Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris

ANYWHERE YOU RUN by Wanda M. Morris is an historical fiction novel that takes place during 1964 in Jackson, Mississippi, in small town Chillicothe, Georgia, and in Cleveland, Ohio. Two sisters, Violet and Marigold Richards, are on the run, both physically and emotionally. One has killed a man and the other is pregnant, fleeing domestic abuse. Both are also haunted by the deaths of their older sister (Rose) and their parents. These young women were taught to be respectful and quiet (keep your eyes down and stay in the background) around “white folks,” but they chafe, in different ways, at the restrictions that exist, particularly in the South. A key lesson is expressed in this quote: “Papa used to tell me, the only way I’d ever be able to go anywhere in life was to walk courageously. He said being brave didn’t mean you had no fear. Bravery meant acting even in the face of fear.” Pursued by feelings of guilt and a man who is essentially a modern day bounty hunter, the sisters tell their story separately, but ultimately draw strength from each other.  Although a bit repetitive in some places, ANYWHERE YOU RUN received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly and is a LibraryReads selection for October. This title is a solid choice that will appeal to students, particularly due to its elements of mystery, thwarted family expectations, and struggles with identity. Also, there is much important history; Morris repeatedly refers to the civil rights protests, Jim Crow laws, and the violence of that era, in particular the killing of three men in Neshoba County, Mississippi. In her acknowledgments, she writes, “This book has been a labor of love because I stand on the shoulders of strong women like the ones in this story, who were bound and shackled by the mores of an era that has passed but if we are not careful threatens to return.”