Coming of Age in Mississippi [Paperback]

Anne Moody (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 3, 2004

Born to a poor couple who were tenant farmers on a plantation in Mississippi, Anne Moody lived through some of the most dangerous days of the pre-civil rights era in the South. The week before she began high school came the news of Emmet Till’s lynching. Before then, she had "known the fear of hunger, hell, and the Devil. But now there was…the fear of being killed just because I was black." In that moment was born the passion for freedom and justice that would change her life.

An all-A student whose dream of going to college is realized when she wins a basketball scholarship, she finally dares to join the NAACP in her junior year. Through the NAACP and later through CORE and SNCC she has first-hand experience of the demonstrations and sit-ins that were the mainstay of the civil rights movement, and the arrests and jailings, the shotguns, fire hoses, police dogs, billy clubs and deadly force that were used to destroy it.

A deeply personal story but also a portrait of a turning point in our nation’s destiny, this autobiography lets us see history in the making, through the eyes of one of the footsoldiers in the civil rights movement.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Simply one of the best, Anne Moody’s autobiography is an eloquent, moving testimonial to…courage.” —Chicago Tribune

“A history of our time, seen from the bottom up, through the eyes of someone who decided for herself that things had to be changed…a timely reminder that we cannot now relax.” —Senator Edward Kennedy, The New York Times Book Review

“Something is new here…rural southern black life begins to speak. It hits the page like a natural force, crude and undeniable and, against all principles of beauty, beautiful.” —The Nation

“Engrossing, sensitive, beautiful…so candid, so honest, and so touching, as to make it virtually impossible to put down.” —San Francisco Sun-Reporter

From the Publisher

Written without a trace of sentimentality or apology, this is an unforgettable personal story -- the truth as a remarkable young woman named Anne Moody lived it. To read her book is to know what it is to have grown up black in Mississippi in the forties an fifties -- and to have survived with pride and courage intact.

In this now classic autobiography, she details the sights, smells, and suffering of growing up in a racist society and candidily reveals the soul of a black girl who had the courage to challenge it. The result is a touchstone work: an accurate, authoritative portrait of black family life in the rural South and a moving account of a woman's indomitable heart. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Delta; Reprint edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385337817
• ISBN-13: 978-0385337816
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black
  • #76 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Specific Demographics > African-American Studies

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Coming of Age in Mississippi - a book well worth the read May 17, 1997

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Believe it or not, I was actually forced to read the book, "Coming of Age in Mississippi" as a freshman this past year by my college history professor. It was such a thick book, and I was sure that, knowing my professor's tastes, it would be a boring read.

However, upon reading it, I had a pleasant surprise. It was such an insightful, moving, and eye-opening book. It had me glued from page one.

As a book about a young black girl's (the author) struggle to overcome racism in the south, it is a very potent history lesson. I had thought that I understood what it was like for young African-Americans of the 1950's and '60's, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This book opened up my eyes and made me truly see the harsh reality of growing up as Anne Moody did. She has many recollections of childhood and adult aquaintances murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, as well as the story of her Mississippi Freedom Summer when she had to hide at night in high grass to avoid the Klan. It was at this time that she realized that she was on their so called "Black List." These very vivid circumstances were a slap in the face that almost made me tremble right along with the characters. Furthermore, Ms. Moody's use of common language, and the very realistic way in which she describe's her life, greatly aided me in fully understanding the enormity of the situation at that time.

Another book that can be compared to this one is, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. Although this book is much more harsh and gritty than Ms. Moody's, it gave me much of the same feeling of insight.

The only disappointment in Anne Moody's book to me was that the ending left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Unlike Maya Angelou's book, it does not have a sequel. But then again, this may be part of the book's genius in that it mirrors Anne Moody's own disatisfaction with the sluggishness of the Civil Rights Movement and shows that there is no conclusive end to the struggle against racism

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A book that takes you to the life of a freedom fighter. October 3, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Anne Moody's powerful story brings the reader into the world of Negroes in the fifties and sixties, where on a daily bases, they faced bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice. Her words make the reader fell as if they're sitting next to her at the Woolworths food counter, having food thrown at them for sharing her views on life. She makes her fear of being beaten by the local police a fear you feel as the knot in your stomach gets tighter with each page. But along with these fears and acts of violence, you see the courage and strength in this young girl that makes her such a memorable individual. This book tells you the story of a fighter for eqality that just won't quit, teaching us that when times are tough, you don't run and hide. She has described every painful detail of the equal right movement that became her life, so that other generations as well as her own could know what she as well as many others were forced to live with. And along with these admirable strengths, Anne Moody reminds us that even when we think we've achived our goal, that doesn't mean it's time to stop and relax. She shows us that there is always something better to strive for.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Coming Of Age In Mississippi January 9, 2002

By Emily I.

