There have been many books about the Civil Rights Movement over the years. Many have detailed important moments in American history. However, there's likely few that open with passages as staggering as Endisha Ida Mae Holland's memoir. Before the audience has time to understand the world of young Ida, nicknamed Cat, there is a humiliating moment where her mother, nicknamed Ain't Baby, chastises her for wetting the bed. It's enough to suggest that the novel to follow won't be a serious and heartfelt exploration into one woman's life in Mississippi, but what follows is more than that. It's a story of redemption, heartbreak, and admiration for those who made a difference in our lives, no matter how minuscule the effort may be.
For the first two-thirds of the memoir, there isn't much discussion of Civil Rights, at least in the version that Cat would participate in around the 1960's. The first portion of the book follows her life and exploration as a young black woman, experiencing life through the typical phases of rebellion and discovering the value in her mother's contributions to the community. Ain't Baby may not be that well educated and speaks similarly, but there's a heart and earnestness in her faith to compensate. She is protective, but she also realizes the need for her daughter to live life. These revelations don't come immediately, but the struggle to get there is one of the story's strong suits.
In fact, the story is a unique look into how society was back then. Through firsthand accounts, the story focuses on the fascination that black society had with the whites, even wanting to see their movies. There was a reclusive nature as well, but it all added to a worldview where everyone knew their place. If nothing else, the novel manages to explore how the comfort zone made things work for awhile. That is, until Cat got the desire to leave town and try to live her own life. Her stories have the self-effacing mistakes of being a trashy circus performer and the thankful realization that there's better things out there.
It isn't until the third act that the book goes from its wildly fascinating stories to a more conventional one of Civil Rights. It almost plays like two separate stories, save for them being both Cat's story. The tone and prose are different, even having a more assured and enlightened feel to every line spoken. It also helps to show how change lead to some uncomfortable revelations that contradict the first half of the novel. Even then, it was a personal story about a mother and daughter trying to respect each other. The final chapter alone manages to tie everything beautifully together and makes it a vision of hope amid a somewhat unpromising start as a memoir about wetting the bed.
"From the Mississippi Delta" is a unique story that manages to hit all of the right notes in bringing the black experience to life. It's full of rich language and moments that strike the reader with permanent grace. It may be at times crass or familiar, but it all builds an image that isn't as clear cut as the history books would suggest. What is here is a story that doesn't get told often. Thankfully Holland has a knack for prose and makes everything pop with life and emotion. It may be a messy book, but it is also a hopeful one, asking the reader to make a difference in their life no matter what their background is. By the end of the book, you understand just what she means by that.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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