Reviewed by Donna Meredith In Rhett’s DeVane’s latest novel, Secondhand Sister, Mary-Esther Sloat may be down on her luck, but that’s about to change when she flees hurricane-ravaged New Orleans for a new life and sanctuary in North Florida. The hospitality of newfound friends and family soon envelops her—and this sixth novel in the beloved […]
November Read of the Month: “A Hanging at Cinder Bottom,” by Glenn Taylor
November 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Glenn Taylor’s new over-the-top caper sparkles with cinematic scenes begging to be transformed into film. A Hanging at Cinder Bottom: A Novel (Tin House Books) is primarily set in West Virginia coal country with occasional forays into Baltimore. The white-faced monkey depicted on the cover plays a role in a story […]
“Silent We Stood,” by Henry Chapell
October 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Extensive research led to a compelling depiction of Dallas, Texas, just before the Civil War in Henry Chapell’s novel, Silent We Stood. The story develops from a fire that destroyed much of the city in 1860, when fear of slave rebellion gripped the South following John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry. […]
“The Splendor of Ordinary Days,” by Jeff High
October 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith With the third novel in the Watervalley series, Jeff High’s talent has matured as he captures the rich tapestry of small-town life – as few contemporary authors have – in The Splendor of Ordinary Days. The author plumbs the depths of the most important bonds of our lives in this heart-warming […]
“Understanding Richard Russo,” by Kathleen Drowne
August 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Richard Russo is a beloved novelist known primarily for his stories of life in declining northeastern factory towns, so a reasonable person might question why his work deserves space in a literary review purporting to be southern. In short, the University of South Carolina Press recently released Understanding Richard Russo, a […]