Mudbound Hillary Jordan

William Heinemann 2008. Review date: 19/03/2008

A Flavour of the Book: “Back in ’34, when he was still working for the railroad, Pappy had killed a man, an escaped convict from Parchman who tried to rob some passengers at gunpoint. Pappy pulled his own pistol and shot him right in the eyeball. A single shot, delivered with deadeye accuracy…”

The Authortrek View: This is a brilliant debut novel from an exceptional author. The story is set on a cotton farm in Mississippi, just after the Second World War. Laura and her children are brought there by her husband, the dour Henry, who is excited by the prospect of maintaining his own land. Unfortunately, Henry expects everyone to be as straight dealing as him, and so is somewhat surprised when the landlord sells the house that he was planning to rent for his wife and children. Since he has lost the deposit, there is nowhere else for his wife and children to live but the shack on his land. Laura makes do, and reluctantly settles into the shack, but also has to put up with the presence of Pappy, Henry’s irascible father. Laura has a rather less romantic view of the land, which leads to her and the children naming the shack ‘Mudbound’. Life is made a lot more bearable by the hiring of the local black midwife, Florence, as maid. She too has an investment in the farm, as her family are also tenants on it, something that leads to rather uneasy relations with Henry McAllan and his family. Still, the practical Henry has made a fair assessment of his tenants, and has only asked those to leave who were not pulling their weight. Despite this, Henry is still imbued with the racial prejudices of his heritage, something that his Pappy has no doubt contributed to.

There are signs though, that their environment is evolving. Florence’s son, Ronsel, has just come back from the war, where he fought as a sergeant in the tanks. This experience, despite the horrors he has seen, has boosted his self-esteem – so much so, that he finds it difficult to hold his tongue in the presence of white men. Jamie McAllan, Henry’s younger son, has also just returned from the war, although he seems more haunted by his experiences, and takes refuge in the bottle. All these ingredients combine, and lead to a devastating conclusion… The only thing wrong with this novel is one that Hillary Jordan’s can’t help – the cover – for the UK design is rather too grey and drab to quicken the pulse, and gives no indication of the exquisite prose to be found within. Hillary Jordan is a masterful storyteller. Her simple yet lyrical prose reminds me greatly of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Her characterisation skills are just as powerful. Each of the main protagonists narrates the story from their own point of view, and Hillary Jordan really gets into their skins. However, it’s Hillary Jordan’s narrative skills that are the most impressive – she will leave you gasping out loud with the most dramatic turns of the story. Mudbound is an outstanding debut.

You can read a resume of the book on our Amazon store below. To find out more about the editor, please visit our Hillary Jordan page.

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