The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren Published by Anthonyann Books on November 2012
Genres/Lists: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Pages: 364
Read synopsis on Goodreads
I received this book for free from the author.
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Anyone who doesn’t live in a hole knows that last week George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges concerning the death of Trayvon Martin. I’m not going to go into my personal opinions about the case, but I will say that The Clock of Life came along at a time I was already considering the state of race relations in the United States.
A white boy growing in small town Mississippi, the book’s protagonist, Jason Lee, begins to see the world though a new light on his first day of school. From day one, he found himself on the ‘wrong side’ of societal norms for befriending a black boy named Samson. He also learned, quite by accident, a little bit about his father (who was never discussed at home). It was this incident that sets the rest of the book in motion.
Over the next ten years, the reader barrels toward adulthood along with Jason Lee. We’re with him for many of the major events in a boy’s life: drinking for the first time, meeting a girl, and normal teenage boy shenanigans. But we’re also there with him as he learns more about his late father, and more importantly, we’re with him as his friendship with Samson deepens as they learn more about the Civil Rights Movement.
The Clock of Life is an emotional story that left me laughing out loud and crying real tears. Coming at a time when racial tensions are particularly high in America, I found myself reminded that the civil rights fight is far from over. It’s easy to forget that what happened in the 1960’s is still happening today and this book is both a great story and a stark reminder of how far we still have to go. Parts of the book were painful and difficult to read, but important nonetheless. And in case you were wondering about the title – time plays a very important part in this book. But I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’m not going to expand – so read the book for yourself!
