Mockingbird Summer is a coming of age story following 13 year old Corky (Kathryn) Corcoran during the eventful summer of 1964. Corky is becoming more observant of the way the world works and questioning of its many injustices. Life in her small town of High Cotton, Texas becomes more interesting and challenging to her as issues of race, gender and class come to the fore. Her family’s new housekeeper brings her daughter, 16 year old America, to work one day. Corky becomes enamoured with America, and America’s speed and skills with a ball see her recruited to Corky’s church softball team. This creates a lot of tension since America is Black and comes from the wrong sides of the tracks literally and figuratively. Meanwhile Corky’s mother wants a part time job but her father objects fearing people would see it as a sign his business was failing, there’s a sit-in at the soda fountain of his pharmacy, Corky’s brother Mack is home from the college for the summer and his liberal views are juxtaposed against the town’s more conservative values, and there are signs of an effort to revive the KKK in town.

This was an easy to read story with many parallels to To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published just a few years before this story is set. At the behest of the librarian Corky borrows it early in the novel and the book is a recurring motif throughout. TKAM is set during the 1930s and it is clear that not much has changed in the South in the interim. Corky is a charming character, curious and well-meaning but rather naive. The summer of the novel really opens her mind and heart, influencing her life’s path. That the book also features a kind, influential and progressive librarian, plus a memorable dog full of personality are additional pluses.

Overall I enjoyed Mockingbird Summer and its exploration of race, civil rights, gender and class. It was a story that went down easy and would be a good pick for readers seeking a gentle approach to issues like racial discrimination. However, I was left wanting a little more. It made heavy use of foreshadowing and the recurring references to To Kill a Mockingbird meant the climax seemed a little underwhelming. Tensions simmered but didn’t boil over as violently as I feared - which isn’t to downplay the way America’s family and Mack were impacted.

I would have loved to hear more directly from America, to get her perspective on the events she was unwittingly inciting, the racism of the time, and to see Corky through her eyes. Her words and actions indicated an awareness and insightfulness that Corky, being white, had not needed to develop. A more direct juxtaposition of their thoughts and experiences could have given this story an additional layer of depth.

3.5 stars
As To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books ever, and I absolutely adored West With Giraffes, I was super happy to see Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge on the list of soon to be released novels in 2024. Set in the early 1960's, the story centers on 13-year-old Corky and her new friend, the daughter of her mother's new household help whose name is America. The novel's focus is the annual softball game between the Methodist and Baptist girls, and the hope of the Baptists to finally win a game with super-athlete America playing on their side. There is one stumbling block, however, America, who lives on the Southside of the railroad tracks, is Black and there are Baptist deacons who are not in favor of her playing.

Lynda Rutledge writes a not-too-harrowing story of the friendship between two girls on both sides of the Civil Rights movement in 1960's Texas. The story is somewhat predictable, with much less involvement of the book than I expected, and I was not as emotionally involved in it as I hoped. Through the course of the book, naive Corky develops some understanding of the racial issues facing her friend, but her insensitivity was a little disturbing at times. Overall, it was enjoyable, and a good, fairly quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the digital ARC of Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge. The opinions in this review are my own.

It's a coming of age novel set in a racially divided small town in the 1960s. The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a major part of this book as 13 year old Corky reads it for the first time and befriends America when she comes with her mother to work for Corky's family. Corky is compelled to think about why blacks are treated the way they are and how unjust all of it really is. It's a good book but not amazing. It gave off very "too kill a mocking bird", "secret life of bees" and "the help" kinda vibes. I love all 3 of them but this was not up to their standards. Also, reading this book reminded me of my teens when I first read these racial books and how I felt then.

Mockingbird Summer highlights the skill of the author as she carefully and effectively explores the roots and contradictions of hatred based on skin color alongside the socioeconomic impact of generational wealth (or lack thereof) in a novel that uses a young teen coming of age to tackle these topics. Caught in the middle of generational attitudes about the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, 13 year old Corky straddles adulthood as she strives to understand the attitudes and actions of others in response to her new acquaintance (to her, friend) America’s involvement in the annual summer softball game. A talented athlete whose speed and skills end up challenging the equilibrium of their small Texas town, America is caught in the middle in a different way. With the guidance of her brother, and the patience and forgiveness of America, Corky starts to understand how her own actions, grounded in naivete, are hurtful and harmful. As she processes the messages in Harper’s To Kill a Mockingbird, she learns what matters to her while she questions the whys and hows of racism, friendship, and love.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Netgalley, and the for early access to this important novel.

