he challenged me during a difficult period of my life, and I think I'm better for it.Ī note on recommendations.

I will remember the character of Grandpa, E. The end of the book for me was a revelation of the deep ideas highlighting a tapestry of narrative and dialogue, and it stuck with me. 'White trash' is also touched upon as a class, and in many ways, treated worse than the colored folk. References to the lost Civil War and glory of the confederacy are mentioned merely as the way of life at the time, not as ideas to be pondered, developed, or embraced. However, they are respected by the main characters for the contribution they make to their lives and their families. It is a sad reality that 'colored folk' are an unalterable part of the setting and they are (true to life) pictured as a community apart that get the lower jobs. You might not notice it though, for all the fun in the visible flow of stories.

Yet at the same time, running like a deep aquifer alongside a jolly racing blue thread of a river, themes about death (young, old, suicide are all covered), grieving, God, love gained and lost, abuse, depression and forgiveness are watering the story with a life that is penetrating to the soul. The humor of the story and the joy of life of the characters gave the book a clean feel of a simpler time as it unwound from the pages to ensnare my heart with a great, grand, ole yarn. A joy to read, and re-read, and share with all your friends, I give you my review of a story that is a treasured friend.Īfter reading the book jacket, I approached this recommendation with a 'hrmph', as my mind jumped ahead to hurl the first sentence of my review: 'life was pretty good in the south after the Civil War as long as you weren't black or poor.' Quite frankly, I had been wrestling with the injustice of racism and was in no mood either appreciate the segregated culture of the south in which it persisted, or to see it romanticized.īut then I started reading, and I was captivated. For years, I had heard the best American novel set in the South was 'Gone with Wind' or 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' or more recently, 'The Help' and certainly these books have their contribution to literature (you can read my reviews if you'd like), but BY FAR, my favorite book ever set in the Southern United States is this one and only gem by the lovely Olive Ann Burns.

Cold sassy tree reviews