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Reviewed by Scott Albert for Readers' Favorite
"Soda Springs" is a powerful story about American history and our struggle with civil rights. It is written by Terry Marshall, an award-winning writer who has written both short and long fiction and non-fiction. A Colorado native, Marshall’s experience as a community activist, teacher, and journalist lends a certain authenticity to this tale of struggle and hardship in the face of racism. The illustrations and civil rights issues contained within bring a realism that is engaging from page one. The story is set in the 60’s. The protagonist, a college senior named Rick Sanders, faces what it means to be an active participant in fighting for civil rights in the love-hate atmosphere that existed when MLK was campaigning in Birmingham.
A strong central character and the conflicts that are inevitable when talking about civil rights in the 60’s have created story that felt like a heart-pounding roller-coaster ride. I worried that this would be preachy, to be honest, but Marshall does a great job. The only parts that might have been reigned in somewhat were the detailed sex scenes. While they added to the story, I just wondered how necessary the detail really was. Although it is adult fiction, I think this could be helpful for high school/college students in understanding this critical era, especially in the troubling economy of today. Set in a town that wrestled with prejudice and economic hardship, the familiar struggles of money, family, and social intolerance ring just as true today as they did back then. Marshall’s imagery and characterization engage readers and pull them into a story that contains people and places that you honestly care about. I loved the images and along with the author’s voice which lends credibility. This book is a well-written story that made me forget it was fiction.
