Mudbound

 Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (2008) 328 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla. There were six narrators since chapters of the book switch between the point of view of each of the six main characters. I watched the movie adaptation by Dee Rees back when it was released on Netflix in 2017 and have had the novel on my reading list for awhile. The movie has a strong ensemble cast. There are two sharecropper families in the Mississippi Delta in the years following WWII. The black family, the Jacksons, are one of the tenants, and the white family, the McAllans are the landlord. We get to know husband and wife Hap and Florence Jackson and their grown son Ronsel. We also meet brothers Henry and Jamie McAllan, their father Pappy, and Henry's new wife Laura. In the movie, the friendship that forms between Jamie and Ronsel, who are both just back from serving in the war, stands out as they commiserate over their war experiences and struggle with being back in the Jim Crow south. In the book, Laura is responsible for the largest portion of the narration. Mudbound is the name of the farm, a name given by one of the McAllans' young daughters. It is a name not as grand as Henry would like, but one that Laura who is from the "civilized" city of Memphis feels is a perfect fit. Each character is clearly drawn. The family dynamics of parents and children, older brother and younger brother, and husband and wife are relatable. Pappy is clearly a villain with nearly no redeeming features, but even the "good" white characters show their racism when challenged. There are twists in the drama that I did not remember from the movie as it builds to its conclusion.