Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen Mudbound by Hillary Jordan as her pick of the month for June. In Costco Connection, which goes to many of the warehouse club's members, she wrote: "Because I've lived in Seattle my whole life, I have a deep appreciation for books that have the power to transport me to other, unfamiliar places. Hillary Jordan's Mudbound is exactly that kind of book. "Set in the Mississippi Delta in 1946, Mudbound is told through several voices. City-bred Laura finds the cotton farm where she and her husband, Henry, now live strange and frightening. Henry is far too trusting, which results in the couple and their children living in a shack. "Then there's the friendship between two men freshly returned from World War II. Henry's charming brother, Jaime, fights the demons he brought home from the war, while Ronsel Jackson, the son of a sharecropper, is transformed from war hero to just another black man. "Mudbound is a testament to the power of a great book."

I can’t say enough about this spellbounding, intense book. Mudbound examines the lives of both a white farm family and a black share cropper family in the years right after World War II. Both families welcome home a soldier returning from Europe. Sharing such a common history and bond, these two men gravitate towards each other much to the dismay of both families. Friendships such as these were a secret, fearful thing in the days of Jim Crow. The war had taken these men, broadened their horizons and now had placed them back in a world of dark suspicions, hatred and discrimination. This is the first novel for Hillary Jordan, and it truly is incredible. Powerful, simplistic writing, characters that are fully developed and real, and a story that will haunt me for a long, long time. The story unfolds as seen through the eyes of different characters, each viewpoint is so evolved and complete that the reader has no difficulty in identifying the storyteller at any given moment. Like an engine coming down the track, we can see where we are coming from and where we are going in this potent story of racism and its’ effects. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Set in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow era, the story revolves around two brothers, Henry and Jamie. Henry is married and tied to his land, heavily influenced by his racist father. Jamie is a free spirit, attractive to women and without the prejudice his father and brother share. When Jamie befriends a black man named Ronsel he brings down the wrath of the entire community. Of all the books written using these same themes, this is one of the better titles. Of course, the best of the best is William Faulkner, but Jordan writes a pretty good caliber of fiction.

A terrific but intensely painful read. Wonderful. Read this, then read The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson to get the lived history behind the story.

Very well written - haunting, gritty, all too real. Interesting perspectives on Southern race relations after WW2.

I found this a good summer read . It was easy to pick up for a few moments of intense reading whenever the chance came. Good writing and descriptive encounters between the characters. Very true to the time and place.