKED on this book, i finished it in on and a half days. I hope you have elized that this book is a good read and you look into reading it too!
May 28, 2012
Almost abandoned this one. But when it gripped, it gripped! So many informational books to tie into! I think I see a book display in our future to promote the book as a SCJBA & to promote this time in our history.
August 21, 2019
What a great book. Mississippi 1962 and segregation is coming apart. So much going on here and such a lot covered in a short book. Truly amazing. A coming of age story wrapped up in a memoir. It doesn’t take 800 pages to tell an amazing story.
March 29, 2012
Sam is a good kid and when she and her mom move to Jackson - close to where her dad grew up - she tries hard to fit in with the "popular crowd". However, she soon realizes something is way more important. She lives in the time of the civil rights movement and it's resistance, especially in the deep South. Sam uses the camera her mother's friend gives to her to capture the heart of Jackson - unvarnished and raw - showing the light and darkness within.
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful and a snapshot of 1962 which was eerily accurate. It was so hard to read this at times, just the descriptions of the anger and hatred toward blacks and the ferocity of the Klan and just the "common" white person's ignorance. It upsets me that in this day and age, where we have a president of 'color' in office (regardless of your feelings about his politics), that people are still persecuted, assaulted, shamed, and intimidated for just being different. We should be proud of our differences, because without them, we wouldn't have the beauty we do in this world.
We are all people, regardless of race, creed, nationality, religion, gender expression, or sexual orientation. We can't let fear and hate drive us - you can't believe everything you think. People aren't born hating others...they're taught to hate. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best with his epic speech, "I have a dream..." This is a poignant and gripping novel of that dream.
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful and a snapshot of 1962 which was eerily accurate. It was so hard to read this at times, just the descriptions of the anger and hatred toward blacks and the ferocity of the Klan and just the "common" white person's ignorance. It upsets me that in this day and age, where we have a president of 'color' in office (regardless of your feelings about his politics), that people are still persecuted, assaulted, shamed, and intimidated for just being different. We should be proud of our differences, because without them, we wouldn't have the beauty we do in this world.
We are all people, regardless of race, creed, nationality, religion, gender expression, or sexual orientation. We can't let fear and hate drive us - you can't believe everything you think. People aren't born hating others...they're taught to hate. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best with his epic speech, "I have a dream..." This is a poignant and gripping novel of that dream.
November 22, 2010
Ugh. I wanted to like this. The tone and voice had an authentic feel and that made me think of "What I Saw and How I Lied," by Blundell, and I was hoping for an engrossing historical fiction to recommend to teens. It was not nearly as good as that though. It has some good moments, but I could not get past how instructional it was. Every time the horrors of the civil rights struggle in the deep south were described, the author had to tell us how and what to think about it. I might go as far to say that I felt like she was disrespecting the reader, especially since this is a YA book. Here's a particularly eye-rolling sentence, "If all those white men were this scared and angry over black people registering to vote, then voting must be a powerful, powerful weapon." Um, didactic much?
May 30, 2012
What I like about Sam is that she isn't one of those 'perfect' protagonists. All of us have felt peer pressure, to be like the popular kids, and Sam is affected just like any other human being. She finally realizes that it doesn't matter; there are people out there, mostly black, who don't have the same rights as everyone else, have to say "Miss" or "Ms." or "Mr." just because of their skin color. And, she captures the violence and the love between people with her camera. What she can't at the moment comprehend and allow herself to believe, she can perceive later with her photograph. "What the mind rejects as ugly it later perceives as beautiful once the underlying patterns have been recognized." (pg. 212) Sam finds that "pictures are a form of communication." (pg. 223) She fights the hate by capturing it, drawing it with light, and showing it to the world.
May 30, 2010
This book was so moving. I really have never grasped the nature and influence of the cruelty toward African-Americans. I never really knew that so close to present day, there was still such severe racism. I like how the character of Stone is so, well...broken. He knows what he wants to think, but he also sees the results and is afraid of them. He can see that Sam and her mother's point of view about racism is right. His family is on the other side and he is torn between. I really like how the author tied in the photography aspect. I really respect authors who can understand more to art than just the art of words. Seeing how powerful Sam's pictures ended up being, the close ties between characters, and also the opposite clashing relationships really made this book powerful.
