Wanda Morris’s Anywhere You Run is one of the latest successes to come from 2022. The book focuses on the game of cat and mouse that falls under the umbrella of the crime genre. The book is labeled a crime thriller, yet there isn’t an element of suspense that’s typically expected for a thriller. The novel is divided into two parts, and the chapters switch between three different points of view, Marigold, Violet, and Mercer, which is a layout I really enjoyed reading. Some themes of the novel may be hard to read and are better suited for ages 13+.
The book is set in a medium-sized town in Mississippi in the summer of 1964. The South is still holding onto Jim Crow Laws as two black sisters, Marigold and Violet, are finding themselves on very different paths in life.
Marigold had dreams to attend law school, while Violet acts in the moment rather than thinking things through. Their lives dramatically turn upside down over the course of a few days and a few really bad decisions. After Violet is ruthlessly attacked, she takes matters into her own hands and kills the man. She’s forced to flee Mississippi to escape suspicion and the eyes of questioning policemen. She travels to a very small town called Chillicothe, Georgia. The catch? She up and left Marigold with almost no explanation, just their cousin’s phone number, and a world of questions. Marigold, however, has a problem of her own. She’s pregnant, and it’s not her boyfriend’s child. She makes a quick choice to marry her boyfriend, pass the baby off as his, and move to Ohio. Unluckily for her, she’s being followed by a man named Mercer who was hired to find Violet. And the game is now in motion.
A key strength of this novel is how character-driven it is rather than plot-driven. Since the story unfolds through their different perspectives, the reader gets to fit different pieces of the puzzle together through the different character motivations. The plot missed the mark for me for a few reasons. Part one of the novel spans over 200 pages with only the last few chapters picking up in pace. Part two is roughly 100 pages long and is where all the action, or intense action, happens. This left the novel feeling unbalanced and that something was missing.
Morris compels you to take interest in the sisters’ lives as well as in Mercer’s and does a great job of distinguishing the characters’ voices and personalities. I never felt lost in the plot or confused about the storylines between the three main characters. This was one of the book’s greatest strengths: knowing when to switch point of views and when to add another chapter of the same point of view. It allows the reader to connect with the characters in different ways and become more engrossed in their individual stories.
Mercer was the most interesting character for me. He’s motivated by money that will help his sick child and bring his wife happiness. Most of his inner thoughts are about his family, but we can’t forget he’s a terrible person. His actions are greedy and cruel, and he’s hired by a man who is no different. It’s important to keep in mind the time period the story takes place. Morris never truly lets you forget as racism, segregation, and morality are a constant presence and discussion in the novel.
While the book wasn’t what I expected it to be, it is one I’d recommend and I’m excited for the author’s new book, What You Leave Behind, coming out this summer!
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars