Though She Be Small...

Jeannette Walls is known for Half-Broke Horses and The Glass Castle, two books about the author and her family. In Walls new book, the audience meets Bean and Liz, two girls with a neglectful mother, who make their way across the country to find family.

In 1970, Bean, the youngest, and Liz, the eldest daughter of Charlotte, an aspiring singer/actress, leave their house when police arrive to check in on them. Their mother isn't around much and often leaves them at home to go to L.A. The girls don’t want to end up in the system, so they hop a bus to Virginia, their mother’s original home, and meet their uncle. The mansion that the family lived in is now decaying and neglected, and Uncle Tinsley does not have the time or resources to fix it up. Although he is a good and loving man, the girls feel they need to help out financially, so they get jobs with Jerry Maddox, the foreman at the local mill. The girls don’t know about the history between this man and their uncle along with the problems that Maddox creates in town. Unfortunately, Liz is embroiled in an incident that turns her life upside down and Bean, the optimist, will do anything to get her sister justice. This is a story of courage and family.

Bean is a fierce, funny, sweet girl who wants to protect her family. Although she is younger than Liz, she is wise beyond her years and loyal. Liz is a brilliant girl. She is talented and witty, but becomes withdrawn in her new setting. They make a good team and Walls does a wonderful job of illustrating the sisterly bond. Charlotte, their mother, is a frustrating, pathetic character. Throughout the book, I just wanted to slap her. She claims that her girls are her world, but will abandon them and her responsibility for weeks at a time because she either has a “job” or needs space. Her behavior when she is around is manic and insecure. It seems she is the child in their trifecta, rather than Bean and Liz. Some people aren't meant to have children and Charlotte is a one of them. Then we have Uncle Tinsley, a loving man who hasn't done much since the mill his family owned was sold. Most of the adults in this novel all have some sort of deficit, which seems to be a theme in Walls writing. The one adult who seems to be without fault is Bean's aunt who works hard to provide for her family on a meager income and loves them fiercely. 

I enjoyed this story, but I didn't feel satisfied in the end. The big plot point wrapped up, but we’re still left questioning what will happen with the family and the girls down the road. I wanted the story to dig deeper and although it hit on some hard points, I wish Walls would keep going. School integration, neglect, and misuse of the law are some of the mentioned themes that could be further explored. There was a lot to be examined in these pages and I felt it was not satisfyingly done. The characters were fleshed out beautifully, but the plot needed more exploration.

If you are a fan of Jeannette Walls and The Silver Star then here are some other titles that may interest you.

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Walls mentions Lee’s novel in The Silver Star and there are similar themes of injustice, racism, and creative, sharp young girls.
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a coming of age story about a young girl growing up with a poor, but tight knit family in the slums of Brooklyn.
• Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. Like The Silver Star, this is a coming of age story and a book marketed to adults, but easily transferable to young adults. It’s about a young girl who recently lost her uncle, the only person she could relate to, and how she deals with that. 

Heartwarming Summer Reading

After finishing Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, I wanted another sweet, easy to read book. Luckily for me, Hoffman just released a new book called Looking for Me. Like Ceecee, this novel takes place in the South and is about family.

Teddi is a middle aged woman who has the fortune of not only pursuing her passion, but making money off of it. Teddi is the owner of an antiques shop in Charleston. She has a knack for finding beauty and life in the most abused of furniture and bringing it back from the brink of the garbage lot. Although originally from Kentucky, Teddi has found a place, good friends, and customers in Charleston and even a surprising new romance. However, Teddi is still dealing with the loss of her brother who ran away decades ago and hasn’t been heard from since. She still carries the hope of one day finding him. Teddi weaves her story through the ups and downs of her family history in Kentucky, and her present life in Charleston.

Charleston and Kentucky play vital roles in Looking. The reader gets the sense of the woods and farm land in Kentucky, but I found that Charleston was not as well highlighted. Compared to Hoffman’s first novel, Saving Ceecee Honeycutt, where the setting was described and the reader truly got the sense of the surroundings; Charleston’s descriptions missed the mark. Not to say it wasn't a perfectly lovely novel. For those looking for something a bit nostalgic, comforting, and moving, this is a good pick.

