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Laura Mell, Publicity, about Mudbound 
Mudbound is a beautiful, gripping novel driven by events and characters that will haunt and move you long after you have finished reading. Set in the isolated Mississippi countryside of the 1940’s, menace and desperation loom over the story the like clouds over the Delta landscape as we witness a tragedy unfold.
Although the novel primarily explores the nature and consequences of racial prejudice, it is also an astute and real insight into human behaviour and relationships - about secrets and honesty, about friendship and enemies, about loss, love and desire. After all, regardless of any of the characters’ positions, they are battling to balance their circumstances with a search for fulfilment. War hero Ronsel is torn between his love for his family and a forbidden lifestyle and status in Europe; Jamie feels ashamed at having nightmares from his own frontline experience, and Laura is determined to remain a dutiful wife and mother, despite being forced to live in a place that she loathes. Even the despicable Pappy is trapped: he desperately loves his younger son although he is so disfigured by hate and bitterness he will never be able to show him.
One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is the fact that it is told through multiple points of view: you don’t just witness the events that unfold, but see them through six very different pairs of eyes, whether you sympathise with a character or not. This heightens the impact of the story, as you’re forced to understand the complexity of beliefs and emotions that contribute to the final tragedy, and as a result are totally consumed by the time, place and people that Hillary creates.
Mudbound is both a powerful and unique read – I was unable to put it down and can’t recommend it highly enough.
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