Corky is a 13-year old girl in the racially segregated 1960s, High Cotton, Texas. Her friend America is 16 and has super athletic skills so she wants to join the local softball team. Corky now starts to witness the racial division, the scandal in town, the challenging norms and defying them. She also navigates teen emotions and their friendship.
A coming of age story, but the narration had so many details it kept slowing my reading down, maybe it wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

Book Title: Mockingbird Summer
Author: Lynda Rutledge
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 rounded up
Pages: 303

. Our protagonist Kathryn Kay ‘Corky’ Corcoran is turning thirteen and her little world revolves around her father’s drugstore, the library, church, and school. The Librarian, Miss Raynelle Delacourt knows Corky loves to read and believes that now is a good time for her to read the 1930’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Corky Corcoran is about to burst from tomboy to full-blown teenage boy crazy and then hopefully a young adult.

Corky's mother Belle contracted polio as a child leaving one leg weaker than the other so father hires\Evangeline a woman from Haiti to help with the household help. She has a sixteen year old daughter America Evangeline Willcox. Corky quickly befriends America’ and takes her to softball practice with her. Corky immediately recognizes America’s athletic ability and talks her into playing for the church’s softball team. However this sets off a racially divided High Cotton, Texas. Corky doesn’t understand the racial division; but there are some folks in town who definitely have feelings as to who belongs where.

Story is based somewhat on ‘o Kill a Mockingbird’ thus the title of this story.

This is a great story. The ending is GREAT!

Additionally I love the ‘Author’s Note- in fact, it is a story in itself!
I also remember the 60’s. I grew up in a small blue collar town in West Virginia.
I also enjoyed her Acknowledgements. I truly appreciate when the author takes time to give us the background information; love the ‘inside scoop on the motivation and/or inspiration in writing a story.

Also want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 30, 2024.

Wow what a thought provoking story written through a young child’s eye. Couldn’t put it down, makes you sit back and think how hard it was in that era with all the uproar.

An amazing coming to age story about Corky, who is witnessing the racial division in Texas. Extremely emotional and touching. I really loved this one and loved the relationship between as Corky and America!

I was intrigued by the title which sets the scene instantly. For me, I found the book dragged a little and I wasn't sure who the reading audience was supposed to be, i.e. is this a young adult book? There were explanations sprinkled throughout that made it seem that way and perhaps that would be the right audience for this book.
I did not find some of the characters or situations to feel entirely authentic and I wondered about how the author made some of her decisions. Yet, the town itself was well described and it was easy to picture it in my head as I read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

It is the summer of 1964, in High Cotton, Texas. Kathryn (Corky) Corcoran is a newly minted teen, and when her mother's Haitian housekeeper Evangeline brings her 16 year old named America to the house, Corky becomes enamored with America and all of her talents. Will America help the Baptist girls' softball team overtake the Methodists? Will Corky learn life lessons that shake up both her and their small town?

Rutledge paints an exquisite portrait of living in small-town America in the racially segregated 1960s. I felt like I was there alongside Corky and America. The dog Roy Rogers wasn't a minor character; he was completely incorporated into the story. The author even makes reading about a baseball game exciting!

My main problem with this novel is how the author treated the character America and race. I wonder if there was a sensitivity reader. I'm just one middle-aged white woman, so I know that a marginalized voice would be better to give voice to this, and perhaps it just bugged ME. The character of America is so exceptional. She has the MOST American name. She is the BEST runner (ties with a current Olympian). She is the BEST softball player. She is the BEST seamstress. She is a GREAT pianist. Because she is SO EXCEPTIONAL, America is invited to play for the (bad) white girls' team. The whole moral of the story is everything that Black women have been saying forever: You have to be 5 times as good to just get an opportunity. This crappy softball team was willing to cross the racial divide (that they were much fine with) only when it benefited them, not because racial equality was a concept to strive for in and of itself. The message seems to be that you should be a white savior when you'll benefit from it.

Before I think on it and get even more irritated, I'll stop. I liked the vibes of this story (5 stars for vibes), but its thoughts on race - might well be accurate for the time - may incense some readers.

In segregated High Cotton, Texas there is a North Side and a South Side, divided by the train tracks.
Thirteen year old Corky Corcoran’s family hires a new housekeeper who brings her daughter America with her. Corky and her brother soon find out America is as fast as an Olympian woman. They ask her to join their church rivals softball game and it soon makes a huge uproar in the town.

I really enjoyed reading Mockingbird Summer. It was a very powerful, emotional novel. I love the characters and the way they were portrayed. The story felt it went to fast.

This is a case of seeing an author that I have heard great things about and requested the book without paying too much attention to the plot. I should have, as I am not really interested in this storyline. The title and the character reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" makes sense now. I rarely enjoy books that talk about other books, especially if its is talking about my favorite book of all time. This one is just not going to be for me right now. Perhaps in the future I can pick this up and give it a second chance.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoyed this story but found it to be slow at times. It deals with 13-year-old Corky Corcoran and how one summer made a difference in her life. Her family employees a Haitian housekeeper, who has a daughter named America. At the time the story takes place segregation is very much in effect. Corky wants to be friends with America, but she lives on the other side of the track because of her race. When it is discovered America is a very fast runner and an excellent softball player, it creates strife in the town. Some people want her to play, and some are against her because of the color of her skin. Corky learns a lot about friendship and the world in this story. I enjoyed most of it, but I felt the ending was a little unbelievable. I don't want to give the ending away, but it just seemed a lot of time with no contact. Mostly, I liked the story though.

