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Suzanne
Rating:
Review
This strange and powerful story reminds us of our own country's recent history of legitimized racism and hatred. Lily, a poor white teenager living under the thumb of her mean-spirited father in South Carolina, 1964, manages to flee her miserable life and help her dearest friend out of a dreadful situation. I like her character because she's so human, bumbling her way through confrontations using only her stubbornness and bravery born of desperation. She knows what she doesn't want more than what she does want. Any woman who lost her mother at an early age will relate to Lily's deep-seated wondering about this missing parent. The three quirky black sisters who take her in introduce her to their world of silliness, beekeeping, acceptance, and their own version of the Black Madonna. A surprising and interesting read.
Best Line:
I’d heard August say more than once, “If you need something from somebody, always give that person a way to hand it to you.”
Kim
Rating:
Review
I read a review of this book about six months before it actually came out, and it sounded interesting, but then after reading this novel, I realized that it was the review that was interesting, and not the book. Set during the 1960s in South Carolina, Lily Owens is our teenaged narrator. She introduces us to her angry father, T. Ray and their housekeeper, Rosaleen early in the story, and a trio of sisters, May, June and August a little later. Ms. Kidd should have allowed us to meet the sisters sooner, because I thought they had more personality than any other character combined. I tired of Lily quickly. Like by page 20. I thought most of the characters were flat and boring, and the story wasn’t anything special. I’ve been a 14-year-old girl before, and everything in life is a big deal, including growing up and realizing that the entire world does not revolve around me. Given the way I perceived Lily, I have a feeling that if we could meet her as a grown-up, she would still believe it was all about her.
Best Line:
“This is the last thing I remember with perfect crispness – her breath floating down to me like a tiny parachute, collapsing without a trace among the piles of shoes.” Any mention of shoes gets a thumbs-up from me.
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