One Mississippi - by Mark Childress (Paperback)

About the Book

When the first black prom queen of Minor High School is hit by a car and emerges from her coma believing shes white, best friends Daniel and Tim find themselves caught up in a shocking chain of events that leads to a shattering climax.

Book Synopsis

You need only one best friend, Daniel Musgrove figures, to make it through high school alive. After his family moves to Mississippi just before his junior year, Daniel finds fellow outsider Tim Cousins. The two become inseparable, sharing a fascination with ridicule, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and Arnita Beecham, the most bewitching girl at Minor High.

But soon things go terribly wrong. The friends commit a small crime that grows larger and larger, and threatens to engulf the whole town. Arnita, the first black prom queen in the history of the school, is injured and wakes up a different person. And Daniel, Tim, and their families are swept up in a shocking chain of events.

"There is nothing small about Childress's fine novel. It's big in all the ways that matter -- big in daring, big in insight, and big-hearted. Really, really big-hearted." -New Orleans Times-Picayune

About the Author

Mark Childress was born in Monroeville, Alabama. He is the author of seven previous novels, including Georgia Bottoms, One Mississippi, and Crazy in Alabama, three books for children, and the screenplay of the film, Crazy in Alabama. He lives in Key West, Florida.