Book Review: Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell

How far are you willing to go for love? Against the status quo? Against the law? Against the highest court in the country? Richard and Mildred Loving faced all of these opponents in their effort to show that love is love no matter the color of your skin.

Without the bravery of this couple, my parent's own marriage would have been illegal and my own marriage as well. This family means the world to mine. Loving Day is celebrated every year in my house on June 12 as a way to pay respect to the couple that gave everything to show the world that it does not matter the color of your skin, love is love. The blank verse of the story is beautiful and flowing when reading from Mildred's voice and a bit rougher when reading from Richard's, giving a distinct sense of their personalities. One of the best excerpts is where they decide to get married and the poem is told from both perspectives at the same time. The features in the book include photographs and graphics providing background on legislation at the time. 

"Love, children, marriage, jail, flight to Washington, D.C., long court battles, and final unanimous vindication in 1967 from the Warren Supreme Court fill the pages, detailing every particle of their strong feelings for each other and the equally strong bigotry of the local sheriff and state judicial system. Full-page photographs of school segregation and civil rights demonstrations clearly set the time frame. Excerpts from court decisions, period headlines, and quotations from Dr. King strengthen the learning curve for readers. Strickland’s blue-, gray-, and yellow-toned illustrations have a strong retro feel and tenderly reinforce the written words. A song of love vs. a cacophony of hate—all in a beautiful model of bookmaking. (timeline, bibliography, credits and sources)" -Kirkus Review 

Book Information:

Powell, P. (2017). LOVING VS. VIRGINIA: A DOCUMENTARY NOVEL OF THE LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS CASE. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452125909

Activities and Extensions:

The Loving Story Lesson Plan from Teaching Tolerance (grades 6-12)

Loving v Virginia Lesson Plan from fairstory.org (grades 9-12)

What Next?

Take a look at the passage of time from the African American perspective in Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Learners, Legacies by DK and a forward by Mireille Harper.