I had no idea how long it has taken for civil rights to reach Mississippi.  This book put history into perspective for me.  While reading about the characters, you’d learn that Martin Luther King, Jr. just gave his “I have a dream” speech, or that a man walked on the moon.  You’d hear about Vietnam, and then I would think, “Wow, black people weren’t even getting minimum wage in Mississippi yet.  So much for progress.”  I’ve only lived in a couple of places and I have not experienced the South first hand.  This book gave me a good taste of what it must have been like and how hard some people had to work to get it to progress as much as it has.  I recommend this book.