November 19, 2014
Around three years ago I pulled this off the library shelf expecting some sort of bad, sloppy, contemporary novel (keep in mind I had not done any research on this book previously), and was pleasantly surprised with what was really in the book- Conservative South, 1960s. People whom are human rights activists & feminists alike will absolutely fall in love with our protagonist, 14 year Sam Thompson, a liberal raised girl who's lost her father, and soon, finds comfort in photography, which is encouraged by her mother's new found friend, Perry. Through photography, Sam learns ironically enough that the world does see the world in shades of grey, but in black and white. If you liked The Help, you will fall in love with this. 5 stars
March 21, 2016
I didn't like this book that much. It seemed as if there wasn't a plot. Also, it took more than half the book to get to the climax. The book was very vague. The author didn't use show don't tell, which made the book very boring, but it also made the book seem very fictional. The main character had many different personalities throughout the book, and the personality changes were very noticeable. It didn't flow and Stone was always changing his mind on integration. Overall, this book should be rewritten, because the story and the ideas are fine, but the way the author conveys it is horrible.
July 7, 2015
While the writing itself wasn't anything special, I thought it had a really unique storyline for a YA novel. It reminded me of The Help, only from a teenage perspective and with photography as the vehicle through which the racist behavior was made public, not writing. The portions of the plot involving Stone seemed really predictable. There was also an overload of clichés in the writing, but still a good story overall.
December 14, 2017
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved the idea that a camera was your eye to the world. I also loved to get more knowledge on the racial injustice that took place in the past. I though that this book was well written and well worth the read.
November 25, 2018
Superbly written. Wonderful perspective. Greatly developed characters. This is a moving story, a mix of fiction and non-fiction, which incorporates photography into the story of love, hate, and the brutal history of racism in Mississippi. I really, really enjoyed this book.
July 21, 2020
This book has aspects that I wasn’t expecting and is a really quick read, I enjoyed this book and finished on only 2 day.
April 26, 2019
What a lovely book! The main character is a 14 year old girl living with her mother in the town of Jackson, Mississippi in the Fall of 1962. She starts off the year wishing she could dress a certain way and live in a certain house and have a certain boyfriend and ends up learning what's really important is seeing clearly right from wrong. I love the dialog between this 14 year old girl, Sam, and her mother's boyfriend who is teaching her how to be a photographer. The historical background of the civil rights movement is done very well. From cover to cover this story speaks to me!
November 8, 2020
"If all those white men were this scared and angry over black people registering to vote, then voting must be a powerful, powerful weapon" -Sam
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with powerful themes that people need to be aware of. This book brings to light a lot of the issues that we are still facing in society today and I highly recommend.
This book does discuss heavy topics so please be aware of the TW: abuse, death of a loved one, racism
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with powerful themes that people need to be aware of. This book brings to light a lot of the issues that we are still facing in society today and I highly recommend.
This book does discuss heavy topics so please be aware of the TW: abuse, death of a loved one, racism
December 5, 2019
This book was amazing! It was very suspenseful and adventurous. It made my heart beat faster and I would stay up late at night just to finish the book! Its so hard to put down once you pick it up! Definitely would recommend it to all of my fiends!
December 26, 2020
Very possibly her best book yet - I had a hard time putting it down and finished it in a single day. It's a beautifully told story about hard things, centered around racism, hatred, and violence in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Beautifully relevant and artfully told.
March 24, 2017
Excellent YA book detailing one summer in the life of a young teen in Jackson Mississippi in 1962 and the racial tension of that time.
July 18, 2017
Might seem boring at first, but keep reading! This is a very good read.
February 11, 2023
I really enjoyed the book. Easy to read. Good characters, realistic situations. Pointed novel.
December 24, 2010
This one almost ended up being a DNF but, literally, right at the middle page of the book, a plot element caught my eye that made me want to keep pushing through. Now, I can't remember what that element was. I can say it was a piece of action in an otherwise rather inactive story. It was a catalyst enough to keep me turning the pages.
But unfortunately I didn't have any kind of "OMG I'm so glad I kept reading!" revelations. The story was okay and I liked the writing enough but I don't think it popped. There wasn't too much that stood out, that struck me as being really powerful. I think it's because I felt the story was rather run-of-the-mill. It's the story of a Yankee white girl moving down to Jackson, Mississippi where outcasts are just as unwanted as anyone with a hint of color in their skin. Unfortunately I just didn't feel it was original enough.
There was a major historical element in the book, the sit-in at the drug store counter, that the MC was placed into but I just didn't feel it. I didn't feel the hum of the air or the hatred in the waitress's eyes or the fear at being caught "on the wrong side" of the fight. It was a girl hidden behind a camera documenting an event that others wanted to happen but they didn't want proof of.