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In the well-written autobiography, Coming Of Age In Mississippi, Anne Moody describes what it is like to grow up black in Mississippi. Her experiences growing up formulated her outlook on life. Born in 1940 Anne grew up during the thick of the Civil Rights movement. She had to deal with prejudice from blacks and whites alike. Throughout the book Anne struggles with her feelings on what she believes in. Along with that, she must deal with the hardships of being poor and the outcome of her actions. As a result of her struggles a hero is born. Anne uses her heroism and strong will to make things happen. The book is well written and conveys the life experiences and feelings of a black girl as seen through the author's own reflections.
The book Coming Of Age In Mississippi is separated into 4 different sections that each tell about a different time in Anne's life. The first section of the book deals with Anne's childhood. When Anne was 4 her father left her mother and younger sister. After her father left her mother had another baby, by a solider named Raymond, whom she eventually married. When Anne was 9 years old she got her first job sweeping an old white lady's porch and sidewalks. She got paid 75 cents and 2 gallons of milk a week. Anne stopped working for the lady when the lady had her cleaning the whole house (p.44). Throughout her childhood Anne learned just what she must do to survive in Mississippi. Her experiences as a child set the guidelines for the rest of her life. It wasn't until Anne started high school that she started hating the prejudice Negroes received. "I was 15 years old when I began to hate people... I hated all the whites who were responsible for the countless murders... But I also hated Negroes. I hated them for not standing up and doing something about the murders." (p. 129) It was because of this feeling that Anne started to question the way she was treated. She started pushing away from her comfort zone and searching for what she believed was right. During her senior year of high school Anne left her mothers house for good and went to live with her father. With this action she started to sever the ties that bound her to her family and the old way of life. In college Anne put her newfound independence to use. She started a boycott against the cafeteria food because it was unsanitary. "We don't eat until he, (President Buck), gets rid of Miss Harris, (the cook), and that leak is fixed." (p. 235) This was said by Anne in an attempt to rile up her fellow students. Throughout college Anne started doing more things to help Negroes win equal rights. For example she worked on and off with organizations such as the SNCC and the NAACP that promoted equal rights for blacks. Towards the end of her college education Anne jumped feet first into "the movement". While working in the movement Anne experienced horrors she had only heard about back home. She dealt with prejudice and threats in all shapes and forms from all different people. One of the first encounters of prejudice she had while working in the movement happened during her first sit-in. "The white students, (in the store), started chanting all kinds of anti-Negro slogans... The rest of the seats except the three we were occupying had been roped off to prevent others from sitting down. A couple of the boys took one end of the rope and made it into a hangman's noose. Several attempts were made to put it around our necks." (p. 265) Despite many experiences worse than the sit-in Anne continued to push for what she believed was right. Through her work she gave herself and the other people around her a reason to live. Anne finally figured out that there was no special secret to being happy and rich. It comes from what you do with your life. This realization completed her transformation from girl to heroine.
Throughout the book Anne Moody tells her story in such a way that it captivates the reader. The book is not just an autobiography but a true story of a young heroine. The qualities of a heroine are not as noticeable in the beginning of the book. As Anne's life progresses the reader sees those qualities start to grow and flourish. Through the development of Anne's faults and virtues the reader is drawn into the fight against racial discrimination. Throughout the book you are fighting for what Anne believes in. You are so drawn into her actions that you flinch when someone is treated unfairly and cheer when an action is just. Moreover the book grabs your interest and holds onto it until the very last sentence.
During Anne's life she dealt with hardships unimaginable to most people. Due to her experiences she gained the qualities of a heroine. Using her memories Anne Moody lets the reader jump into the shoes of a young black girl growing up in Mississippi. While reading this book the reader gets to feel what Anne felt growing up. The way the book is written makes the reader want to go out and help people who are in the same predicament as Anne.