The Dry Grass of August

The Dry Grass of August, by Anna Jean Mayhew

A story set in the 1950s, The Dry Grass of August tackles the difficult issues surrounding integration, and prejudice in the deep south. I love the story from the perspective of Jubie, a white teenager, who has a beautiful love for her black maid. Life for them in North Carolina is very different than the deep south, and on a visit to an uncle's home in Florida, Jubie sees it in person. She starts to see the increasing prejudice on the car ride, at hotels, in restaurants, everywhere. Her mother continues to do all she can to make sure the maid is treated fairly, but society doesn't make it easy.

There is an undercurrent of trouble in the family at home, and the road trip is made without Jubie's father. Upon arrival at her uncle's house, we find that her uncle is divorced, a single father, and throughout the story, the threads of that plot unravel.

But the heartwarming, and eventually heartbreaking plot intertwined with the family issues is that of Mary, the maid, and her place in the family and in society. On the return trip, tragedy strikes, or rather society strikes, and the family is turned upside down.

We as readers get to watch Jubie grow throughout the book, because of the issues in her family, as well as what she is exposed to with Mary, and her transformation is beautiful.

While this book has similar undertones to The Help, it is much more than just that. We see the view from that of a teenager, who has her own thoughts and opinions, and is shocked and hurt by society. It is a beautifully written book, a quick read, one I didn't want to put down!