Reviewed by Matt Simmons Perhaps no trope is as evocative of southern writing as the “sense of place,” a concept that can be both incredibly limiting and powerfully productive in how we read about and respond to the American South. On the one hand, this trope may force us to read in search of southern […]
February Read of the Month: “Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Varon
February 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Miles Smith, IV Appomattox: Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the End of the Civil War offers the first cultural, political, and social history of the Army of Northern Virginia’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Elizabeth Varon’s elegant narrative, provocative argument, and skillful use of sources make this work an interesting addition to the […]
January Read of the Month: “Sailing to Alluvium,” by John Pritchard
January 15, 2014 by 1 Comment
Reviewed by Michael Pitts In the third installment to the “Junior Ray Saga,” John Pritchard demonstrates his prowess for celebrating the unique world that is the Mississippi Delta. A delightfully obscene and irreverent burlesque tale, Sailing to Alluvium follows the “diktective” work of the loveable Junior Ray Loveblood and his pal Voyd Mudd. As […]
December Read of the Month: “Dancing Naked in Dixie,” by Lauren Clark
December 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by J.R. Baldwin Award-winning travel writer Julia Sullivan is jet-lagged and on-deadline when she arrives back in New York. As she mentally prepares for a week in office, she is called into the editor’s office. Her new boss is a surprise, personally related, and not a welcome face. Even more so when Julia’s job […]
November Read of the Month: “Moonrise,” by Cassandra King
November 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith Remember reading Daphne DuMarier’s Rebecca when you were younger and loving it? So did acclaimed novelist Cassandra King, and now she has written her own gothic tale of a new bride whose curiosity about a first wife might uncover more than she wants to know. The release of Moonrise on September […]
October Read of the Month: “When Mountains Move,” by Julie Cantrell
October 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Reviewed by Donna Meredith From the outset, wrenching secrets handicap Millie and Bump’s marriage in When Mountains Move, the sequel to Julie Cantrell’s debut Into the Free. You don’t have to read the debut first to enjoy the sequel, but you should. Cantrell’s first novel won Christy awards for Best Debut Novel and for […]