Here are a few similar novels:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
A character driven story about a young woman and the three women who take her in. This is a novel with a strong sense of place and memorable characters.

Tapestry of Fortunes by Elizabeth Berg

An engaging and heartwarming read, Berg writes about women’s lives. Cecelia decides to sell her home and road trip with three other women in search of things and people they are seeking.

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The main character also works with antiques and it is about discovering your roots and making your way in the world. Tess finds out she is to inherit an apple orchard and be part owner with a half-sister she didn’t know existed.

Home on the Range with "Pride and Prejudice"

After reading Jack Caldwell’s other book, The ThreeColonels, I found he wrote the book Pemberley Ranch. Seeing as it’s the Bicentenary of Pride and Prejudice I decided that this should be my next challenge book (even though I said I’d read something else for June's challenge). Who can pass up Mr. Darcy, cowboy?

It’s about five years after the Civil War ended and the Bennet family is moving from Meryton, Ohio to Rosings, Texas. Beth Bennet is not excited for the move because of her unbridled hate of Southerners due to the death of her brother in the war. But Texas holds some surprises. Not only is it beautiful country, but the people aren't half bad either, including the one northerner, George Whitehead. Jane marries Dr. Bingley, and the Bennets are close friends with many of the southern folk. Will Darcy is another story, however. He may own half the land and be a dashing man, but who can like such a snob? Certainly not Beth! When things at the bank, and scoundrels in town start becoming more menacing, perhaps Will Darcy can be of use.

With the emergence of many well-known characters from a slew of Jane Austen books, including Henry Tilney, the town’s pastor and Mary Bennet’s beau, the story keeps your interest. Pride and Prejudice in antebellum Texas actually works… Not only do we hear from Beth, but we also hear Darcy’s point of view as well. It was refreshing to hear from the man himself. This Darcy is not the snob he is in the original. I actually found that he was a fine character, but Beth was a little overbearing and judgmental. Instead of hearing mainly from her, I felt the focus was more on Darcy, which wasn't a bad thing. It was refreshing to hear more about Mary as well. I loved that she and Tilney were sweet on each other. Their relationship made Mary a focus and not just a satire in the novel. Charlotte Lucas and Fitz are also an item in this novel and get a little more time on the page, which was fun to read about. While playing up some characters/relationships, as mentioned before, others were not really mentioned. Jane and Bingley were married right off the bat and were pretty much left alone. The villains  George Whitehead, Billy Collins, and Denny “the Kid”, were all played WAY up. They went from being annoying or morally corrupt, to being the worst of the worst. It was a bit much. I found that Caldwell may have tried a little too hard on some characters while not focusing enough on the nuance of others, like Beth.

The story is essentially the same, but it puts a very different spin on the characters and setting. I wanted to keep reading even though I felt the story became over the top towards the end.  I enjoyed the placement of P&P in the south. This is a fun book. If you take it too seriously or are too staunch on your P&P fan fiction, you might hate it, but for my part, I found it was a fun, quick read.

Here are some other fun Pride and Prejudice fan fictions:

• An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan
• Mr. Darcy’s Obsession by Abigail Reynolds
• Pemberley Shades: A lightly gothic tale of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy by D.A. Bonavia-Hunt

Southern Charm

Sometimes you just need a book that’s a hug. Something comforting, lovely, and sweet that makes you feel happy without too much drama. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman was a perfect literary hug.

Cecelia, CeeCee, is a twelve year old girl living with her delusional mother. Mrs. Honeycutt has become less and less lucid over the years and continues to think of herself as the pageant queen she once was. While CeeCee’s mama is dressing up like the prom queen, her daddy is never home leaving her to be in charge of her crazy mother. Way leads unto way and Mrs. Honeycutt ends up dying. Ceecee is transported to her Great Aunt Tootie’s house in Savannah, where she meets a slew of eccentric women. Each one helps CeeCee come out of her shell, deal with her past, and move forward.