This book is set in 1960s Texas, and tells the story of a young white girl, “Corky” who longs to be friends with her mother’s Black housekeeper’s daughter, America. America is a nearly supernaturally athletic wunderkind, and when the adults in Corky’s sphere discover the Black girl’s superpower, they are tripping all over themselves to get her on the all-white Baptist girls’ softball team before the traditional summer face-off against the Methodists. Now I’ve told you everything you need to know to guess how the rest of the story plays out.

Obviously, Corky’s family and the Baptist pastor are the Good White People. Obviously, Corky’s brother, Mack, who’s been away at college for a year, is unusually enlightened and progressive for a 1960s era white boy. Obviously, the Baptist girls’ team (underdogs before America joined the team) are going to win the “big game”. And obviously, there are going to be some very unhappy racist white people in tiny High Cotton, Texas that decide to pick a fight.

The plot is twee and predictable, the pace is slow, the constant handing off of perspective from one character to another mid-chapter is awkward and jarring, and the dialogue and mood are very squeaky-clean in an inauthentic and preachy-preachy way. It feels very contrived, all for the purpose of making white people feel good about Corky’s “colorblind” efforts to bridge a great racial divide. I think my uber-conservative evangelical parents would love it.

To top it off, the epilogue leaves us with “20/20” Covid-era hindsight, giving us a peek at grown-up Corky’s life. We learn that she spent the rest of her life continuing to benefit from the comfort and privilege of her whiteness, always thinking back fondly about her Black “friend” America. It puts a sweet little bow on the story… without dealing in any real way with the ugliness that was exposed to many during the post-George Floyd unrest, from which most people have moved on without making any effort toward perspective shift and positive antiracist social action.

I am the first to admit that, as a middle class white American woman, I still have a long way to go. I am not, nor will I ever be, “there”: I’ve learned enough over the last few years to see that re-learning how to understand race will be a lifelong effort on my part. To me, this novel just felt tone-deaf and quite icky, frankly, in ways I couldn’t overlook. I wanted so much to love it, but I sadly did not. I guess it was too much to hope for any of the characters in this novel to have experienced a truly meaningful transformation by the end.

A deeply touching novel. From the moment I met Corky, I fell head over heels in love. Mockingbird Summer is set in Texas in the summer of 1964 and the story follows Corky as she navigates the racial tensions in her town.

This poignant novel explores the power of friendship, the impact of literature, and the inevitability of change during a pivotal summer in the lives of two young girls, Corky Corcoran and America, whose unlikely bond transcends the racial divides of their time.

Rutledge skillfully captures the essence of a small, segregated town on the brink of significant cultural shifts. The vivid portrayal of High Cotton sets the stage for a narrative that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. The racial tension of the era is palpable, and the author navigates this delicate subject matter with sensitivity, allowing readers to witness the transformative power of genuine connection.

The characters of Corky and America are beautifully developed, each carrying their own burdens and dreams. The friendship that blossoms between them, sparked by a shared love for Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," becomes a beacon of hope and inspiration in the face of societal expectations. Rutledge expertly weaves the impact of great literature into the narrative, showcasing its ability to shape perspectives and bridge divides.

The novel's exploration of courage, as Corky invites America to join her girls' softball team, is a powerful catalyst for change. The resulting firestorm in the town becomes a lens through which the reader witnesses the complexities of societal norms being challenged. Rutledge tackles these themes with a perfect blend of humor, poignancy, and an overarching sense of hope.

"Mockingbird Summer" resonates on a deep emotional level, leaving a lasting impression on readers. The storytelling is both engaging and evocative, inviting the audience to reflect on the enduring impact of friendship, literature, and the inevitability of change. While the resolution is satisfying, some readers might desire a more extended exploration of the characters' futures.

I've read author Lynda Rutledge before & I enjoyed her work, so was very pleased to be approved for her latest, "Mockingbird Summer", which is set in the mid 1960's in Texas during the civil rights movement period. The young & rather naive MC, Corky takes her fascination with "To Kill a Mockingbird" just a bit too far for her church, small town & the housekeeper's daughter who really deserves better. It's very character driven & feels authentic to the time & place. My thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for the complimentary DRC, my pleasure to review it.

This was a fast-paced, exciting read and I found the characters of Corky and America to be extremely well written. The author showed remarkable insight into the time period of the 1960's and of the racial tension that was a huge part of that era.

For me, there was way too much backstory on several non-important characters, and I didn't like the way the point of view/story teller changed now and then. However, I was so attached to Corky and America that I was happy to keep reading to find out what happened to each of them.

