Whistling Past The Graveyard by Susan Crandall - Review

I really loved this, it was very reminiscent of Scout (Jean Louise) Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. A southern setting in the tumultuous 1960's is the backdrop for this beautifully written story. Sassy Starla Claudelle runs from an overbearing grandmother who is her caretaker. Starla believed she was going to be sent off to boarding school after yet another restriction resulting from her spirited behavior. Along the road to find her mother who ran off to Nashville when she was just a toddler, she meets Eula, a black woman driving along who offers her a lift. What follows is a journey of discovery and revelations for both of them. 

It is so hard to read about the horrific treatment of one human being for another that was rampant during segregation. The intolerance, hatred and brutality against African Americans that were just trying to go about their daily lives like everyone else was portrayed well. All persons should have the pure innocence of a child, like Starla, to look past color to see what a person is truly made of and that we are all brothers and sisters and children of God.
This is a lovely story about family, friendship, doing the right thing, growing up, and surviving. Beautiful.