Skip to Main Content

Dry Grass of August, The (Anna Jean Mayhew)

Dry Grass of August, The (Anna Jean Mayhew)

Genre Historical Fiction
The Dry Grass of August by  Anna Jean Mayhew
Historical Fiction • 2011 • 289 pages • 15 paperbacks + 1 large print + 1 discussion guide folder • Host by Shedd Free Library (Washington, NH)

 

In this beautifully written debut, Anna Jean Mayhew offers a riveting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation and what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood and for the woman who means the world to her.

On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the family's black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been there cooking, cleaning, compensating for her father's rages and her mother's benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.

Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence.

Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform us from child to adult, wounded to indomitable.

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 – Monday, August 11, 2025

Items
Tu 15
We 16
Th 17
Fr 18
Sa 19
Su 20
Mo 21
Tu 22
We 23
Th 24
Fr 25
Sa 26
Su 27
Mo 28
Tu 29
We 30
Th 31
Fr 1
Sa 2
Su 3
Mo 4
Tu 5
We 6
Th 7
Fr 8
Sa 9
Su 10
Mo 11
Current item
Dry Grass of August, The (Anna Jean Mayhew)
   Available    Your Booking    Unavailable/Padding