Review of The Story of Leif and Hailee

[Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Story of Leif and Hailee" by Anders Eklof.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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A group of engineers from Sweden was sent to Huntsville, Alabama, to the Redstone Arsenal to operate and maintain the anti-aircraft defensive missile system. The year was 1961. A twenty-year-old Leif Karlson was among those sent to America. Each was set up in their own apartments close to the base. One of the first things that the men did was buy themselves cars with the $2500 that the government gave them. Five of the men chose to get the same small, brand-new vehicles that would be suitable back home in Sweden. Leif wanted something different. He bought a 1958 yellow Thunderbird. He named it Yellow Bird and was proud of his snazzy big car.

One day, Leif went to the cafeteria at Redstone, and behind the counter was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The only problem was that she was Black. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, so he visited several times in hopes of getting to know her. The cafeteria was always crowded with long lines, so it took multiple attempts before he could talk to her. He learned her name was Hailee, and he was completely smitten with her. He asked her out, but she politely declined. Leif asked her out several times, but she told him it wouldn’t be a good idea, as she was Black and he was White. Still, he persisted, and finally, one day, they could meet up and go for a ride in Yellow Bird. Even though Hailee was lying low in the car, a group of guys spotted her and started chasing them because of a White man having a Black girl in his car. They nearly crashed, going so fast and making sharp turns. Hailee did not want to see Leif again, as it was too dangerous. Back in the 60s in the Deep South, racism was rampant. Whites and Blacks could not date; Blacks could not use the same bathrooms, could not drink from the same water fountains, and so on. Interracial couples were forbidden, and if caught, the guy faced severe consequences or possibly death.

Did Leif and Hailee ever get together despite the racial tension and forbidden rules practiced in Alabama back then? Did they ever get to live happily ever after together?

The Story of Leif and Hailee by Anders Eklof is a story of racism in the Deep South in the 1960s. It was a time of violence, protests, race riots, and segregation. Boys and girls could only be with someone of their own race. If you fell in love with someone from a different race, you were in danger of possibly being killed. Other countries, like Sweden, did not experience racism, and their people could not comprehend what was going on in America. I grew up during the 60s, so I knew the country's temperature well.

The book took you into a world that was unfair and did not make sense. It showed you how the Black population was mistreated and punished for the color of their skin. The book was interesting and enjoyable to read. It did drag in parts and seemed to go nowhere. You felt empathy for the main character and, at the same time, wanted to tell him to let it go. The book was well edited, as I did not find any errors. There was nothing that I disliked about the book, aside from the racism, which was only the truth of that time being told. The story was not the best that I had ever read, and I felt that the parts that dragged could have been edited out. So, for that reason, I am deducting one star and rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. Readers interested in the racism that went on in that era will enjoy this book.

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The Story of Leif and Hailee
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[Kibet Hillary]

Racial bigotry, undoubtedly, led to the suffering of many who suffered under the cruel laws that were in place. I am wondering whether Leif and Hailee managed to live together and how their relationship went on before then, especially after the chase. The review is informative, @Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis.

[Gerry Steen]

Lief, the Swedish engineer was smitten, naive, and brave to be courting a beautiful Black woman, Hailee in the 1960s in the South. I am curious to how he fared in the end. Sometimes love surmounts all obstacles. Great review!

[Sarah Zain]

It seems that the story is intense. Sometimes I wonder how racism, whether in terms of race, color, or religion, which we used to read about in past times, still continues to this day.
Thank you Shirley for your great review!

[Julie Marie Basil]

This sounds like a story that is quite engaging overall, but I’m sorry to hear that certain parts dragged on and did not seem to have much of a point to the story as a whole. I will probably pass on reading this one, thanks for your honest review!

[Ahmed Hussen 3]

It seems that the story is intense. Sometimes I wonder how racism, whether in terms of race, color, or religion, which we used to read about in past times, still continues to this day.
Thank you Shirley for your great review!

[haileym93]

Thank you for this well thought out review! Sounds like this one needs to be added the the bookshelf!