Molly Walling

I read this memoir because it was published as a part of the University Press of Mississippi's Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography. Willie Morris, particularly his book North Toward Home, has had a huge influence on my own unravelling of what it means to be white and Southern. Death in the Delta is one woman's story of trying to shed light on a family secret, but also of attempting to understand what her heritage has meant for her and her own identity.

Obviously, Ms. Walling's investigation of this family secret - that her father was involved in the racially motivated murders of two black men, Simon Tombs and David Jones. I can't imagine what it would be like to find that your own father was responsible for violence of this kind, although during the time period that this event happened it was common as dirt and covered up because, ultimately, the society at the time didn't think there was much wrong with it.

Ms. Walling offers insights into the state of race relations in Mississippi during the 1940's and beyond and if you've forgotten the things that were casually done to other human beings in the community (and not just in Mississippi or even just the South) this is a useful reminder. If you've never known what it was like, you should.

School desegration began when I was in the third grade in Memphis. In Memphis the desegregation was fairly smooth, partly because my school had always been racially integrated. My parents debated long and hard about whether they wanted to put me in private school, but in the end they decided that it was best for me to stand up for what was right and to begin learning how to live in a very different world.

I next went through the first year of desegregation in Dallas when I was in middle school and it was like surviving a war zone. Kids from the very poorest parts of the city were bussed into schools in the most privileged white parts of the city (G.W.'s house is in the neighborhood where we lived at the time). None of these kids had anything in common and none of them were interested in finding common ground. I got pushed, touched sexually, and verbally abused (although this abuse wasn't limited to the new kids in school - my classmates never could deal with my differences). Two white 8th grade boys were expelled and the school put on lockdown because automatic weapons were found in their lockers. It was my impression at the time that their parents knew they had taken them to school. I still have nightmares about some of the things I saw and experienced during that time, but I'm glad I was there because it allowed me to walk the walk of my own moral beliefs.

Lastly I remember going with a high school friend to swim at the Little Rock Country Club and watching all these rich white high school kids abuse the entirely black staff. I never went anywhere like that again because it made me so angry that I was physically ill. I've since spent a lot of time reading on racial politics, history, and constructs and have been privileged to have lived a life surrounded by diversity which taught me Dr. King's lesson about the content of character and its importance. I'm glad Ms. Walling opened herself up to this exploration and shared her journey with us. Not a perfect book, but a meaningful and insightful one.… (más)

Author: Molly Walling
Published By: University Press of Mississippi
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 4

Review:

"Death in the Delta: Uncovering a Mississippi family Secret" by Molly Walling was indeed some interesting read. This author upon acquiring information that her father had killed a black man back in 1946 in Anguilla, deep in the Mississippi Delta and it seems that her Dad got away with this 'scot-free.' Now Ms. Walling was talking to different people over what and how this happened...only she gets many versions of the story....now she wants to find out which one of these stories are the truth. When you are trying to look into 'family secrets' what do you really expect to find? Wasn't her father one who had come from the war and then worked for the paper...seeing all kinds of things going on...Yes this was the pre-civil right area....Wow! and definitely not a good time for the black man.

The author worked hard in bringing out different perspectives in her book that really bringing out a well written read. Does this author uncover the truth behind this big family secret? Now, this is the time I will say you must pick up "Death in the Delta: Uncovering a Mississippi Family Secret" to see will Ms. Walling expose her father's guilty agency in the deaths of Simon Toombs and David Jones?" Shot down because they would not run!

We will probably never know but I give it to the author for a least trying to set something that was wrong .... right even though she had gone against the advice of the family. As I read through this novel this author really went through a lot herself with her dad..the shaving of her legs....Wow.... the alcohol only leading to more disaster. Was this one of the secrets? Also it was interesting how Molly dealt with black people in getting the information that she was needed. Just what was true and what was lies...Wow! I found all of the people that were involved in this read were eally very intriguing people.

I thought this novel was some read and if you are in for a kind of non-fiction auto-biography of how racial tensions were high in the 40's ....in that home(s).... then I would recommend to you this good interesting read.… (más)