On the other side I liked the growth of Sam throughout the story. You get a real sense of just how immature she is for her age at the beginning of the book and how self-conscious she was about her differences from everyone else. You wanted Stone to not be the Kreeper that kept on being insinuated because Sam liked him so much. But at the same time you wanted to slap her upside the head because of the way she kept convincing herself that he wasn't bad. By the end you could see her as an adult. By staying hidden behind that lens, she developed the backbone she needed to embrace her differences, to take a stand against the popular opinion, to work for what's right. You can actually see her cracking her way out of the shell wrapped around her and I loved her character for it.
But ultimately I just couldn't get myself involved in the story. It's not that I wasn't interested in the events going on, or the turmoil going on in Sam's life. It didn't matter how much I wanted to get engrossed; I just couldn't. I don't really think there's a legitimate reason for me not too. The writing was pretty good and as I said, I loved Sam. But I just wasn't feeling it. I think I felt it lacked passion for what was going on outside of Sam. Sam was a pure focus with everything else taking second chair. Maybe there was too much focus put on Sam and not enough on what was going on around her. Maybe reading it I couldn't get myself far enough out of her head to really feel what was going on. I'm not sure. I do think a lot of people would really like this book but it wasn't for me.
But unfortunately I didn't have any kind of "OMG I'm so glad I kept reading!" revelations. The story was okay and I liked the writing enough but I don't think it popped. There wasn't too much that stood out, that struck me as being really powerful. I think it's because I felt the story was rather run-of-the-mill. It's the story of a Yankee white girl moving down to Jackson, Mississippi where outcasts are just as unwanted as anyone with a hint of color in their skin. Unfortunately I just didn't feel it was original enough.
There was a major historical element in the book, the sit-in at the drug store counter, that the MC was placed into but I just didn't feel it. I didn't feel the hum of the air or the hatred in the waitress's eyes or the fear at being caught "on the wrong side" of the fight. It was a girl hidden behind a camera documenting an event that others wanted to happen but they didn't want proof of.
On the other side I liked the growth of Sam throughout the story. You get a real sense of just how immature she is for her age at the beginning of the book and how self-conscious she was about her differences from everyone else. You wanted Stone to not be the Kreeper that kept on being insinuated because Sam liked him so much. But at the same time you wanted to slap her upside the head because of the way she kept convincing herself that he wasn't bad. By the end you could see her as an adult. By staying hidden behind that lens, she developed the backbone she needed to embrace her differences, to take a stand against the popular opinion, to work for what's right. You can actually see her cracking her way out of the shell wrapped around her and I loved her character for it.
But ultimately I just couldn't get myself involved in the story. It's not that I wasn't interested in the events going on, or the turmoil going on in Sam's life. It didn't matter how much I wanted to get engrossed; I just couldn't. I don't really think there's a legitimate reason for me not too. The writing was pretty good and as I said, I loved Sam. But I just wasn't feeling it. I think I felt it lacked passion for what was going on outside of Sam. Sam was a pure focus with everything else taking second chair. Maybe there was too much focus put on Sam and not enough on what was going on around her. Maybe reading it I couldn't get myself far enough out of her head to really feel what was going on. I'm not sure. I do think a lot of people would really like this book but it wasn't for me.
May 12, 2011
This is a juvenile fiction book. I'll confess I just did a quick skim of the flyleaf and thought I had picked up a book about a young girl interested in photography. What I got was an intense, potent narrative of life during the racial strife in Mississippi during the early 60's.
Samantha is 14 years old, living with her mother in Jackson, Mississippi. Her father died a hero in Vietnam and having no relations on her mother's side, they have moved to be near her father's family. Her mother is a professor of art history at the university. A slightly bohemian figure, Sam's mom doesn't fit in with the bouffant, shirtwaist dress crowd of her friends' mothers. Sam herself doesn't fit in with the girls in her freshman class at the high school, still caught in that in-between world of not being a little girl and not yet being grown up. While the other girls in her class want to do things like practice kissing and writing to celebrities, Sam still likes to hula hoop and collect bugs in a jar. Until the night she meets her classmate's brother Stone.
Sam's mother meets Perry, a new professor in her department who teaches photography and they develop a relationship. Perry introduces Sam to photography and she discovers it is something she loves. Through Perry, Sam and her mother get involved in the racial issues of the day, helping black people to register to vote and sticking up for black people in the segregated shops in town. Unfortunately, Stone's father is the head of the White Citizens'Council, a KKK-type organization without the hoods and capes.
