Reviews
"[A] beautiful debut. . . . A superbly rendered depiction of the fury and terror wrought by racism." —Publishers Weekly
"[A] sophisticated, complex first novel."--Booklist, starred review
"[A] poignant and moving debut novel. . . . Jordan faultlessly portrays the values of the 1940s as she builds to a stunning conclusion. Highly recommended."—Library Journal
"A look at Jim Crow times through remarkable female eyes. . . . Mudbound is kaleidoscopic in breadth . . . Jordan is able to make the voices as distinct and rich as the characters that embody them. . . . Jordan shows herself to be a sensitive, passionate, sharp-eyed storyteller. . . . An ambitious and affecting debut . . . accessible, engaging, and spiked with suspense. . . . A tremendous gift, a story that challenges the 1950s textbook version of our history and leaves its readers completely in the thrall of her characters--and with an intense desire to investigate beyond the novel's pages."--Four-star review in Paste magazine, March issue
"[A] supremely readable debut novel . . . Fluidly narrated by engaging characters . . . Mudbound is packed with drama. Pick it up, then pass it on."
—People, four-star review
Mudbound "is more than the moving story of a wife's isolation and secret passion. It convincingly portrays the racist world of rural Mississippi in the late 1940s. . . . Mudbound argues for humanity and equality, while highlighting the effects of war. For a historical novel, it has a most contemporary theme. . . . [The] mixture of the predictable and the unpredictable will keep readers turning the pages. . . . It feels like a classic tragedy, whirling toward a climax. . . [An] ambitious first novel."—Dallas Morning News
An "impressive first novel . . . The novel's inevitable closing scenes are painfully violent, utterly memorable and surprisingly rich in cultural metaphor and well-wrought literary ploy. . . . Jordan is an author to watch."-- Rocky Mountain News
"A heartrending debut novel. . . . Jordan's beautiful, haunting prose makes it a seductive page-turner."—Daily Candy Seattle
"Jordan has crafted a story that shines. She captures each character's voice and places the reader amid the action. This is a good historical novel with a twist of an ending."-- Daily Oklahoman
An "absorbing debut novel . . . Is it too early to say, after just one book, that here's a voice that will echo for years to come? With authentic, earthy prose . . . Jordan picks at the scabs of racial inequality that will perhaps never fully heal and brings just enough heartbreak to this intimate, universal tale, just enough suspense, to leave us contemplating how the lives and motives of these vivid characters might have been different."-- Biloxi Sun Herald
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