Jimmy Giles
Nothing will cheer the heart of a writer like a grand review of a published book. Today when I read my messages, this one was first and it blessed me in a way that is hard to explain. So I'll let you read it.
Jimmy Giles is as delightful as his smile. And Clarksdale, Mississippi is proud and blessed to boast that he is at the heart of this Delta town in many ways. He runs the tourism center, which is prominently located in the Old Greyhound Bus Station, a significant landmark in historic downtown Clarksdale. And something else just as significant ... Jimmy is a graduate of our dear old CHS (Clarksdale High School) well ... maybe a few years before me, and it was not until this summer that I met him for the first time. In fact, he was responsible for my very successful book signing in Clarksdale (at the Bus Station) on the same day as the Sunflower River Blues Festival! I'll never forget it!
If I could vote right now,
you would be the 2013 Pulitzer winner. The
Mississippi Boys is magnificent! I love the way you write and this
one is in the top five of my favorite books, EVER! It has been a long, long time
since I've read a book that has touched me like this one.
The
history of The "War of Northern Aggression," as I like to call it
when talking to Yankees, as you told it left me with all my pride showing both
from the point of how the South, with its lack of material and manpower to
place on the field of battle, acquitted themselves, and how our Mississippians
showed what they were made of as well. But the death of Stonewall touched
me deeply even though I was familiar with how he left us and it was no surprise,
I still suffered some anxiety when I read how you described it. The last
time I felt that way about a public official was when President Roosevelt died
very close to my birthday on April 12, 1945.
The
greatest feelings I had came from the way you made me feel like a member of the
Payne family or at least a dear friend and when we lost Ben, I could hardly
believe it. I felt great joy when you brought Cassie into the family and
read that part with great happiness because we have a family friend whose daughter
is named Cassie and each time I read her name I saw our Cassie. I almost cried
when Thomas and Henry were killed in battle and even worse when I thought
Jonathan had been killed, but felt so good when I found that it was a head wound from
which he would recover. I always thought from the day he laid eyes on Cassie
that he would one day be her husband … that was a nice twist even though we had
to lose her husband in battle.
Thank
you, also, for making Isaac come home when he was so young and ran away to
"join up." I knew he'd make it 'cause you wrote a book about
his house … that's cheating, I know, but I have the book on my book shelf and
every time I'd replace The Mississippi
Boys, it would slide in next to Isaac's
House, which is my next Gaddy read.
How
can we discuss this marvelous writing without commenting on what a commanding
person Rachel is? I would have to say she pretty well led the Payne
family and was their mainstay in all meanings of the word. Reminded me of
what you must mean to your family.
Thank
you for writing that book for us and I hope everyone on both sides of the battle
lines will read this one.
Also,
anyone reading it without emotion needs to have some mental tests performed on
them, 'cause surely "they ain't all there"!
Again,
my thanks for not only writing this magnificent piece of literature, but also
for being my newest Literary Friend. I'd say you just passed Thomas
Harris in that regard.
Best regards,
Jimmy
Jane Bennett Gaddy
Trinity, FLA
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