Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

The recurring word that comes to me as I think about this novel is "gritty". This is a raw, well-told tale of love, sacrifice, faith, hatred, ignorance, and triumph. I was consistently reminded of Steinbeck as I read Mudbound. The time and setting of Jordan's novel is reminiscent of Steinbeck but more than that, she has a way of getting down to the grittiest bits of human nature, much like what Steinbeck's characters show us in East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath. Jordan lays each character bare until it's difficult to know who to love and who to despise. The characters are infuriating and endearing at once. They inflict horrendous pain on one another and then acts of great love. Again, like Steinbeck, at the end of it I was not left with a happy ending or a sad one, but a hopeful one. I closed the cover hoping they all turn out okay after all.

You will find an official plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3759973-mudbound.