Arkansas Summer is a work of historical fiction by Anne Moose. After a long time, Catherine returned to her grandfather’s home in Arkansas, where her friendship with a childhood playmate, Jimmy, was revived. Jimmy was the son of her granny’s domestic staff member, a black woman named Sally. And therein lay the problem. The year was 1955, a time when segregation and racism were at an all-time high. The whites lived on the more prosperous side of town; the blacks stepped off the pavements to allow white people to pass, couldn’t take the buses or dine at restaurants with as much freedom as others, and aspiring to be more was taboo. Catherine and Jimmy fell in love during this period, a mortal sin that could cost him his life. Would love prevail?

Arkansas Summer by Anne Moose was an overwhelming and emotional read. This novel explored love, sacrifice, grief, hatred, racism, dreams, and happy times. Arkansas Summer delved deep into the ordeals concerning black people in the 1950s. Anne created a realistic storyline around two brave souls that tried to defy the status quo. The character and story development gripped my emotions so much that I cried. Unfortunately, although things are better today, we aren’t over the issue of racism, which may be pronounced or subtle. My highlight was when Mama Rae showed up with neatly arranged hair and a purse like she was ready to party. She was also my most favorite character. I enjoyed reading this book, and I encourage Anne to write more.

Anne Moose's Arkansas Summer is a moving tale about a young woman's experiences in the segregated south in 1955. College student Catherine returns to her father's ancestral home in Arkansas after years living in California to spend time with her grandmother, Mama Rae, following her husband's death. However, Catherine finds herself appalled when she witnesses the treatment of black citizens by their white counterparts in the rural south. As she acclimates to her grandmother's home, Catherine catches up with her childhood friend Jimmy, the talented son of Mama Rae's housekeeper Sally. The two become inseparable once again and gradually fall in love. But a black man's relationship with a white girl in the Jim Crow laws-enforced deep south soon leads to disastrous consequences which will change lives forever.

Author Anne Moose tells a heartbreaking story set in the deep south during the Jim Crow laws era that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. With keen insight and thoughtful social commentary, the narrative keeps you hooked from start to finish. Every character is authentic, and you genuinely feel that you would have met these people in that vivid and violent environment. Catherine, Mama Rae, and Jimmy were my personal favorites of the bunch. Mama Rae's evolution as a character felt immensely satisfying to read. I found myself actively cheering for her. Arkansas Summer is a character-driven drama novel and one of the finest examples of slow-burn storytelling. I would recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction and romantic tragedies.