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amazon.com, book reviews

JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Southern Strife: A Novel of Racial Tension in the 1960s by Valerie Stocking

JoeyPinkney.com Book Review
Southern Strife: A Novel of Racial Tension in the 1960s
Valerie Stocking
5 out of 5 stars

“Southern Strife: A Novel of Racial Tension in the 1960s” is Valerie Stocking’s sophomore effort. The notion of “sophomore slump” does not apply. This novel is a powerful portrayal of America’s not-so-distant history in dealing with the false concept of this country being a melting pot.

“Southern Strife” is refreshingly offensive. I say that because Valerie Stocking sculpted the characters in a realistic manner and not in a way that would fit in a neat, little box. Stocking’s portrayal of racism within the pages of “Southern Strife” is like an honest parent’s portrayal of Christmas. (“Honey, there is no Santa Claus. I bought you those presents under the Christmas tree…”) Continue reading JoeyPinkney.com Book Review: Southern Strife: A Novel of Racial Tension in the 1960s by Valerie Stocking →

5 minutes 5 questions with, amazon.com, interview

5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Valerie Stocking, author of Southern Strife

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Valerie Stocking, author of Southern Strife
(SJT Press)

Southern Strife gives us a complex but tightly woven plot in which twelve-year-old Joy, newly moved to northern Florida in the custody of her divorcing mother and having as yet no friends, is in the process of building a friendship with a biracial boy at school, Clay.

She is unaware that the area, so close to Alabama and the drama of Montgomery, is a hotbed of the KKK. Meanwhile, Joy’s mother, Jessica, has fallen in love with her lawyer, Bill McKendrick, who is a leader in the KKK. As both relationships deepen, the tension is stretched to an almost unbearable degree.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the inspiration to write Southern Strife?

Valerie Stocking: Between 1966 and 1967, I lived with my mother in a small town on the west coast of Florida. My experiences there inspired the book, Continue reading 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… Valerie Stocking, author of Southern Strife →