Although I’ve been privileged with a great school and amazing family, I easily take things for granted. Sometimes, in order to appreciate what we have, we have to expand our perspective of the world.

The Road to Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor does exactly that by capturing what it would have been like to be an African American girl in the 1940s. Although The Road to Memphis is not currently a modern and popular book, I believe it deserves recognition for depicting racism in the 1940s very well.

The events in the book occur right before the outbreak of World War II. It is told from the point of view of Cassie, a seventeen-year-old girl who dreams of going to law school. The story begins when her friend Moe attacks his white bullies– an action that was unheard of in Mississippi. With her brother’s new car, Cassie, Moe and their friends travel to Memphis in order to get Moe to safety.

Mildred D. Taylor makes the situations feel surreal at every part of the story. It really gave me an idea of what life was like in that era. While reading the book, I felt anxious for Cassie and her friends as they are chased and persecuted constantly.

When I first read this book, I did not know that it was the fourth installment of a series, but I enjoyed it despite the lack of prior knowledge. The Road to Memphis made me appreciate how times have changed and made me feel lucky to live in this day and age. I’m very glad I did not have to experience the hardships and struggles of the past. It is frightening what the Logan family had to go through and can make you mad at evil people of the world.

This is a great book that I think everyone should read sometime in their life.