maandag 15 juni 2009

books I lived in

This second blog is about a book from an American writer. The booktitle is *Freshwater road", the author's name Denise Nicholas. The novel is based on experiences from the time Denise was still young.
It is 1964. Celeste, a nineteen year old black North-American student, decides to travel to Missisippi to join the Freedom Movement there. Her reasons are various: from personal circumstances to idealistic. When she gets involved in the organization in Pineyville sle learns about the difference between the North and the South. She encounters the reasons of of being non-violent in a violent atmosphere. But she also meets violence where she least expected it, and found out that black or white are not necessarrily what she thought it would be. Issues like race, class and gender are placed in a time that may seem longtime ago... But is it really?
What struck me was the fact that such a young girl made that big a choice, to leave safety behind for some unknown adventure. It was very recognizable, next to the fact that idealistic ideas may come from very personal reasons. I also related to the fact that she felt like an outsider at many places, wether it was home or far away from there. It becomes very clear that life is about choices. And tho we may not always make the right ones, all can be used as life's lessons... An honest, sometimes shocking, and yet warm an compelling book that also gives an insight in the world's history.
























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