The Year of Jubilee - by Cindy Morgan (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Year of Jubilee is a lyrical coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the turbulent South in the early 1960s. Stifled by tragedy, thirteen-year-old Grace Mockingbird yearns to escape her mother's controlling, grieving hand and find her voice in a small Kentucky coal mining town. A tragic family loss has driven a wedge between Grace and her mother, who seems to be silently punishing Grace by withholding her love. Grace does penance in every chore while doubting she'll ever earn her mother's forgiveness. But change arrives with the hot winds of summer as the frequent clashes of the civil rights movement play out not only on the Mockingbirds' new television but also in their town, and Grace must decide what she believes amid the swirling, conflicting voices even of those she loves. Then her younger brother and best friend, Isaac, becomes seriously ill. With the world as she's always known it shifting around her, Grace must journey past her own fear and through pain to bring healing to those who need it as she tries to save the one person dearest to her"--

Book Synopsis

The Year of Jubilee is a lyrical coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the turbulent South in the early 1960s.

The Mockingbird family has always lived peacefully in Jubilee, Kentucky, despite the divisions that mark their small town. Until the tense summer of 1963, when their youngest child, Isaac, falls gravely ill. Middle sister Grace, nearly fourteen, is determined to do whatever it takes to save her little brother. With her father and mother away at the hospital, Grace is left under the loving but inexperienced eye of her aunt June, with little to do but wait and worry. Inspired by a young teacher's mission for change, she begins to flirt with danger--and with a gifted boy named Golden, who just might be the key to saving Isaac's life. Then the unthinkable happens, and the world as she knows it shifts in ways she never could have imagined. Grace must decide what she believes amid the swirling, conflicting voices even of those she loves the most.

From gifted songwriter Cindy Morgan comes this lyrical, tender tale of a girl standing at the threshold of adulthood, learning the depths of the human heart and the bonds of family that bend, break, and bind together over and over again.

• Southern historical fiction that explores the civil rights movement
• Beautifully written with themes of growing up, community, and faith
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Review Quotes

This coming-of-age story is written in first person from Grace's point-of-view. This thoroughly atmospheric novel brings to life the goings-on of a 1960s Southern town. There is a beautiful sense of vulnerability in the characters that makes them feel realistic and relatable. The Mockingbird family, Miss Adams, and the other inhabitants of Jubilee are equally mesmerizing. When I started reading, I was immediately drawn into Grace's world. There is so much richness and depth explored within the pages. The setting is perhaps my favorite part because of the local color, the Southern culture, and the descriptions of the Civil Rights Movement.

I could not stop reading this beautifully written novel. The author's note was a wonderful addition to the story and added so much depth.--Historical Novels Reviews