Blog Tour: Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

ISBN #: 9781453775035
Page Count: 433
Copyright: 2010
http://www.deedsonovel.com/

Welcome to Katharine A. Russell's Deed So Blog Tour promoted by Tracee at Pump Up Your Book!

Below you will find author info, book summary, my review and (with hope the author won't mind) some of my favorite passages.  Hope you enjoy!  =)

Author Info:

(Taken from last page of book)

Katharine Russell is a former executive in the healthcare industry.  She has a Bachelor's degree in History from Northwestern University, a Master's degree in Journalism from Boston University and a certificate in creative writing from UCLA's Writers Program.  A descendant of Maryland colonists, who grew up in Southern Maryland, Russell divides her time between Baltimore, MD, and Palm Desert, CA.  Under the pen name Kath Russell, the author writes the Pointer Mystery series.

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960s in the astonishing new novel, Deed So by Katharine Russell.  All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, in the hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere.  But when she witnesses the brutual killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions.  Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town.  Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

Mandy's Review:

Cover/Title

Reading the summary, I knew why there were pictures of protestors on the front cover (in the orange sky and clouds ... looks like part of the picture, huh?), but not why there were swans.  Thankfully, this isn't some random, elusive depiction of the novel.  The swans make an appearance.

I was also wondering what the title meant ... Deed So ... hhmmm ... Thank you, Ms. Russell, for explaining the title within the first few chapters.  Once I read the explanation, and then the rest of the novel, the title made sense and also made me think about the title's deeper meanings.

Plot

I cannot say enough about this plot.  It was definitely well-written, action-packed, kept you on the edge of your seat and kept you guessing and wondering what would happen next. 

When the first dilema (for lack of a better word) was explained, I thought that would be it.  Then I saw I still had almost 250 to 300 pages left to read and I wondered how in the world the author would keep me engaged.  Well, fear not future readers, you will remain engaged.  The story flows effortlessly from situation to situation ... not in a crowding, "okay I have to remember what's going on" way, but in a seamless "okay, that was resolved ... ooh, what's this?  Another dilema!" way.

Characters

Haddie - A girl on the verge of her teens in a small town with dreams of leaving one day and not looking back.

Gideon - A war hero who, like most soldiers, comes back disturbed.

Sarah Jane - Haddie's friend who is wiser than she should be about the way the world sometimes works.

Farley - Gideon's friend who has a terrible home-life that affects him more than anybody thought it would.

Overall

I fell in love with this story.  I can easily see this being filmed and put on the silver screen.  It is an exquisite look into a small-town segregated life and the changes that happen when racism rears its ugly head.  I recommend this novel to everyone.

Favorite Passages:

The reason I wanted to add this portion to this blog tour post is so you can see the author's writing talent.  I chose the passage below because they are just a few examples of the pictures the author is so adept at painting with her literary brush ... it is amazing ...

The amber lights of the Ferris wheel behind the low white structure were just beginning to glow against the pink twilight of the sky.  The humble exhibit hall had become the pot at the end of the rainbow. (Pg. 109)

The only person who wasn't moving was Elmer.  We were two youngsters at sea in an adult maelstrom.  I locked eyes with him and held on.  It was all I could do for him. (Pg. 150)

Lightning?  We didn't get lightning in December.  Nonetheless, crimson and yellow flashes danced along the ceiling of my bedroom, a bevy of crazed Tinkerbelles. (Pg. 151)

Mother gasped in relief when she spotted my father's head bobbing through the packed bodies.  His progress was slow because people stopped him to ask what was happening.  He popped out of the last row of people with the definitiveness of a champagne cork. (Pg. 298)