Mississippi Library Association

The Air Between

Johnson, Deborah. The Air Between
Us. New York: Amistad, 2008.
321 pp. $23.95 (hardcover)

This book presents a story about race relations in Mississippi during the 1960s. While many writers have covered this time, Johnson adds some new details by blending a murder that involves a small town’s doctors, an interracial relationship, and school integration.
There is a great deal of character development of the two doctors. Dr. Reese Jackson is an educated, white-collar, African American doctor. He does not have any social equals, which puts him in an odd place and makes him somewhat bitter. His counterpart, Dr. Cooper Connelly, while not facing any social restraints, is also at odds with the country club set. He does not agree with the opinions held by most of the Caucasians in town, including his father Jack Rand Connelly, who is a very powerful politician.
Johnson uses some simple details to remind the reader of years past. Madame Melba, the town’s fortune teller, describes the “clean, fresh” smell of Cooper Connelly as he sits at her house. This detail brought to my mind the difference in the end-of-the-day smells of my white-collar father and my blue-collar grandfathers.
This book is enjoyable, but the ending is somewhat contrived. Johnson brings her characters to life, so that a reader feels as if he knows these people. This book would fit into a popular reading section at a public library.

Jodi Kuehl
Account Services Manager
EBSCO Information Services

Entry Filed under: Book Reviews
Posted on: October 1st, 2008