Revolution

     "Gillette and I look out the back window. A police siren wails, then stops. Men with rifles, men with signs, are everywhere on the street, shouting. Someone throws a bottle and it shatters on the building, close to our car. Instinctively I shrink back and Audrey shrieks."

     Recently I purchased a copy of Deborah Wiles' Revolution. But when I started reading it I realized I'd reviewed it fifteen years ago. I decided to reread it anyway. I'm very glad that I did. In my opinion it's more relevant today than it was hot off the press. Although falling under the category of historical fiction, it is remarkably prescient for reasons I promise to explain.

     Twelve-year-old Sunny has been told that Greenwood, Mississippi is being invaded by agitators. In anticipation of the 1964 presidential election organizations were collaborating to send college students to spend the Freedom Summer living with local families to get Blacks registered to vote, teach in freedom schools, provide much needed resources, and protect those who tried to register from violent white retaliation. At first she doesn't understand what all the commotion is about.

     "I still don't understand why the Negroes need the vote and can't have it, why the white people are so upset, why the police are so strange, what the unrest is about, and why the agitators are here."

     And at first she is only bothered by how the unrest messes up her summer as in the swimming pool is closed to everyone to avoid integration. But she's curious and open to new perspectives which is much more than I can say about most of the adult white characters. This makes her story a true coming of age narrative.

     One of the book's true strengths is its use of materials from the 60s to provide a sense of time and place. Placed between chapters are photos, news stories, quotes, and lyrics of protest songs--forming a multifaceted quilt of contextualization.

     So why does it speak to me as it does? Well there's the whole issue of renewed calls for voter restrictions based on the false narrative of widespread voter fraud. And not just in the South. This year in Maine we fortunately defeated question which contained provisions targeting groups powers that be would like disenfranchised. Unfortunately it's when, not if, it will reappear.

     Another reason is the virulence of the hatred voiced by the whites opposed to the changes people of color and their allies were working for. What we're seeing on the part of white supremacist hate groups today is equally horrifying. 

     I'm trying to imagine someone in 2075 writing a similar narrative set in the time we're groping our way through.

     On a purrrsonal note, I made a Goodwill run today. (I didn't get produce at Hannaford because with that big old turkey Eugene got from work the fridge is packed solid.) I really was in luck. I found Christmas cat 🐈 😻 velour leggings with original tags that are a purrrfect match for the velour top Eugene gave me last year, Santa Baby pajamas, really cute kids 10-12 pastel onesie pajamas, and an awesome kit to make an awesome owl picture. I actually got in 2 hours of outside reading. And I jogged to the mailbox and back. I finally feel comfortable running. 

A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful son, Adam. I'm so looking forward to seeing him at Thanksgiving at the in-laws. 

Jules Hathaway 

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