A Thousand Never Evers

Burg, Shana. A Thousand Never Evers.
New York: Delacorte Press, 2008.
301 pp. $15.99 (hardcover)

It is the summer of 1963 in the small Mississippi Delta town of Kuckachoo, and twelve-year-old Addie Ann Pickett is absorbed in her daily routine: helping her mother in her job as maid for a prominent white family, and looking forward to attending the county’s Negro junior high school in the fall. But events from the world outside Kuckachoo soon begin to change the course of her family’s life, and Addie Ann’s natural innocence and optimism come up against the hard truths of her time and place. An injustice against the town’s black citizens by white authorities results in Kuckachoo’s first civil rights meeting, which ends abruptly when a cross is burned outside. Addie Ann’s brother has to go into hiding after he rescues her from two white bullies. And when her beloved uncle is jailed and threatened by the Klan for an offense he didn’t commit, Addie Ann finds that she must gather her courage and reveal secrets in order to save her family and help her community stand up for their rights.

Shana Burg’s interest in the Mississippi civil rights struggle was inspired by her father’s role as a lawyer in the civil rights movement. She skillfully weaves actual events – the murder of Medgar Evers, the March on Washington, the Birmingham church bombing – into the background of Addie Ann’s narrative. The book includes an appendix of civil rights landmarks of the twentieth century for young readers who may not be aware of the history behind the story. Use of local color, such as the importance of butterbeans (!) to the plot, is effective and adds a light touch amid the serious subject matter. A Thousand Never Evers – the title refers to a white character’s estimate of how long it will take for integration to come to Kuckachoo – is Burg’s first novel. Recommended for Mississippiana
and young people’s collections in school, public, and academic libraries.

Kathleen L. Wells
Senior Catalog Librarian
University of Southern Mississippi

Entry Filed under: Book Reviews
Posted on: August 10th, 2010

1 Comment

  • 1. Shana Burg&hellip  |  January 5th, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I’m thrilled to read this review! Thanks for appreciating the book. And thanks to all the locals who helped with it.