Between Us Baxters by Bethany Hegedus

Hegedus, Bethany. Between Us Baxters, 306 pgs. WestSide Books, 2009. $17.95.  Language- PG.  (16 swears, 0 “F”, 2 “G”), Sexual Content- PG (teenage pregnancy); Violence- PG; underage drinking is briefly mentioned. Hegedus writes a fast moving account of two friends struggling to maintain their friendship despite the violence and segregation found deep in the South in 1959.  She details the complex relationship between black and white, between family and friends, and between right and wrong.  It took me until about a third of the way to get “into the book”.  But after that point, I truly couldn’t put it down.  My heart cried when they cried, and I was deeply touched by the struggles between what’s right and wrong, and what truly makes friendship and love deeper than hate.  MS  - ADVISABLE. Reviewer:  SL