By Esther Callens
A true bona fide cindafella story has been written by an up and coming novelist. The Residue Years – A Novel is the title of this remarkable read. Mitchell S. Jackson, its author has sketched a detailed portrait of the life that many have lived but few survive long enough to tell about. It is highly engrossing.
How did Mitchell S. Jackson pen a novel of this magnitude? What was his inspiration? The answer he found lies in himself. The Residue Years is, to a certain extent, Jackson’s autobiographical novel. It proves that Jackson is a complex young man with an amazing story. It is an incredible debut narrative.
The Residue Years tell the stories of a young man called Champ and his mother, Grace. To say their lives are complicated would be a compliment to them equally as the battle that they are both fighting hail very few winners. Champ is a young man with a lot of responsibility. Although he has a bright future (he is a college student), he has the task of supporting his mother and two younger brothers. Given such a huge undertaking, he resorts to selling drugs. Eventually Champ’s life takes an unexpected turn.
At one time, Grace led a fulfilling life. But that was before the drugs. Just out of a treatment facility, she is now trying to stay on the straight and narrow. She is working hard to stay clean in hopes of getting her kids back. But this is proving to be harder than it seems. Both Grace and Champ have a date with destiny. But little do they know its outcome is solely left in their hands.
Mitchell S. Jackson grew up a child of the nineties in an impoverished section of Portland, Oregon. He fell prey to the streets and got caught selling drugs. While incarcerated, he began writing. Years after his release, he earned his Masters and M. F. A. in writing. He is an accomplished journalist whose work has appeared in various media such as The Source, Vibe, etc. Mitchell S. Jackson’s life is a testament that dire circumstances can be overcome with a healthy dose of
determination.