This is one of those books where I feel like something monumental is going to happen but then it just keeps going and going and going. I know it is supposed to be deep but geez was it slow. And I hate books that end a chapter with something like, “but little did she know, her life was about to change forever” and then you still have to wait chapters to get there. I understand what this book was trying to do but I was relatively bored and felt the dialogue was juvenile.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The writing style just wasn’t for me, it felt clunky and was quite info dumpy, which made it quite hard to get in to the story. I gave it until 25% but ultimately it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this coming-of-age story set in 1964. The story is narrated by 13-year-old Corky, and it is a refreshing and unique look at the world through her young eyes. One forgets how puzzling and sometimes upsetting life can be at that age. Lynda Rutledge is brilliant at conveying those feelings at that age, and at that turbulent time in history. I think I particularly identified with Corky, as I was about that age at that time in history. The book explores all of the important issues of that time, racial tensions, the Vietnam War, and the beginning of the women's fight for equality and a place in the job market. The plot delves into how these issues affected both Corky, her family and friends, especially the amazing, athletic America. The final chapters as the adult Corky reflects on her life were a fitting end to this marvelous, heartwarming story! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

I think I was expecting this to be on the same level as Where the crawdads sing and others I’ve read with coming of age themes but it just wasn’t as good. It was written in a very simplistic style which might have worked but in the end made it feel immature.

I have the ebook of the author's previous novel (West with Giraffes) on my kindle. Though I have not read it yet, I heard great things about it, so I snagged the arc of this book when I saw it was available. Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a letdown.

Mockingbird Summer is a coming of age story set in the tumultuous 1960s about two girls in a rural Texas town: Corky, a white girl from an affluent family, and America, an older black girl from the proverbial and literal "other side of the tracks." The primary themes in the novel are racism, sexism, and classism.

As several other reviewers indicated, the book read as though it was intended for a young adult audience. I think this would be a great novel for middle and high school students to read for a realistic portrayal of a small southern town in the 1960's that is resistant to changing and growing with regard to diversity, acceptance, and equality. However, as an adult reader, I found it a bit simplistic and it did not really pick up or capture my attention until the end. My favorite part of the book was the last two chapters, which jumped forward to present day when the main characters are now older adults, living during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this book to read and review.

Very good book! The ending could've been abit more satisfying, but it was overall good. It reads abit like a YA novel for being an adult novel.

Thirteen year old Corky Corcoran learns a lot in the summer of 1964. In segregated Texas, she makes a friend with her Haitian housekeeper’s daughter. Tension in the town grows and make for big changes.

West for Giraffes was one of my favorite books the year that I read it so I was excited to read this one, especially after hearing the plot. The time period in the book is one of my favorites to read about, about it was interesting to see it from Corky’s eyes. This book reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, which interestingly plays a role in the story itself. Watching Corky come of age and understand the world around her, good and bad, was an incredible experience.

“This was the world Corky had grown up in. And the world you grow up in always feels like the way it has always been and will always be. Until it isn’t.”

Mockingbird Summer comes out 1/30.

Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge is some of the best writing I’ve read in some time. I absolutely loved this story.
A stunning coming of age story that is set in the 60s centered around 13 year old Corky who is navigating into young adulthood and sadly going through a racial divide in her small town in Texas.
I thought MS was both engaging and emotional.
The storytelling was captivating with characters who are just as sweet as this book.
A beautifully written book that once I started I literally couldn’t stop!