In the midst of her blooming romance with Stone who, unlike his father, believes in the rights of all people, Sam is thrown into the middle of riots, political unrest, and even murder, capturing much of it on the camera that Perry has given her. Stone, trying to somehow stop the things his father is doing, and not knowing all of his father's sins, keeps showing up during the horrors, appearing to be with the other side. Sam doesn't know what to think and confronts Stone with proof of what his father has done.
In the end Sam and her mother end up basically being run out of town through her mother's firing and inability to find another job. However, in leaving, they are moving toward a better life so while you ache for what they have been through, you rejoice in what they are moving toward.
Booklist rates this book as being for grades 5-8, but School Library Journal puts it at grades 7-10. Given the subject matter and sometimes graphic descriptions I would have to agree with SLJ. While this is a work of fiction, I find it to be a relatively accurate accounting of the happenings of the 60's from James Meredith, the first black student at the University of Mississippi to Medgar Evers' assassination. I would call it a must-read for anyone interested in the history of segregation in the south.
Samantha is 14 years old, living with her mother in Jackson, Mississippi. Her father died a hero in Vietnam and having no relations on her mother's side, they have moved to be near her father's family. Her mother is a professor of art history at the university. A slightly bohemian figure, Sam's mom doesn't fit in with the bouffant, shirtwaist dress crowd of her friends' mothers. Sam herself doesn't fit in with the girls in her freshman class at the high school, still caught in that in-between world of not being a little girl and not yet being grown up. While the other girls in her class want to do things like practice kissing and writing to celebrities, Sam still likes to hula hoop and collect bugs in a jar. Until the night she meets her classmate's brother Stone.
Sam's mother meets Perry, a new professor in her department who teaches photography and they develop a relationship. Perry introduces Sam to photography and she discovers it is something she loves. Through Perry, Sam and her mother get involved in the racial issues of the day, helping black people to register to vote and sticking up for black people in the segregated shops in town. Unfortunately, Stone's father is the head of the White Citizens'Council, a KKK-type organization without the hoods and capes.
In the midst of her blooming romance with Stone who, unlike his father, believes in the rights of all people, Sam is thrown into the middle of riots, political unrest, and even murder, capturing much of it on the camera that Perry has given her. Stone, trying to somehow stop the things his father is doing, and not knowing all of his father's sins, keeps showing up during the horrors, appearing to be with the other side. Sam doesn't know what to think and confronts Stone with proof of what his father has done.
In the end Sam and her mother end up basically being run out of town through her mother's firing and inability to find another job. However, in leaving, they are moving toward a better life so while you ache for what they have been through, you rejoice in what they are moving toward.
Booklist rates this book as being for grades 5-8, but School Library Journal puts it at grades 7-10. Given the subject matter and sometimes graphic descriptions I would have to agree with SLJ. While this is a work of fiction, I find it to be a relatively accurate accounting of the happenings of the 60's from James Meredith, the first black student at the University of Mississippi to Medgar Evers' assassination. I would call it a must-read for anyone interested in the history of segregation in the south.
July 13, 2015
McMullan can make me feel warm and fuzzy, and then furious, all in a matter of a few pages. It may be hard to appreciate the level of racial hatred and fear in the US during the 1960s. But McMullan’s dialogue and description do well to personalize this shameful chapter of US history.
14-year-old Sam and her mom are transplants from the North, struggling against the firmly rooted traditions of Mississippi family privilege and caste. The struggle plays out in parlors and dining rooms – Christmas with Grandma, conversations with bitter Aunt Ida, and dinner with the McLemores. I was sure Mr. McLemore was a voice of reason until he started reminding Sam’s mom of her proper place.
The scenes of busywork at school are another infuriating strong point: it’s high school taught like kindergarten. Conformity and control are the most important lessons, and the catfights among the girls take priority over any other form of learning.
McMullan creates plenty of interesting teachable moments herself. She lived in Mississippi during the time she writes about, and her family was involved in civil rights actions. I now know more about the Citizens Council, James Meredith, Eudora Welty, and how different TV celebrities closed out their shows.
Sam is the narrator, which makes it tougher to present the pain within the black community. Sam’s maid, Willa Mae, provides that perspective. She has one of the best lines of the book, in response to deflecting hatred with love; “I’m not there yet.”
The line between pure and sinister is drawn thick and bold – standard young adult clarity. Perry, the freelance photographer, is the brightest knight in shining armor. Stone McLemore, Sam’s prospective boyfriend, provides some helpful ambiguity.
My only significant complaint hinges upon a next-to-impossible sequence of coincidences to resolve the climax. I’m not sure what else McMullan could have arranged, though. And I’m glad she figured out something: Sources of Light is a brilliant story.
