Book Description:
Like a tornado, the civil rights movement struck Birmingham in the spring of ’63. In this coming of age novel we are swept into the separate cultures of the south.
Two girls, one black and one white, endure the pain and prejudice of segregation. The girls mature and pursue the same profession until one fateful day when a force of nature sweeps in and rearranges their lives.
My Thoughts:
I recently read and reviewed a book dealing with the same subject in the same place, Through Angel’s Eyes by Steve Theunissen.
I can never get enough of certain times in history and 1960’s anything is one of them. Especially when it’s about human rights and segregation. I am a child of the 60’s, born in 1963, right when the protest were really heating up.
I still can’t wrap my head around why it is that there are people who think they are better than someone else that has a different skin color. I was born and raised in Minnesota but I would hope I would have felt the same way had I come from the south.
One of the main characters in this book, Martha Ann, a white girl in Birmingham ponder this question. She didn’t know if it was right or wrong by she wanted to know why. Her father, especially, was very racist.
While Through Angel’s Eyes was focused primarily on the African American population and was narrated by Angel, a 13 year old African American girl, March With Me focuses on both sides of the issue. There were two narrators, a white girl, Martha Ann and an African American girl, Letitia.
I liked this approach, it showed two girls one on each side of the tracks. The characters were well defined. The writing was great for the most part but sometimes the narration seemed to change from first person. I also found the characters say something out of character for their age, especially Martha Ann.
However, I loved that Turner let us into the world of two different girls from both sides. To me that was unique from other books I have read on this topic. I recommend this book!
4/5
About Rosalie Turner:
Rosalie Turner is the award-winning author of five books. Her novel, Sisters of Valor, recently received the Military Writers Society of America Bronze Award for Fiction.
While living in Jacksonville, FL she was awarded the JC Penney Award for establishing an inner city reading program.
Rosalie divides her time between New Mexico and Alabama.
Thanks to Stephanie Barko, Literary Publicist, I am giving away one copy of March With Me. This giveaway is open to internationally. Print copy for U.S. or Canada, ebook for other. This offer ends on March 29, 2013. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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I am interested in researching black and white female friendships in literature, so this title sounds appealing. Thanks for the interview.
Sounds like a fascinating book with some good lessons.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
Nice review!
More books are coming out on this period and are all so interesting. Thank you.
Great Review! Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
I enjoyed the review and the book sounds compelling and special. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
Experiencing the rage of a racist father when I wanted to date someone who’s skin was slightly more than a few shades darker really draws me into these types of books.