Customer Reviews

Between Us Baxters

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BETWEEN US BAXTERS is a work of extraordinary sensitivity. The dynamics of small-town racism, family secrets, and most movingly, the bond between two girls whom no one wants to be friends are all portrayed with great honesty and attention to detail. A beautifully written and tensely plotted work -- readers will still be thinking about Polly, Timbre Ann, and the choices they face long after the last page.

Between Us Baxters, by Bethany Hegedus is a diamond waiting for readers to find. It is a tale of familial and cultural relationships brought to a breaking point in 1959 Georgia.

The settings are the white side of town and the Tracks, the black side of town. The conflict builds in intensity from the first page to the last. This is the kind of book that I couldn't wait to get on the subway to read (that's my longest stretch of reading time - as a straphanger) and actually stayed on the platform for when I got off at my work stop so that I could finish it.

The narrator, Polly is a like-able and struggling girl who as a protagonist was easy to root for and feel for. I especially liked that the mother and father were complex characters in their own right, neither one falling into stereotype, acting in surprising ways that became apparent as appropriate for them in hindsight. So many times the parents in YA fiction are simply cut and predictable but Ms. Hegedus has created wonderful characters that struggle in the gray area of right action, safe action, best action for yourself, and best action for people you love.

The feeling for the period of the book is perfectly evoked through dialog, simple details (black and white TV, three in the seat of a truck without seat belts), and Jim Crow Laws (who can sit in the back of the bus and who can sit in the front). A scene of Polly riding on a bus with her mother and having to watch a black woman with a crying baby leave the bus, knowing they'll have to walk the rest of the way because they don't have enough money to pay double fare, is heartbreaking. The issues of race and class are well delineated and provide the constraints from which all the players act out their dramas. The ending is wrenching and not neat, but that is as it should be.

The marketing for this book says it's for 5th - 9th grade and I can see this would be a terrific read for that age group - challenging them with its ideas and putting them (the reader) in the position of asking him/herself what they would do in Polly's situation? But don't let the marketers stop you if you're an older kid or adult from picking this diamond up and examining it page by page yourself. You'll find it well worth the time.

Boys and girls--of all races and backgrounds--would benefit from reading this powerful book set in the Jim Crow South. The novel deals with some difficult themes but in a sensitive and ultimately hopeful way. It is both broad and deep, and its characters, who would be so easy to stereotype, are finely crafted and as nuanced as real people. Like real girls, Polly and Timbre Ann (and their "salt and pepper" friendship) aren't perfect. But they learn from their mistakes and grow. This is an amazing literary debut, and I can't wait for the author's next novel, Truth with a Capital T, coming out next month!

Full disclosure: The author is a good friend, but as a journalist and former member of the National Book Critics Circle, I would never review a book favorably if I didn't really like it. YA books are my passion, and there are plenty of great ones to promote. This is one.

Polly and Timbre Ann are defying the rules during the tense Civil Rights Era by being friends. Polly is white and Timbre Ann is black. The tension immediately escalates as black businesses are burned to the ground in Holcolm County, Georgia and I wondered how long their relationship could possibly survive. Polly and her mother are alike in who they choose as friends--good, decent people--however racism, dark secrets and fear run in the family. Polly is an impressive, gutsy girl who won my heart. I laughed, cried and ached for her as her world went up in smoke. Bethany Hegedus beautifully draws readers into the complicated lives of two intertwined families; all victims of senseless hate.

I ordered BETWEEN US BAXTERS after I noticed it was named an Outstanding Children's Book by Bank Street's Awards Committee. I had no idea about the powerhouse of a story I was reading when I opened the cover. Then, I couldn't put it down. Bethany Hegedus has created in BETWEEN US BAXTERS a world of real people that at once drew me in while at the same time saddened me, knowing that the town of Holcolm, Georgia was just like countless others during the Jim Crow Era. Sadly, the antiquated beliefs of the majority of whites in the story are still held by many today. I found myself praying that Polly's suspicions about her dad just couldn't be true, and rooting for there to be a happily-ever-after ending. I'll let you judge for yourself about that. In the meantime, I'm contacting my school's librarian (I am a teacher)and letting her know about the treasure of a story that is coming her way. BETWEEN US BAXTERS should be required reading for every student in America, especially in the South.

Courage in Patience: A Story of Hope for Those Who Have Endured Abuse

This is an outstanding book. I hope schools will quickly add it to required reading lists for middle schoolers. It is a young adult novel but certainly should not be limited to this age group. I'm 37 and loved it. The characters are so real they completely tug at your emotions. The book follows 12 year old Polly as her world, including the segregated south around her, starts to change. Her mother is an outcast from her upper- crust family for taking up with the wrong man. Her outcast status enables her intense love and friendship to develop with a black woman, Henri. By extension, Henri's niece Timbre Ann and Polly grow to be close friends...as close as sisters. Their relationship is challenged as civil injustices begin to plague their communities. Polly is caught in the middle on many levels, the most upsetting is her discovery that her own father may be involved in racist vandalism.

The book's last 100 pages are full of edge of your chair suspense. Bethany Hegedus manages to keep us on the edges of those seats while still developing the characters beautifully. Bethany is a gifted writer and I hope we see more of this character Polly in future books....or just more of Bethany Hegedus period!

As the only "salt and pepper" friends in town, Polly Baxter and Timbre Ann Biggs have seen their share of trouble. When someone begins threatening the black residents and setting fire to their businesses, their relationship is further tested. What role does Polly's father play in the harassment? Can their friendship survive in a world where blacks and whites are not allowed to exist peacefully?

In the cast of well-developed characters, there are no stereotypes: this page turner is as genuine as they come.

A beautiful and dramatic debut from a fabulous new author.

This story is not only about the friendship of a young white girl and young black girl growing up in the south in 1959, but it's about family (not just by blood) and deals with the injustice that is racism. As Penny realizes that the friendship with her best friend Timbre Ann may be ending she also has to deal with the issues of her family, which her parents had tried to always hide from her in the past. She also has to come to some harsh social realizations.

This book was so touching. I felt everything Penny was going through. While I'm not naive enough to believe that racism doesn't exist anymore, I'm glad our country has made the progress that it has. I can't even begin to imagine what living in the south as an African American must have been like when this book took place. I think that Bethany Hegedus did a great job with this story, keeping it accurate from a 12-year-old's point of view. This story is touching, heartfelt, compassionate and emotional.

BETWEEN US BAXTERS is a touching tale of friendship, family, and loyalty told by debut author Bethany Hegedus. The characterization is full and detailed, the dialogue rings true, and the plot will keep you turning the pages -- a lovely story all around. This book is as rich as a slice of Henri's pineapple upside-down cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from up-and-coming writer Bethany Hegedus. The topics covered (racism, alcoholism, segregation, hate crimes, family politics) are very weighty for a young adult book but the author handles them with such truth, respect and honesty. The characters are well defined and real and the story sucks you in and keeps you interested from beginning to end. This needs to be standard reading for all kids in school. It is a great tool for educators to use to create a dialogue with students regarding race relations in America. Between Us Baxters bridges the gap between then and now, young and old, and creates a safe space to talk about these issues and find a new understanding and a space to heal. I highly recommend it for all to read.