The Summer We Got Saved Book

I am fascinated by this subject matter and I truly wanted to love this book. I did like it for the most part (which is a 3-star rating, by definition), but it had some shortcomings that really detracted from its overall quality, in my opinion. The author, who is a native of the region, is courageous in turning a rather unflinching eye on the racism that was rampant and embedded in the culture at that pivotal time and she tries to convey a "winds of change" atmosphere. Clearly, the reader is meant to see a positive transformation in the characters' attitudes toward race through their own personal experiences, but I thought the evidence was rather scanty that the characters had truly grown to internalize the fallacy of racism. I'm not convinced that this recognition had actually sunk in on anything but a superficial level. I felt that Aunt Eugenia was a little stereotypical, almost cartoonish, as an enlightened former Southerner-turned-Californian. I was not convinced that the lessons learned at Highland Folk School actually "took" on Tab and Tina. I was encouraged by Charles, who worked hard to campaign for a candidate opposing the extremely racist George Wallace, and it was very interesting how the author wove in the sad tale of the actual Wallace opponent being killed in a plane crash. The author also does a decent job of portraying the fear and resistance that some blacks felt about integration - it was a surprise to me to discover that many would have preferred leaving things separate. However, this is entirely consistent with human nature - many people simply fear and abhor change. I found the ending unsatisfactory - it felt unfinished, somehow, like it's crying out for a sequel - and it was sometimes difficult to switch between the two or three separate story lines. I was hoping for a more graceful convergence of the stories, but it really never happened for me. I would have loved to see a reunion between Maudie and Tab, who knew each other at a much earlier point in their lives, but it didn't happen. Another troubling issue was the inexplicable marriage between Jessie and his wife, Carlie. They were married but never interacted, and Jessie (the dad) seemed to have full charge of their son, JD. And he fell in love with Maudie. The whole time I'm thinking,"What the hell? Isn't this guy married to Carlie?" That needed more explanation, in my opinion. All of this being said, though, I did enjoy reading it for the historical perspective - learning about that election and the Highland Folk School, if nothing else.