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Powell, Patricia Hruby. 2017. Loving vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case. Artwork by Shadra Strickland. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452125909
Review and Critical Analysis
Loving vs. Virginia tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose struggle to live as husband and wife in their home state became a legal battle that would eventually change marriage laws across the United States. The verse novel begins in the fall of 1952 when Richard first begins to take an interest in Mildred (Millie) and then traces their story as they fall in love, marry, start a family, and fight for marriage equality. It closes shortly after their Supreme Court victory in 1967, nine years after their wedding.
Powell tells the Lovings’ story through nearly seventy free verse poems. She alternates between the voice of Mildred and the voice of Richard to capture the unique perspective of each of them. Rather that give the poems distinct titles, Powell provides the speaker and, as time passes, a month and year to place the scene in history. The one exception to this pattern is the poem about their wedding in June of 1958. To symbolize the joining of the two lives, the poem is written as a poem for two voices in which the voices sometimes alternate, sometimes speak in unison, and sometimes speak different words simultaneously. The combination gives readers a sense of both the nervousness of the young couple as well as the love they share.
The poems themselves use very sparse language. Rather than using elaborate figurative language or strong rhyme, Powell uses conversational language that almost reads like prose to build the relationship between Richard and Millie. The power of these poems lies in Powell’s ability to capture the thoughts and emotions of the two speakers through her crystal clear depictions of their interactions. For example, the October 1955 poem narrated by Richard takes place at the end of their first group date. As she’s getting out of his car, Millie very subtly acknowledges that she is interested in Richard. Powell reveals Richard’s response in the last stanza as he narrates, “I drove off, hitting the steering wheel/of my good ole green DeSoto/feeling just fine.” Richard doesn’t say anything out loud, but his reaction clearly indicates his joy at knowing Mille returns his affection. This plain-style writing serves the storyline well, as key events like the Lovings’ first arrest have their own power that doesn’t need extravagant language. When they are awakened by the Sheriff in their own bed only five weeks after their wedding, Mildred’s description of leaving the house is striking in its simplicity: “Mama watches me go off/with the white men/Get in their car./Go to jail.” The stark, straightforward language captures the rawness of such climactic moments.
Loving vs. Virginia includes several features that place the events of the Lovings’ lives in historical context. The opening includes a timeline beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865 through 1952, when the book begins. The timeline is accompanied by Langston Hughes’s “Long View: Negro,” which first calls up the idea that events that loom large in history had very real, personal effects on individuals. This ideas is echoed in supplementary information chronologically aligned with the lives of Richard and Mildred Loving, allowing the reader a broader look at society while they examine the Lovings’ story up close. Interspersed among the poems, readers will find primary documents like time period photographs, excerpts from news articles, quotes from famous public figures. Even more information such as a detailed timeline and bibliography is available at the end of the book to document the factual information included in the poems.
Loving vs. Virginia is recommended for children in grade eight or higher. While all content is handled quite gracefully, the events depicted have a sensitive nature that may not be appropriate for younger children. The Loving story is still so very relevant in modern society that this book would make an excellent addition to a high school library or to a language arts or social studies classroom as part of a civil rights study.
Example Poem
Richard
October 1955
Millie was the last one out of the car.
I said,
I’ll stop by next week?
But I said it like a question, ‘cause she don’t like to be told.
She nodded.
I drove off, hitting the steering wheel
of my good ole green DeSoto
feeling just fine.
Activity
Most young adults will need background information on the story of Richard and Mildred Loving. Show students the trailer for the 2016 (3:01) movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPAbJzL98Y0 or for the HBO documentary (0:47) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62ZBiHNJoM to provide background on the Lovings.
Then explain to students that while we see Richard and Mildred (Millie) Loving as strong, powerful people who literally changed marriage laws in our country, they didn’t set out to make such an impact. They started out--just like most couples do--with a crush, a budding romance, puppy love--whatever you want to call it.
Explain to students that this poem reveals a brief moment after Richard and Millie’s first group date. Richard has had a crush on Mildred for a while, but up to this point, she has not given much indication about how she feels. Read the poem once or twice to familiarize students with the poem. Then read the poem again, asking the students to note all the small ways Richard and Millie indicate their true feelings.
Sources
HBODocs. "HBO Documentary Films: The Loving Story - Trailer (HBODocs)." YouTube. 0:47. January 11, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62ZBiHNJoM
Zero Media. "Loving Official Trailer #1(2016) Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga Drama Movie HD." YouTube, 3:01. July 12, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPAbJzL98Y0
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