Nicholas, Denise. Freshwater Road, a novel.

NICHOLAS, Denise. Freshwater Road, a novel. Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books. 410p. c2005. 1-4165-2482-7. $14.00. SA*

This is a story about Freedom Summer in Mississippi, 1964. It is based on the author's own experiences of that time. The main character is a black student, Celeste, who is a sophomore at the University of Michigan, a child of Detroit who had never been South before. She knows her parents wouldn't want her to risk her life in Mississippi so she doesn't tell them her plans until she is already in Jackson. The main narrative is about Celeste's experiences living with an elderly woman in a small community; she teaches children during the day and prepares adults to register to vote in the evenings. The young black man driving her to the town is stopped by police and beaten, with Celeste waiting, trembling in the car; white people shoot up the house she stays in, so she has to sleep on the floor the rest of the summer; the local black church where she meets her students every day is burned down; she herself is arrested and threatened by the sheriff, told to go back where she came from and not meddle in their lives. This is a powerful story in itself.

Another part of Celeste's story is that of her identity as a black woman. Her mother is quite light skinned and dismisses their heritage whenever possible; she left her children with their father, a successful bar owner and numbers runner in Detroit. Celeste dated a white man her first year in college, but had just broken up with him, confused, as she left for Mississippi. Some of the story is told in intermittent chapters about Celeste's father (these sections aren't going to be as powerful for YAs) as he worries about Celeste's safety and voices his pride in being black; he wants to protect his children and see that they get educated and have successful lives. Oddly enough, the old Southern woman housing Celeste voices much the same argument to her when Celeste considers taking a leave from college and remaining in Mississippi through the winter--that Celeste should finish her education, not worry her father, and can help her race best by being successful. Celeste meets Ed, a black graduate student also working in the One Man, One Vote campaign, and they are strongly attracted to one another. Not only is there the physical magnet, but they are joined together in this movement that is larger than themselves--the fear, the despair, the hope. This is an honest and vivid story, a complement to any study of the Civil Rights Movement. The discussion questions at the back of the book help clarify the many issues raised by Celeste's experiences. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommend for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.