September, September /

There are two stories told in this gripping tale of race relations and kidnapping set in 1957 Mississippi, hence the double title. September for the Kinships‘a well-to-do black family in Memphis‘begins with getting their two children ready for a new school year, while September for a trio of white criminals‘Podjo, Rufus, and his lover, Reeny‘begins with an elaborate plan to kidnap one of the Kinship children for ransom. What makes this novel both fascinating and horrifying is that the kidnappers have orchestrated their crime with the social upheaval that is wracking nearby Arkansas as its Governor attempts to prevent the schools of Little Rock from becoming integrated. The criminals realize that with animosity against blacks so intense in the South, they can be certain that a black family will not go to the unintegrated police department for help. Foote manages to make his readers understand and sympathize with both the Kinship family and, as unlikely as it seems, the three characters who find themselves united in crime and sexual rivalry. Very few writers are willing to examine the troubled intersection of black and white in America, and none have done it with the realism and compassion of Foote, who is a distinguished Civil War historian (e.g., Stars in Their Courses: The Gettysburg Campaign, Audio Reviews, LJ 3/1/95) as well as novelist. This fine novel, read by a cast of three, is recommended for all collections.‘Sharon Cumberland, Seattle Univ. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.