Jordan, Hillary ; Mudbound - Informal Buddy Read; Start date 2 January 2015

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

This topic is open for discussion of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan


Book Synopsis:
In Jordan's prize-winning debut, prejudice takes many forms, both subtle and brutal. It is 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband's Mississippi Delta farm—a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family's struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura's brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not—charming, handsome, and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South. It is the unlikely friendship of these brothers-in-arms that drives this powerful novel to its inexorable conclusion.

The men and women of each family relate their versions of events and we are drawn into their lives as they become players in a tragedy on the grandest scale. As Kingsolver says of Hillary Jordan, "Her characters walked straight out of 1940s Mississippi and into the part of my brain where sympathy and anger and love reside, leaving my heart racing. They are with me still.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

Reserved

[Srividya]

Great! Am in for this :) Thank you Mods :)

[Rebecca]

I'm going to try to make time because I'm very intrigued.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Yep, I'm in!

[B'burg Linda]

I'd like to join in Mudbound,too, if that's ok. However, this will be my first buddy read and I'm not very clear on the procedure. Are we starting to read on January 2, or are we to be ready to discuss the book on that date?

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Of course you're welcome, Linda! Anyone is. What typically happens during a buddy read is that we try to start reading on the start date and then we just discuss the book as we go. Some people might ask questions about what you thought about this or that scene, aspect, etc, and then others might just pop in and say how they felt about some part they just read. It is usually very informal, not like the Book of the Month, which has a set list of DQ (daily questions). As far as I know, we do not have to all read at the same pace, just pop in as you go.

If you do start the book before the start date of the buddy read, just make sure you do not have it completed as "READ" until after TT3 starts if you want to get credit for doing a buddy read for TT3. And if you read it before the start date, feel free to jump into the discussion once we start.

[Margaret]

Count me in!

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Yay!

[Sarah]

I have been trying to get this nominated for a BOM all year, yet lots of my other noms made it, this was the one I so badly wanted - so thank you for joining me on this one. So excited.

[Shinjini]

I'm in. :)

[Stacie]

I'll be in for this one too :)

[Rebecca]

Ooh I forgot about this one! It'll be my first book of 2015

[B'burg Linda]

Got the book and am ready to go - but probably not until the weekend.

[Sarah]

I hope everyone will join me in this one. I may start in a couple of days.

[Srividya]

Sarah.. will start reading this one over the weekend as I am really behind in all my other reads! Looking forward to this one again. And am sure that once I start reading it, I won't stop, so want to finish a few other pending ones before I get ensnared by this one! :)

[Sarah]

Yes - tomorrow I plan to finish Still Alice before I start this one. I also still need to finish Crime and Punishment.

[Rebecca]

I'm starting this today (but won't have time to read any during the weekend)!

[Rebecca]

Around page 76 (there aren't any chapter numbers)

The beginning is a little slow, but I was quickly interested in the characters.

(view spoiler)[The section about Ronsel's time in the war was a very interested and different (At least for me) perspective. It's so interested how differently he was treated in Europe compared with back home, even as a soldier defending his country.

Poor Laura. I hope things get better for her.

If my husband came home and said by the way I bought a farm.... I would be LIVID! Granted this is a different time period, but still how can you go and make a life changing decision without consulting your wife? And the way he says "I'm sure I must have mentioned it". Gah. I'm so angry for Laura right now.

And THEN you find out that her husband got cheated out of his house by not getting anything in writing. It's almost too annoying. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished part 1 - this is the kind of book that makes me angry while reading it. The racism and sexism of some of the characters is just infuriating. Makes me glad to be alive now and not in the past.

(view spoiler)[Yes, Ronsel's time in the war is indeed very interesting to read about. I saw a documentary years ago that was about London during WW2 which had some interesting info other than the usual stuff about the bombings, etc. One of the things they talked about was the issues there were with some of the white American soldiers who were used to segregation not being able to cope with the idea that there wasn't any segregation in the UK and that there was nothing they could do. It was something that hadn't occurred to me either.

Henry is so annoying. He really can't see how uprooting his whole family and going to live on a farm and suddenly become a farmer might not be what Laura was expecting nor wanting. I cheer everytime that Laura puts her foot down about something. Since he made such a massive change he should be ready to compromise on a few things but he just complains about Laura no longer being the dutiful wife she once was.