This is a character driven book. There isn’t a ton of drama to propel the story forward, and the drama that occurs is quickly solved or nothing becomes of it. You want to keep reading for the humorous, eccentric characters and the captivating setting. There’s something about Savannah and the South that is magical, comforting, and charming.  Savannah especially holds a certain amount of mystery and exotic allure. In CeeCee, the audience sees the exotic in the characters more than the setting and the magic is in the gardens and buildings.

Ceecee is a sweet character. You like her and relate with her and she certainly has her problems, making her a realistic figure. Aunt Tootie is a generous and caring woman. Oletta, the cook and housekeeper, is funny and loving. The almost entirely female cast of characters creates a sense of sisterhood and friendship among women without the competition and contempt that tends to happen when there is a large group of females.

Although I felt it lacked some rising action, it worked out. Some might find the lack of problem events annoying, but for me, there was just enough. Ceecee continues dealing with her Mom’s death throughout the book, so that gave enough groundwork to frame the story around. I just loved the comforting sweetness of the story and characters. I felt wrapped in a blanket of southern charm and reading euphoria.

If you’re looking for something a little gentler, with a southern twist, give Saving CeeCee Honeycutt a try. Here are some other titles to read if you’re into this.

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett

• The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd

• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

MYSTERY!!! But not so much intrigue…

As I will readily admit, I am a huge fan of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series. After bewailing my lack of “Deadlocked”, the latest of the series, a coworker told me to try the Lily Bard series. This is another of Harris’s series about a young woman who lives in the southern town of Shakespeare. The first book in the series is “Shakespeare’s Landlord”.

Lily Bard is a mystery. She’s moved around for several years to try and escape a past that haunts her and finally settled in Shakespeare where she has become a cleaning woman for many local residents . Similar to Sookie, from the Sookie Stackhouse series, she is a strong willed woman working a blue collar job. Lilly practices martial arts and keeps herself separate from her neighbors. But when Lilly witnesses someone dragging away a body, she decides she can help figure out who the murderer is.  

I expected the book to have a few more references to Shakespeare or something that tied it more to the iconic bard. Instead what I found is another kick ass southern woman, but without all of the intrigue of Sookie. The only reasons I really kept going were to figure out who did it, and because it was such a short read. I don’t feel a need to continue with the series. Lilly was too off-putting, and that has a lot to do with her past, but I still could not recognize with her, which is something that’s essential for me to get into a book. There was not a lot of action either. The mystery itself was bland. Perhaps I was expecting the fun supernatural elements as in the Sookie series, but those are missing as well.

There are shelves of mysteries out there; ones with women with an ugly history looking to start over and ones with women who kick butt. I’d suggest you take a look into those in place of Lilly Bard. 

A Beautiful Novel

The Help was perhaps one of the best books I've read in a while. It's taken from three different perspectives and seamlessly woven together. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi 1962. Skeeter, who has just graduated from college is scorned by her mother for not having her MRS, but she wants to become a writer. Aibileen is an older black maid who works for a white family. Minnie is a fiery black woman who works as a maid, but has crossed the wrong white lady. Their lives tangle together when Skeeter decides to share their side of the story; what it's like to be a black maid working for a white family.

Kathyrn Stockett did a phenomenal job writing this book. She captured the helplessness, heartbreak, anxiety, joy, and frustration of the characters. Her writing recalled my own hurts and it felt like she had taken the words that I couldn't form for myself and written them down in this book.

I actually listened to this book on tape, which I always think is cheating in a way. After hearing this read to me, I will never think that again. It actually made all the difference having it read to me. The dialog is written in southern dialect, so it's easier to say the words out loud anyway. With three perspectives, it helped having three different readers. I would highly recommend listening to this book, or just reading it for that matter. The story was rich and I could not stop listening. I thought I would only listen to it in the car, but I found myself popping it into my DVD player and just sitting and staring off, imagining what was happening.

O and for those of you who like reading books before they are raped by the silver screen, you may want to give this one a read pretty soon.