APEX 5 Star Review Making Mary

Dedra Muhammad
ISBN: 0976634600
Rising South Publication
Reviewed By Mary Hallows

Making Mary is the compelling story of the life and legacy of Vivian Johnson, a troubled soul trapped in an even more troubling time in American history. Based on a true story, the narrative is centered on Vivian's unending relationship drama with Lee Hiram, her less-than-apt suitor, the microcosm of which Muhammad uses to display for the reader the depths of contemporary relationships within a greater overall context.

Set mostly during the transition between the Civil War and the Great Depression, Making Mary chronicles the daily travails of a nation – and its people – in flux. Still haunted by the ever-present specter of racism, the Johnson family soon succumbs to the lure of the Great Migration, joining the millions of other poor Black families seeking to escape the oppressive clutches of the South.

Ultimately settling in Michigan, the Johnsons soon discover that no amount of travel will ever distance them from the generational curses inherently borne within each of them, manifesting themselves in myriad ways from alcoholism to promiscuity to even murder.

The particular hardship of Vivian's life stands out most in Muhammad's tale. With Lee serving as her perpetual bete noire, Vivian's constant conflict – both internal and external – pulls at the reader in many familiar ways. As the purity of her soul slowly deteriorates with each new heartbreak, the real tragedy comes not at watching her sudden end, but rather at having to witness her spirit die bit by agonizing bit.

Making Mary is a difficult read, if only for the fact that in it Muhammad presents remarkably accurate pills of truth that often prove difficult to swallow.

Taking on everything from the Willie Lynch syndrome to religious zealotry to lasting misconceptions regarding the true intentions of Abraham Lincoln, Making Mary reads like a treatise on American psychology. Her points are cogent, her logic is flawless, and most impressive is the seamless way she applies her observations on her subjects within the real framework of their everyday lives. For such an intelligent, well-crafted, and much needed read, Dedra Muhammad deserves to be celebrated for both her bravery in crafting such a powerful story and her selflessness in sharing it with the masses. Highly recommended!
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