I'm also angry at him for the way he is treating Hap and Florence. I hope they don't have to go back to share croping. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished part 2

(view spoiler)[It's been quite slow going but engrossing. I think the pace may be picked up now that Jamie and Ronsel are back home.

It looks like Ronsel will be attacked or killed because of a friendship that will develop between him and Jamie. I wonder if Pappy will have anything to do with it. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished Part 3 and the book

(view spoiler)[So Ronsel doesn't die, yay! But they beat him up and cut his tongue out, boo!

At the end Ronsel was the only male character I liked. Even Hap got on my nerves because he couldn't see that Ronsel should leave and that the farming life was not for him. I'm going to believe the happy ending for Ronsel that was proposed at the end was what happened.

For me the main drawback of the book was that although the story is told from multiple points of view I didn't feel I really got to know the characters apart from possibly Laura as her story took up the most pages. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Well Pigletto that was quick. Can't wait to read your spoilers.

[[deleted user]]

Sarah wrote: "Well Pigletto that was quick. Can't wait to read your spoilers."

I found this a quick read and I really wanted to know what happened.

[Stacie]

I'm not very far in at all but wanted to comment on a couple of things. First,I am so glad I didn't live in this time period. I have a hard time with the "n word" as it is so to have it be so casual is jarring.

Second, when they got Laura a dress with puffed sleeves, I immediately thought of Anne of Green Gables and now I can't picture anyone else. Laura seems like a strong woman who was born in a time that didn't truly appreciate how amazing she is.

[Srividya]

Wow Pigletto that was really fast!! Now am really curious to start this one!

[Sarah]

Stacie wrote: "I'm not very far in at all but wanted to comment on a couple of things. First,I am so glad I didn't live in this time period. I have a hard time with the "n word" as it is so to have it be so cas..."

OMG Stacie - I have a child with a black man - American - and he uses the N word all the time to addresse his friends or whatever. Apparently it is slang that only black people can use, but I hate it, I have huge problems with it. I think it is complete ignorance and there are plenty of African Americans that agree with me, but it is used by many and it is "Nigga" so it is a little different. But I just really don't like it.

[Stacie]

Sarah wrote: "Stacie wrote: "I'm not very far in at all but wanted to comment on a couple of things. First,I am so glad I didn't live in this time period. I have a hard time with the "n word" as it is so to ha..."


Me either!!! I don't see the point of it. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one having issues with it.


I just finished part one and I really can't stand Henry or his father and I just want Laura to grab the girls and run.

[Stacie]

Pigletto wrote: "Finished part 2

It's been quite slow going but engrossing. I think the pace may be picked up now that Jamie and Ronsel are back ..."

So sad that just being friends with someone is grounds for everyone to judge and hate you. I'm moving to part three now and I don't have a great feeling.

[Stacie]

That ended completely different than I expected. Good book.

[Rebecca]

"Sarah wrote: "Stacie wrote: "I'm not very far in at all but wanted to comment on a couple of things. First,I am so glad I didn't live in this time period. I have a hard time with the "n word" as it is so to ha..."

I agree with you both also. I'm listening to the audiobook so I flinch a little every time they say it in my ears. It's so grating that I just can't imagine how people used/still use it with such meanness.

[Rebecca]

I'm also hooked into this book and even though it's filled with so much hate, there is also love and the characters are really well developed and true.

It's interested how the author shows all these different levels of prejudice. Not just sexism and racism (and there is a lot of this). But also some characters seem to be disgusted or at least disagree (ex: Laura) with some things that are said, but still have prejudices of their own. No one is perfect and no one is totally virtuous.

[Sarah]

I would say most people don't use the word today, unless to be mean, and black people using it to each other has a very different connotation, but given the history, I still think it is in poor judgement and poor taste. I do think it is important in these historical books however because it is being used in a way to represent the time, language, and way of thinking.

