Apparently this book is the first one for author Anne Rivers Siddons. The story focuses on Maggie Deloach as she returns for the summer term before her senior year at a small southern white college in 1956. The weather is hot and steamy and Elvis is hitting his stride. Maggie is the stereotypical popular sorority girl on campus—excelling in her classes but expecting to receive her “Mrs.” along with her degree. A visit to her boyfriend’s plantation home introduces her to a life even more steeped in tradition and drawn racial lines than her own. While there a jailbreak takes place. When one of the captured men is brought back to town, Maggie finds herself looking into the eyes of the prisoner and seeing herself.

I’ve read and enjoyed many of Ms. Siddons’ southern literature books and this one was no exception. Having been in a college sorority in the 1960’s, I also found some of the discussions of sorority life to be quite familiar. ( )

civil rights era and college girl Maggie is naive and learning. Writes an editorial that causes flap among college and Boots, her southern racist boyfriend. Has some college folks who enlighten her and lead her.....Aiken, Hoyt. Easy story ( )

this book was terrible. ( )