Heartbreak Hotel

This story took me on a personal journey back to the Detroit race riots of 1967. Newly married again, mom slowed down in front of the downtown bus station just long enough to let me out of the car and out of her hair that summer. To get to my sister in New Orleans, I boarded a bus filled to overflowing with faces ALL looking back at me with pure, silent hatred. As a sheltered, suburban Caucasian girl, I froze. The only available seat was next to a young, dark girl about my age. I asked her permission to sit down. She didn't say a word ... just glared at me with utter rage. I guess that was the moment that, as Anne Rivers Siddons put it, "I met a man." What does this have to do with a book review? Not much. Just read it.

Apparently this book is the first one for author Anne Rivers Siddons. The story focuses on Maggie Deloach as she returns for the summer term before her senior year at a small southern white college in 1956. The weather is hot and steamy and Elvis is hitting his stride. Maggie is the stereotypical popular sorority girl on campus--excelling in her classes but expecting to receive her "Mrs." along with her degree. A visit to her boyfriend's plantation home introduces her to a life even more steeped in tradition and drawn racial lines than her own. While there a jailbreak takes place. When one of the captured men is brought back to town, Maggie finds herself looking into the eyes of the prisoner and seeing herself. I've read and enjoyed many of Ms. Siddons' southern literature books and this one was no exception. Having been in a college sorority in the 1960's, I also found some of the discussions of sorority life to be quite familiar.

I am very pleased. The book arrived sooner than expected and the condition was actually better than the description. It is great to purchase hardback books for paperback prices. Jenny

I knew when I started this novel that it was a re-release of an earlier of Siddons' books, but I did not know until I read the author summary at the end that it was her first novel. Clearly, she has been a talent from the very beginning. I loved this book; I found myself crying along at the end. Highly recommended!

This is one of my favorites of Siddons! I really related to the main character Maggie, how she goes off to college, matures and slowly begins forming her own opinions on issues. My favorite novels are those of characters who strongly voice their opinions, especially when it's controversial. I loved Aiken and how she pushed Maggie to be a better person by taking off her rose colored glasses and forcing her to open her eyes and really see the world around her...everyone should have a best friend that guides you to grow and reach the potential they've seen in you all along. I highly recommend this book, run out and get it now!!!

This story takes place at Randolph University, which is Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. I live in Auburn and it is very emotional to read this book and realize that things like this did happen here. This is the one book that opened my eyes to what racial integration was really like. Some of the passages are so powerful that I had to reread them to get the full impact. Maggie is forced to make decisions that will change her life forever and before this book I could not comprehend the extremes of emotion that people were going through. Anyone remotely interested in the South or integration should read this book.