[Sarah]

First chapter - what can I already see - (view spoiler)[ Jamie and Laura don't seemed to have liked Jamie's father. He seems to have been a man to fear. He must have been abusive. Jamie sure does seem preoccupied with his lack of whiskey, which tells me one thing, alcoholic, and mixed with being a war vet it sounds like Jamie is going to have some demons of his own to contend with. This has intrigued me. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Well I already suspect Hilary Jordan is going to master some great character development, but also, I think her writing is gorgeous - the second chapter - Laura - wow I am in love with the first few paragraphs (page 11) describing the place and her work. Love the descriptions. This was a debut novel too.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

I haven't started yet, but shall soon. Of course, I need to get it from library first.

[Rebecca]

I'm about 52% through the book and (view spoiler)[ Where is Jamie?! We got a glimpse of him at the beginning, but I feel like we haven't seen him in a while. I wonder when he's going to return to the family farm. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Page 11 -"Sucking at my feet like a greedy newborn on the breast." (Referring to the mud. I love that sentence.

[Sarah]

Page 28 - "My legs went suddenly boneless."

[Margaret]

I am reading this on my Kindle and I am at 20% not sure if part 1 or 2, I haven't been paying attention, so to be safe I'll respond to what you have commented on Sarah. I'll be more aware of where I am in the book in the future. I agree about the N word, it makes me cringe but considering the era and the realism of this book, I have to take it in stride :).

I agree Sarah, I love the descriptions. I wasn't too sure of the choppiness in the beginning but I am warming up to it, which I am glad because I hate abandoning books. I am a bit particular with the style of writing. I'm in for the journey, I guess.

[Sarah]

Done with Laura's first chapter. (view spoiler)[ The courtship of Laura seemed sincere enough, but Henry's family - that is too bad. And an educated woman is by far superior to Henry's dimwitted sisters. But I have a sense of foreboding. Maybe the way the second chapter is set up with Laura's talks about beginnings and endings and everyone will tell it different. But I hope Henry is a good man. I am suspicious. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Oh yes Margaret - am glad to discuss with you, glad to see you here.

[Sarah]

I am actually looking forward to getting in the head of another character. I think there are four POVs? We will see. Nothing too racially charged for me yet except the incident with Pappy's grave. So I must read on.

[Margaret]

Sarah wrote: "Done with Laura's first chapter. [spoilers removed]"

yes! I am juggling books but enjoying what I am reading, that is always a plus :) (view spoiler)[Reading about Henry put up a warning flag in me and it seems that their romance seemed a bit rushed and not much feeling or romance. At least it seemed that way to me. Yep, Henry's family, yikes, getting a bad feeling on that one! (hide spoiler)]

[Margaret]

Sarah wrote: "I am actually looking forward to getting in the head of another character. I think there are four POVs? We will see. Nothing too racially charged for me yet except the incident with Pappy's grave. ..."

Another time and place, thank goodness! I hate prejudice with a passion. Books dealing with it if sensitivity done is one of my favorite genres.

[Sarah]

I just read Ronsel's first chapter and prejudices can be seen from many sides (view spoiler)[ Ronsel's tank of men just refused to help a fellow white soldier and wouldn't let him in the tank when he desperately needed help. It was also fascinating about his experience in England and the lack of racism present. (hide spoiler)]

[Stacie]

Sarah wrote: "I just read Ronsel's first chapter and prejudices can be seen from many sides [spoilers removed]"

I was fascinated by the differences in racism from one continent to the other. I'm not a big history buff but it made me wonder how true that was and it really just made me want to move.

[Rebecca]

I really love that we get to see many people's point of views in this book. It makes it more real and allows you to really get in their head and see events from their eyes. It give such dimension to the characters especially because they are so different, it wouldn't make such an impact if the whole story is told from just Laura's POV.

[Rebecca]

Okay I powered through and finished it. I agree with Stacie, the ending (view spoiler)[ was not what I expected. It's especially different than what I was thinking when we started the book and got a glimpse into the future.

I hope what Ronsel said was true and he got to do all of those things. I like that it was left open-ended. (hide spoiler)]

[B'burg Linda]

I'm almost finished with Part 1 and am liking it so much more than I thought I would. I have to remember that just because a book deals with a painful subject is no reason to avoid the book, especially if so many people liked it and recommend it.

(view spoiler)[ That said, my initial thought is to cheer that we know right from the beginning that Pappy got what he deserved! Now, to find out what havoc and pain he caused to get there. (hide spoiler)]