Loving vs. Virginia

April 3, 2017
Ojo and Andrews are such wonderful actors that listeners quickly come to care personally about the two protagonists in the audio edition of Powell’s historical YA novel about Mildred and Richard Loving, the interracial couple whose marriage led to the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Virginia’s antimiscegenation statute. Ojo gives Mildred a friendly voice and pleasing Southern accent, and Andrews employs a lovely tenor to display Richard’s low-key strength and tenderness. They elicit the listener’s sympathy for their painful experiences with the local sheriff, their long years of hiding from the law and struggling for their rights, and their great 1967 victory for themselves and the nation in the Supreme Court of the United States. There are lovely moments when the two speak simultaneously, emphasizing the strength of their bond. And in their own offstage voices, Ojo and Andrews read interspersing quotations from people and documents such as George Wallace, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the U.S. Constitution. Ages 12–up. A Chronicle hardcover.

November 14, 2016
Powell (Josephine) delivers a well-researched novel in verse, set over 15 years, about Mildred and Richard Loving, the interracial couple whose marriage led to the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Virginia’s anti-miscegenation statute. Amid photographs, interludes that touch on relevant topics (school segregation, the Freedom Riders, etc.), and Strickland’s editorial-style two-color artwork, Powell explores the personal and emotional story of a young couple whose only desire is to raise a healthy and happy family in the state where they were both born. Powell’s verse alternates between Mildred and Richard’s perspectives, concisely revealing their fears and mutual dedication, particularly after Mildred becomes pregnant, they marry, and are arrested (“From high school/ to wedding/ to prison./ After two days/ my mama comes to visit./ I try not to cry, but I cry real easy/ these days”). This is an excellent starter book for those interested in learning the basics of the civil rights movement as Powell thoughtfully traces the events leading up to the Lovings’ case. Ages 12–up. Agent: Anna Olswanger, Olswanger Literary.