The Summer We Got Saved by Pat Cunningham Devoto

The Summer We Got Saved

Pat Cunningham Devoto

Set in America's deep South, the story examines the turbulent and sometimes violent relationship between black and white communities. Set with humour, conflict, sadness and anger, it provides, in a subtle way, a historical insight into race relations at this time. A very good read.

Extract
She looked along the mirror. There were people in back of all of them now, three or four deep, laughing and calling out things to them, asking them where they came from, asking why they had come to this town. Why didn't they stay home in their own town if they wanted to cause trouble? Each remark seemed to give credence to another an them another, getting louder and louder. She noticed a girl standing in the crowd; she had on an angora collar like Tab's. Suddenly, one of the bystanders down the line picked a catsup bottle up off the counter, unscrewed the top, and began pouring catsup on Reverend Calder's head. Sound of much laughter erupted from the crowd. The Elvis boy bent down and whispered something in Dominique's ear. Her expression never changed. Seeing no response in the mirror, he leaned over to Tab. 'What's a white whore doing in amongst the niggers?'
Parallels
  • A White Minority in Post-Civil Rights Mississippi by Thomas Adams Upchurch
  • Gone with the Wind - the film