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a perfect coming of age story. I wanted to read Mockingbird Summer because I love anything set in the 60s, but this novel really delivered on character and plot as well as setting. I felt the opening chapters were a bit slow, and I was concerned I wasn't going to enjoy the story, but there was enough to keep me reading and it really was a beautiful read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is one of the best coming of age stories I’ve read in a while!
It is cantered around Tom-boyish Corky and her brother Mack navigating their teenage years within 1960s in the midst of racial divide. Making their own friendships and relationships.
The story telling and scene setting throughout the whole book was amazing, the small town in Texas really came to life in every little detail.
I couldn’t put this book down it was so beautifully written from start to finish.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and the author Lynda Rutledge for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to the release date I’m so grateful

Mockingbird Summer is set in High Cotton, Texas- in the summer of 1964. High Cotton is a small, segregated town, separated by the railroad tracks that run through town, separated by churches and schools.
The main character is Kathryn “Corky” Corcoran. She is sheltered 13 year old in a world changing around her. Corky loves to read so when the Town Librarian gives her a copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” she starts asking questions about the issues in the book that she does not understand.
The author does a very good job of telling the story from several perspectives. Corky may be the main character in the story, but it is the other characters like Her parents, her brother Mack, Pastor Pete and her new friend America that bring the story to the pages.
America’s mom works for the Corcoran family. Corky’s friendship with America leads to an invitation to join the church softball team. Many people in the town have something to say about a black girl playing on the white church softball team. Tensions are high and events leading up to the softball game ensure that this town will never be the same.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Lynda Rutledge, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for granting me access to an advance copy of Mockingbird Summer in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's West with Giraffes, so I welcomed the opportunity to read an ARC of her new book. Mockingbird Summer unfolds as a captivating coming-of-age novel, exploring profound issues of the early sixties against the backdrop of the era's literary gem, To Kill a Mockingbird.

The protagonist, Corky, embarks on a transformative summer that unveils a broader understanding of the world. Forming an unlikely friendship with an older black girl from across the tracks, she becomes acquainted with the disparities in equality and opportunity between the two worlds.

This book touches on many sensitive topics, including racism, generational gaps, and cultural differences, to name a few. I believe the author managed to capture the essence of small-town Texas in the '60s, and even though some characters may seem stereotypical, the narrative simply thrives. For me, this book was a page-turner.

This is the second book I have read from this author and I could not put it down once I started. This is a coming of age book about a 13 year old girl that is growing up in Texas in the 60's during segregation. She meets a girl from the wrong side of the track and has her eyes opened to the world around her. At the same time, her mother is trying to branch out and her brother is trying to decide what his future will look like. Of course, there is the family dog, Roy Rogers, as well who is off the leash and ready to explore and maybe show his teeth a bit. I am not going to spoil this for others, This is definitely worth the read and I greatly enjoyed it. I will be recommending this book to others. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This is a gem.

This is my second book by Lynda Rutledge and I have really enjoyed both books that I’ve read. Mockingbird Summer was more of a coming-of-age, young adult novel about some serious issues that people faced during the early sixties. She builds these issues around the popular novel of the time, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Set in the small Texas town of High Cotton, a young girl named Corky is experiencing a pivotal summer as she learns much more about the world. Having befriended an older black girl from across the tracks, Corky realizes that not everything is as it should be in terms of equality and opportunity.

Corky is lucky in that she has a wonderful family and community to guide her as she questions racism and a few other serious topics. Her older brother Mack is the big brother every kid needs and the perfect connector between Corky and her parents. He sees life from a younger perspective, which helps his parents embrace the changes the world is experiencing.

I think Rutledge accurately captured small town Texas in the 60’s. I felt some of the characters were a bit stereotypical, but I liked that there were so many in the town that had a desire to do the right thing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A beautiful, yet sad touching story of friendship in a racially tense small Texas town set in 1964. I felt like I knew the characters and loved the majority of them including Roy Rogers. So many emotions were felt throughout; the author tells the story from the POV from each girl so eloquently. I cried buckets of tears at the end.
An engaging story with well-crafted characters that I highly recommend.

Like some other reviewers, I love To Kill A Mockingbird, and hoped to equally enjoy this book. Sadly, I did not.

Mockingbird Summer is a coming of age story about Corky Corcoron and her friend, America. America's mom comes to clean at Corky's home and the two develop a friendship.

I feel like the book dragged until the softball game scene.

Corky is an incredibly naive girl who didn't understand the world outside of her hometown of High Cotton, Texas. I would have enjoyed more dialogue between the two girls exploring America's emotions. I think the characters could have had more depth as America explained to Corky what it felt like to read To Kill a Mockingbird.

As some other reviewers have expressed, the book read as though it was written for a young adult reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

#MockingbirdSummer #NetGalley