SOCIAL SCIENCES

Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta

S. & S. Oct. 2015. 304p. index. ISBN 9781476709642. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781476709659. TRAV
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While visiting the Mississippi Delta, Grant (Crazy River) fell in love with a beautiful plantation-style house with lower monthly payments than the Manhattan apartment he and his girlfriend, Mariah, rented. So begins their life in Pluto, a world of its own. Soon Grant and Mariah battle fire ants and cottonmouths in the garden, shoot deer for food, and get used to driving over 50 miles to the nearest Walmart. The locals take them under their wing and help them acclimate to a region where blacks and whites still remain segregated in many ways. Despite the confusing racial etiquette, along with the alligators sunning themselves in the backyard and the armadillos digging up the front yard, they become enthralled with the community and its generous people. Though the phrase "that's so Delta" is appropriate for much of day-to-day life there, the lifestyle suits them better than they would have expected.
VERDICT A likely hit with fans of memoirs or travel fiction as well as those who enjoy a well-told story, this is a surprisingly humorous yet insightful read. Grant's writing is relaxed and familiar in the way of great storytellers.
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