This poignant story of the South in the 50s and 60s is told in the voice of three women in Jackson, Mississippi. It portrays the distant but symbiotic relationships between blacks and whites; “the line” that must not be crossed. These women resolve to defy the convention. One lacks the socially requisite “ring on her finger”. One mourns the terrible loss of her son. One speaks too honestly “outside her place” and loses jobs for this temerity. These women grow to trust each other and achieve a goal “unthinkable”. Along the way, they deal with fear, reprisals, lies, vindictiveness, and the indignities of double standards. This brave first novel is beautifully written about a time many people still recall.

Reviewed by Sheila C., Morrison Regional

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