This month, I'm bringing out an old favorite...Coming of Age in Mississippi, by Anne Moody. This book is an autobiography, which chronicles Moody's life from the time she's a child in Mississippi in the 1940s until the peak of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. (I know...the past two books kind of seem to have a theme here...but I guess I just really enjoy reading about the Civil Rights Movement!)
This book is one that I have read several times--the first time I read Coming of Age in Mississippi was when I was student teaching in the spring of 2003 (which is when I fell in love with this book)--and each time I read it, I fall in love with it all over again. When I first picked it up, I thought it wouldn't interest me--even though I am a lover of history and a history teacher, I hate to read non-fiction books. I much prefer fiction (especially well-written historical fiction!) than I do non-fiction.
However, from the first sentence, Coming of Age in Mississippi gripped my interest and, even though I have finished this book several times, it hasn't let go. Moody writes in such a way that you feel as if you are living her experiences with her--and you only want to know more, and more, and more. Her writing reads like an extremely well-written novel, and you have to continue to remind yourself time and again that the book isn't fiction. The experiences she lived through will truly amaze you--you watch her grow from a blissfully ignorant child into a resentful teen and, ultimately, a heroic adult.
Some of my favorite stories include (and I don't want to give too much away...) her run-in with her white neighbors at the movies when she was a child, the first time she realized that people hated her simply because she was black, her multiple attempts at sit-ins and her rising through the ranks in the Civil Rights Movement. Each story is better than the last--and there is not one page of the book where you feel as if you are bored or as if the story being told is superfluous and simply filler to make the book longer.
I chose this book this month because last week I was teaching my students about the Civil Rights movement and as an in-class activity, the students were assigned specific sections of Coming of Age in Mississippi to read and compare. Anne Moody's life gives the reader such a thorough portrayal of all of the phases of the Civil Rights Movement that the book makes for a great educational tool. When my students were discussing the book, it reminded me of what an amazing read it is, and made me realize how much I want to share it.
If it sounds like I'm gushing about Coming of Age in Mississippi, well, it's because I am! There are truly not enough wonderful things I can say about this book. Therefore, I strongly urge you to check it out. I assure you, you will love it as much as I do!
(If you click anywhere it says Coming of Age in Mississippi you will be taken right to the book on amazon.com.)
However, from the first sentence, Coming of Age in Mississippi gripped my interest and, even though I have finished this book several times, it hasn't let go. Moody writes in such a way that you feel as if you are living her experiences with her--and you only want to know more, and more, and more. Her writing reads like an extremely well-written novel, and you have to continue to remind yourself time and again that the book isn't fiction. The experiences she lived through will truly amaze you--you watch her grow from a blissfully ignorant child into a resentful teen and, ultimately, a heroic adult.
Some of my favorite stories include (and I don't want to give too much away...) her run-in with her white neighbors at the movies when she was a child, the first time she realized that people hated her simply because she was black, her multiple attempts at sit-ins and her rising through the ranks in the Civil Rights Movement. Each story is better than the last--and there is not one page of the book where you feel as if you are bored or as if the story being told is superfluous and simply filler to make the book longer.
I chose this book this month because last week I was teaching my students about the Civil Rights movement and as an in-class activity, the students were assigned specific sections of Coming of Age in Mississippi to read and compare. Anne Moody's life gives the reader such a thorough portrayal of all of the phases of the Civil Rights Movement that the book makes for a great educational tool. When my students were discussing the book, it reminded me of what an amazing read it is, and made me realize how much I want to share it.
If it sounds like I'm gushing about Coming of Age in Mississippi, well, it's because I am! There are truly not enough wonderful things I can say about this book. Therefore, I strongly urge you to check it out. I assure you, you will love it as much as I do!
(If you click anywhere it says Coming of Age in Mississippi you will be taken right to the book on amazon.com.)
Have any great book recommendations to share? Did you read Coming of Age in Mississippi and want to share your thoughts with us? Email us at theaccessorizedlife@gmail.com!
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