One Mississippi by Mark Childress-A Review

Well, all you have to do is take one look at my music list on my blog to know I would LOVE this book! First, it's set in the era of my high school years. Pop culture references abound and lull you into a real comfort zone. His writing reminds me of a cross between Ferrol Sams(one of my faves) and Willie Morris(another fave) with a little Pat Conroy(a la The Great Santini) thrown in. There is something about familiarity with a location that moves you faster into a story. I recognized a lot of the street names he mentioned in the book and lived in a couple of the same towns he featured.The hilarious storyline dealing with the original Christian musical written by the baptist music leader of the local church was truer than I wanted to admit. A surreal part of the book, for sure. Childress is a great storyteller. I started the book around lunchtime yesterday and finished up before supper. How's that for southern bookends to a reading afternoon? So grateful that teaching affords such a vast luxury of time in the summers.I thought he dealt with his characters in a pretty thorough way, especially the main character. The ending (after the jarring, surprising "pre" ending)left you wanting to know more about this family. If you like the style of the writers I listed above, you will enjoy this book. A perfect way to spend a lazy summer afternoon in the air-conditioning.Going to the library tomorrow to grab the rest of the books he's written.