14-year-old Sam and her mom are transplants from the North, struggling against the firmly rooted traditions of Mississippi family privilege and caste. The struggle plays out in parlors and dining rooms – Christmas with Grandma, conversations with bitter Aunt Ida, and dinner with the McLemores. I was sure Mr. McLemore was a voice of reason until he started reminding Sam’s mom of her proper place.
The scenes of busywork at school are another infuriating strong point: it’s high school taught like kindergarten. Conformity and control are the most important lessons, and the catfights among the girls take priority over any other form of learning.
McMullan creates plenty of interesting teachable moments herself. She lived in Mississippi during the time she writes about, and her family was involved in civil rights actions. I now know more about the Citizens Council, James Meredith, Eudora Welty, and how different TV celebrities closed out their shows.
Sam is the narrator, which makes it tougher to present the pain within the black community. Sam’s maid, Willa Mae, provides that perspective. She has one of the best lines of the book, in response to deflecting hatred with love; “I’m not there yet.”
The line between pure and sinister is drawn thick and bold – standard young adult clarity. Perry, the freelance photographer, is the brightest knight in shining armor. Stone McLemore, Sam’s prospective boyfriend, provides some helpful ambiguity.
My only significant complaint hinges upon a next-to-impossible sequence of coincidences to resolve the climax. I’m not sure what else McMullan could have arranged, though. And I’m glad she figured out something: Sources of Light is a brilliant story.
May 16, 2012
Rated 1 - 10
Quality of Writing:
Descriptions: 7 - Most of the descriptions were good but I wish that the descriptions of how she learned to take pictures and how the pictures were developed were better described. I’ve read other books that describe it better and taking pictures weren’t even the main focus of them.
Words: 5
Dialogue: 5
Pace: 4
Ease of Reading: 10
Enjoyability: 5 - How it is written makes it feel very unemotional which I actually think is pretty cool in some books. You don’t feel overwhelmed by the over dramatization but sometimes it’s not a good thing because then you don’t feel any emotion for the story.
Chapters: 1 - It had some really long chapters that you just wanted to end.
Plot:
Begining: 6
Middle: 2 - It was getting really slow for me and I was actually tempted to just stop reading but thankfully I continued because the last part of it was the best.
End: 10
Development: 7
Insightfulness: 1
Completeness: 7 - It was focused on the main character’s point of view but it made all the the other’s lives feel too empty because they didn’t explain themselves fully to the girl.
Over all Plot: 7
Characters:
Personalities: 6
Depth: 4
Development: 8 - The main character developed really well throughout the story though it didn’t seem that anyone else did.
Realisticness: 9 - At the end in the author’s note she says that’s lots of it is similar to her own experiance when she was young and those around her and you can feel that throughout the book.
Enjoyabiltiy: 7
Insightfulness: 3
“Writers thrive on conflict- hopefully in our work and not in our lives. Our job is to reflect and interpret trouble. After a time, we should become skilled at finding the shadows so that perhaps our readers may recognize the light.”
Quality of Writing:
Descriptions: 7 - Most of the descriptions were good but I wish that the descriptions of how she learned to take pictures and how the pictures were developed were better described. I’ve read other books that describe it better and taking pictures weren’t even the main focus of them.
Words: 5
Dialogue: 5
Pace: 4
Ease of Reading: 10
Enjoyability: 5 - How it is written makes it feel very unemotional which I actually think is pretty cool in some books. You don’t feel overwhelmed by the over dramatization but sometimes it’s not a good thing because then you don’t feel any emotion for the story.
Chapters: 1 - It had some really long chapters that you just wanted to end.
Plot:
Begining: 6
Middle: 2 - It was getting really slow for me and I was actually tempted to just stop reading but thankfully I continued because the last part of it was the best.
End: 10
Development: 7
Insightfulness: 1
Completeness: 7 - It was focused on the main character’s point of view but it made all the the other’s lives feel too empty because they didn’t explain themselves fully to the girl.
Over all Plot: 7
Characters:
Personalities: 6
Depth: 4
Development: 8 - The main character developed really well throughout the story though it didn’t seem that anyone else did.
Realisticness: 9 - At the end in the author’s note she says that’s lots of it is similar to her own experiance when she was young and those around her and you can feel that throughout the book.
Enjoyabiltiy: 7
Insightfulness: 3
“Writers thrive on conflict- hopefully in our work and not in our lives. Our job is to reflect and interpret trouble. After a time, we should become skilled at finding the shadows so that perhaps our readers may recognize the light.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews