Lisa Patton RUSH Sorority Stress and Competition!

Rush by author Lisa Patton is so much more than about the pressures of RUSH for new students at SEC campuses. The story focuses on the stress of the campaigns both personal and cultural among the students as they seek acceptance into a sorority on the campus of Ole Miss in Oxford.
Miss Pearl, and three students Cali, Ellie, Annie Laurie, are the core of the story. Miss Pearl is more than the custodial help, she is the listening ear and the kind heart who cares about the students. She is wise beyond her 44 years and has secrets and heartaches along with aspirations of finishing her college education. There is competition among the girls and also a sense of camaraderie as the process for being accepted into a sorority is underway. There are always the mothers in the background who guide or PUSH the daughters into doing whatever is necessary to become accepted into the sorority they think is best.
The part of this story I felt was the very best, is when the students devise a plan to provide health benefits for the employees of all the sorority and fraternity houses on campus. I loved that the students became activists to right a wrong for Miss Pearl. They realized that sometimes the bylaws are biased toward a deserving person for a promotion. They had a formidable opponent in the character of Lillith, Annie Laurie's mother.
This is a story which highlights the changing attitudes of southern people. Most of us are always willing to fight and right a wrong toward our brothers and sisters of color. Yes, there will always be hateful people who are conniving and try to manipulate, but the majority of southern people want equality and fairness for all.
Publication Date August 21, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

______________________

Art Images and Photographs by Diane Lochala-All Rights Reserved

"Mississippi Mansions"