Proper Suda

by Mike Whicker

The year is 1921. In Evansville, Indiana, a teenage girl from England keeps a diary of her new life in America. Suda Mae Jackson is a "proper girl from Hucknall" and life in a new land is often humorous, occasionally somber, and never boring. Suda meets a young man, Tommy O'Donnell, and enjoys a normal teenage life in the "Roaring Twenties." But trouble brews. One day Suda finds herself in a conflict with the powerful leader of the local Ku Klux Klan. The conflict swells until Tommy, while trying to protect Suda, is accused of murder. Fast forward to 2002. Joe Rocker, captain of his high school football team, is popular with classmates and teachers. His future is bright and Joe is content with life. But life is about to change. One day, while working with his father on an old house, Joe stumbles upon a hidden diary. It is the diary of a young English girl and her story captivates Joe. Some mysterious missing pages leave Joe with a mystery he must solve. "By interweaving a present-day high school senior's adventures with a well-researched account of an immigrant girl's experiences with the 1920s KKK in Evansville, Indiana, this suspenseful and fast-paced novel will intrigue young adult and mature audiences alike." -- Susanna Hoeness-Krupsaw, Associate Professor of English, University of Southern Indiana.

Genres: Historical Fiction

164 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2003

About the author

Mike Whicker is a Colorado native. He now resides in the Midwest. Whicker is the author of the Erika Lehmann WW II spy trilogy, Invitation to Valhalla, Blood of the Reich, and Return to Valhalla. Whicker also authored the novel Proper Suda.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical novel with a backstory almost as interesting as its narrative. During the 2002-2003 school year teacher/author Mike Whicker and his Reitz High School writing club set out on a historical journey to their hometown of Evansville Indiana. This slim, quick read was the final product.

The narrative swings between 1921 and modern time, with a diary written by a feisty British emmigre named Suda serving as the link. Although somewhat unrealistic in its action and plot resolutions, it is still an admirable effort.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! Love the history of Evansville. Felt like you knew the characters.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book about some local history here in Evansville, IN. High school football star / construction assistent to his Dad, Joe Rocker finds a diary buried inside a wall of a home being remodeled on Wabash Avenue. He decides to take it with him as it might get him extra credit in History class at Reitz High School. He never guessed this little diary would change the course of his senior year of high school. The diary belongs to a young English woman named Suda who left England for Indiana in the 1920s. She's a fiesty character and he gets sucked in to her narrative especially when it ends up documenting Ku Klux Klan activities in her neighborhood.

Thin book - can read in one night - but an enthralling story.

[Jonathan Tomes]

Mike Whicker wrote two other books (Invitation to Valhalla and Blood of the Reich) that I enjoyed, and Proper Suda is another wonderful book. Suda is the name of a young woman who immigrates from England in the 1920’s to take care of a distant relative. The author masterfully interweaves her story with that of a high school football star who discovers her diary approximately 80 years later. The diary recounts her voyage, her processing at Ellis Island, and her life with her relative in Evansville, Indiana. She runs afoul of the Ku Klux Klan, which was more focused on Catholics than Blacks at that point in history. But the diary is incomplete—the final pages had been torn out. The football star is so fascinated with a mystery arising out of her conflict with the Klan that he researches her life. He teams up with a Goth girl who turns out to be Suda’s great-granddaughter and they ultimately solve the mystery, weaving Suda’s life into those of today’s young people. A brilliant concept, beautifully done, with a moving, highly satisfactory, ending. Five stars, easily.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting that an author/ high school teacher' s project for his class was to research and write this book. It would be great to say " Yes, I was first published in high school." There are lesson packets also available for teachers.

It tells the story of a remarkable, opinionated, "proper" English girl who comes th America to care for an elderly, widowed cousin. It gives an interesting face to life in 1921 Indiana. She doesn't mind tangling with even the KKK! A nice story.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly written coming of age story primarily set in the 1920s amid the resurgence of KKK influence in Indiana. Author adeptly integrates issues of immigration, prejudice, and society in a fast paced narrative that is intertwined with a contemporary setting where all things are different and all things are the same.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read--very entertaining. Written by a local high school teacher here in Evansville, Indiana and based on historical fact. The main character in the book is actually buried at a local cemetary.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The result of a high school creative writing class, this short fiction is quite well done. A very nice surprise :-).

[Mandy]

Takes place in hometown

I worked on this book in high school, but didn't think I had ever read the final product. It was fun to come back to this and revisit the story.

[Mary]

It was a really sweet true-ish story! Very neat to see the historical significance..