John and Mary Margaret by Susan Cushman

When was falling in love forbidden? In 1966 in a college town in Mississippi there were lines you didn’t cross but what if your heart had other plans? John, inspired by James Meredith, was one of a few Black students at Ole Miss. Mary Margaret, in turn, was inspired by her neighbor Eudora Welty, to question her privileged upbringing and her parents’ lack of concern for racial injustice and civil rights.  Finding a soulmate while studying for an exam on Faulkner and a love for literature was the beginning for John and Mary Margaret “to find the courage to disturb the status quo.” This love story is interrupted by the reality of a tumultuous time when interracial relationships were not accepted and even illegal in some states. This sensitive and well-written work of historical fiction explores the deleterious impact of racism on our basic human relationship. Luckily, sometimes we get a second chance.