I loved the character of Corky and her inquisitiveness and her delight in reading!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely fabulous! Mockingbird Summer is a must read! It takes place in the summer of 1964 in racially segregated High Cotton, Texas where the northside and southside do not mix. The main character is Corky Corcoran, a 13 year old who is sweet, innocent, tender-hearted, inquisitive, a bit naive and yet driven. In this coming-of-age, historical novel, Corky is faced with the racial divide in her town during the growing civil rights movement in the country, the love for family and friends, what is morally right and wrong, her 13 year old adolescent emotions, and truly understanding what is going on with the people around her (which she doesn't always get). In addition to Corky, Rutledge created some amazing characters who stole my heart. It would make a great book club book as there are so many thoughts, feelings, happenings and quotes to discuss. Rutledge is a very talented writer. I can't stop thinking about this book! It will stay with me for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.

What a profoundly moving book. I absolutely loved Corky from the second I was introduced to her. There was something so relatable and heartwarming about her childhood innocence on the cusp of understanding the bigger world around her. Her friendship with America as she began to grasp the importance of defiance in the face of ignorance was my favourite thing. While everything about this book felt like a commentary on the 1960s, some of it was also timeless. I found myself almost tearing up at the end, the entire novel was so well written and incredibly beautiful, showing the importance of books and friendship. I think this has the potential to become a modern classic, it was easy to read but the impact and importance of the story is hard to sum up in a review. Simply incredible.

'I've been thinking about lines. Lines that we stand in. Lines that divide us. Lines that long ago, blurred for a moment at a little baseball field...And the lines others crossed to do wrong...'.

I believe that this quote could serve as a synopsis for this book; a summary of the summer of 1964 when Corky (Kathryn) Corcoran turned thirteen and desperately tried to become friends with America, a Haitian girl from the Southside. In her innocent, yet blundering attempts, to understand and befriend America, Corky's eyes are opened to America - the country she lives in. The heady heat of the Civil Rights movement, the hypocrisy of women's right to equality, and the escalation of the Vietnam War.

Corky invites her friend America to join the Baptist Church girl's softball team. The pastor, coach, and other girls grow to admire and rely on her skills but not everyone in the small, Texan town is so open-minded to a mixed team. Tensions begin to boil after each practice and threaten to erupt as the game against a rival team looms. 'In big times of change, 'normal' is what is being changed'.

'Mockingbird Summer' touches upon a lot of big issues, through the eyes of a child who begins to understand the world as a young adult. There is plenty to ponder and appreciate, 'And, as life changing stories sometimes do, it all began with a book'. If you enjoy historical fiction, American history, and coming-of-age stories, this one is for you.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would start by saying that the concept of this book has a lot of potential, but it feels more like a miss than a hit to me. Maybe this is partly because I am not American - I can imagine that an American reader would find it easier to relate to both the cultural background described in the book and its characters.

**Spoilers below**

The references to To Kill a Mockingbird are plentiful, though I had higher hopes that this book would deliver more impactful connections to the original book. For example, in the scene where Mack is upset after reading To Kill a Mockingbird, enraged by the racial injustice he experiences first hand, that is a good opportunity to offer a different, and perhaps more mature, perspective to the issue from an older character than Corky. Unfortunately, this story is then told heavily in a third person narrative, making it much less relatable than if it was told in Mack's voice.

There are a lot of details in the narration, but I am not sure if all of them add value to the book and make the storyline more interesting. At times, it could feel laborious to have to get through the sheer amount of details. I also feel that the story might develop in a more natural and engaging way if it was more driven by conversations and events rather than the third person narration.

I really wanted to like this book - unfortunately it is not for me. 2.5/5

4 stars

A must read! This was such a heavy book but it didn’t feel that way while reading it. I loved the characters, I loved the history, I loved what I took away from my reading experience.
This is 100% going on my physical shelf.

"Mockingbird Summer" by Lynda Rutledge is a poignant and powerful coming-of-age novel set in the racially divided town of High Cotton, Texas, during the transformative era of the 1960s.

In this last summer of thirteen-year-old Corky Corcoran's childhood, her family hires a Haitian housekeeper, bringing along her daughter, America. As Corky befriends America, they share experiences, including their perspectives on the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird." America's interpretation of the book is deeply personal, adding a layer of complexity to their growing friendship. Despite the racial tensions in High Cotton, Corky learns that America possesses a remarkable skill—she can run as fast as Olympian Wilma Rudolph.

The narrative takes a turn when Corky invites America to join her girls' softball team for the annual church rivals game. This decision challenges racial boundaries, sparking a series of events that ignite tensions in the community. The story explores the repercussions of their friendship and the changes that unfold in High Cotton during a time of significant cultural shifts.

"Mockingbird Summer" delves into themes of friendship, the impact of literature, and the weight of unfulfilled potential. With a blend of humor, poignancy, and hope, Lynda Rutledge crafts a narrative that captures the essence of a transformative period in American history and the enduring power of human connection.

Readers can anticipate a heartfelt exploration of race, friendship, and the courage to challenge societal norms in "Mockingbird Summer." The novel promises to offer a moving and insightful narrative against the backdrop of a changing world.