Immensely engaging and impossible to ignore.
Almost nobody would refer to Shelby Forster as a ray of sunshine. She’s unapologetic, sarcastic, broody and constantly worked up about something. She even calls her dutiful mom by her first name, Fran, just to get under her skin. But can you blame the girl? She lost her little brother to a drunk driver, her parents divorced shortly thereafter, and now she finds out that her family has ties to the Ku Klux Klan. No wonder she has some frustrations to work through. “It’s not anger that keeps me awake. It’s this terrible feeling that anything can happen.” And that terrible feeling is with Shelby all the time. Fortunately, she has an underrated best friend to help her sort through the mess of her life. Darrin is a big guy with an even bigger heart, and he steps up to the plate without hesitation when Shelby asks him to join her and her grandma on an urgent errand several hundred miles away in North Carolina. The family’s connection to the KKK is revealed in dramatic fashion as Shelby, Darrin and Grandma all face their own personal fears. Enduring panic attacks, rampant injustices and the admission of a life-altering secret, Shelby will realize that the courage to fight our most difficult battles can be found where we least expect it.
The Memory of Cotton is a heartfelt novel about finding our unique voice, even if it takes an entire lifetime. Rather than minimize or shy away from uncomfortable topics, the author tackles them head on with a steady sense of balance and a heavy dose of realism. The narration is delivered with so much sincerity that it reads with the authenticity of a memoir. This honesty is captured through Shelby’s candid emotions, earnest convictions, and endearing flashes of reminiscence. Her feelings are so real, so palpable, that you can’t help but be drawn into her world. From a lovable grandma dealing with decades of fear and guilt to a friend wise beyond his years, the sharply drawn characters are expressed through the eyes of a hurting fifteen-year-old looking for answers in a world filled with troubling questions. Fastidious readers will come across some minor grammatical errors, but these are easily overlooked, as the story is immensely engaging and impossible to ignore. Striking the perfect balance between lighthearted moments and the tough issues teens are facing today, The Memory of Cotton is a hard-hitting YA novel that is not to be missed!
