Rurality

Sometimes we think that we have come far, but we really haven't. In some parts of the deep south, there is still rampant racism, and that is a sad fact. Kristin Gore touches upon that in "Sweet Jiminy," and it's quite disturbing.  Ms Gore's first two books were set in modern Washington DC, a setting i would think she would be familiar with, so I was still surprised to find that the setting of her third novel is in rural Mississippi. But she sounds like she knows this place just as well, for her descriptions of the place and its characters ring true as well. This story is part mystery, part love story, part morality tale - and it's all good. The mystery part isn't as rich - you can see the resolution a mile away - but for me it's more symbolic than anything else, a metaphor of how things have not changed. The love story part was cute and believable - you like these characters and root for them to stay together. The overall message is pretty clear, and is kind of sad. I sometimes cannot believe how intolerance still permeates in some parts of the United States. This is more than a nice summer read, it's a story with a heart and soul. Oh, and full disclosure: I voted for her father for President. In my heart, he won. 

BC-35