The Cherokee Rose

 

The Cherokee Rose

Author: Tiya Miles

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: June 13, 2023

*I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

    Not since Lalita Tademy's Cane River have I read a historical novel that is so thoroughly researched and so beautifully written. Cherokee Rose is based on the author's (tremendous) research of the Vann House in Northwest Georgia.

 

    In the story, a former Cherokee plantation turned museum known as Hold House is being sold due to a lack of funds. The sale of the former home of a Cherokee Chieftain (with white and Cherokee blood) brings forth the interest of many locals who share a past with the old mansion. Three women come to the old mansion for different reasons. Cheyenne, who claims to have a Native American ancestor that once lived at the house, plans to buy Hold House and convert it into a bed and breakfast. Jinx is a young Muscogee historian sent by her tribe to find out what happened to a tribal member that had lived on the plantation but did not take the Trail of Tears north. Ruth, a writer for a home magazine up north is here on assignment. She and Cheyenne share a past. Add the ghost of a young Muscogee woman and a mysterious diary, and you get a story you can't put down. 

      This story covers a little-known but very important part of Native American and Southern history. Before the white man came here and removed the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears, Northwest Georgia was owned and farmed by the Cherokee. What many people don't know is that there were Cherokee who owned slaves. Although I grew up here on what was Cherokee land, and I have heard stories of the old plantations that were here, I was never taught much about my own local history while in school. This is why I am so glad to see this book! When history covers the South, it mostly concentrates on the white-owned plantations of southern Georgia. Students are not taught the history of the northern part of the state, which is very different. The story delves into the history of the plantation, the three races that came together there, and how their fates were intertwined. 

     

    I highly recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction or history buff. Miles' writing style makes the read enjoyable. Her characters are very well-rounded and believable. This one is a keeper.

Dark Secrets of the Old Oak Tree

 Dark Secrets Of the Old Oak Tree (Southern Tree Series)

by: Delores J. Wilson

Publisher: Medalion Press

Pages: 350

Publish date: 2010

From Amazon:

Following the end of her 15-year marriage to a high-powered attorney, Evie Carson returns to her small hometown in Georgia only to stumble upon a horrible secret. She is stunned into silence as she watches a mentally-challenged member of the community carry the nude, lifeless body of her childhood friend. The authorities are sure that once the man is arrested, the town's nightmare will be over. But when he turns up dead and Evie's home becomes the center of bizarre events, she and an investigating state trooper fear she may be the next victim. With his help, Evie wages a battle to save her life against the secrets of the oak tree. Soon, she begins to wonder if she is safe from anyone in her hometown, including the state trooper.

My thoughts:

(No spoilers!)

    This is one of the best murder mysteries I have read in a long, long time. I literally could not put it down. There are all sorts of twists and turns, and the murderer is completely unexpected. This is a real page-turner. I thought I knew the culprit several times and was wrong every single time.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It will not be the last! If you read this blog, you know I love Southern Fiction. This story takes place in a small southern town. The setting and characters are very believable. 

This is a great book to cozy up with on a dreary winter day (or rainy night). I highly recommend it. You won't be able to put it down.

Read this book if...

    *you love murder mysteries

    *you love southern fiction

    *you love small-town stories

    *you have plenty of time to read (because you will not want to put it down)

'Mater Biscuit by: Julie Cannon

Title: 'Mater Biscuit Author: Julie Cannon Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pages: 269 Copyright Date: 2004

From Amazon:

From the author of Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes comes a heartwarming story of three generations of Southern women working to mend the rifts of the past and set paths for the future.

It is summer in Euharlee, Georgia, and Imogene Lavender's garden is bursting with snap beans, okra, and tomatoes. The household -- made up of Imo; her daughter Jeanette and her new baby; and Lou, Imo's niece -- is about to grow as well. Imo's estranged mother, Mama Jewell, has begun to show signs of senility, and Imo has decided that it is her duty to take her mother in. Mama Jewell brings with her some secrets from the past, including the story of Lou's mother, a revelation that sends Lou in search of her ne'er-do-well father. For Imo, who is feeling the squeeze of being in the middle of the generations, Mama Jewell's temperamental nature stirs up long-buried memories of a difficult childhood. And much to everyone's surprise, wild Jeanette is so determined to find a husband that she joins the church choir to be closer to the handsome and enigmatic young reverend. 

'Mater Biscuit is a wonderful evocation of small-town life in the South, a world where hard work and prayers unite the community. Life isn't always easy for Imo and her girls, but they have only to look as far as Imo's beloved garden to be reminded that all things change with the seasons.

I enjoyed this southern novel every bit as much as I loved Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes.  'Mater Biscuit is a slow-moving novel or small-town Georgia as it (believe it or not) really is. Imo has to take in her mother after her dementia gets her kicked out of her apartment in a home for the elderly. This is hard for Imo, not only because she is already raising her own child, Jeannette (a teenage mother) and her baby and Loutishie (the child of her deceased sister) but also because Her mother was such an abusive mother. Imo is flooded with unpleasant memories of her terrible childhood at the hands of this woman and finds it hard to give her the care she needs. As she struggles to care for her mother, she grows more distant from Jeanette and Loutishie and neglects her friendship with her best friend Martha. The only thing that gives Imo solace is her precious garden. This is a heart-warming story of forgiveness that teaches the true meaning of family.

Read this novel is....
*you love southern fiction
*you love small-town novels
*you love women's fiction
*you love stories about family

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Title: Lost Lake Author: Sarah Addison Allen Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pages: 294

I've been a huge fan of Sarah Addison Allen for a long while now, and Lost Lake does not disappoint. Allen's novels are at once magical, yet realistic - the real world mixed in with just enough of the supernatural to make it believable. I first met the  main character, Kate, in Waking Kate- Allen's novella which serves as a prequel of sorts to Lost Lake. Recently widowed, Kate finds herself being swept up into the world of her mother-in-law, a wealthy and ambitious real estate agent. As her mother-in-law slowly takes over her life, Kate finds herself packing up her belongings for the move when she runs across a letter from her great aunt Eby, which her mother had hidden. In the letter, Eby invites Kate to visit her at her South Georgia Lake resort, Lost Lake. The background for her most fond childhood memories, Lost Lake looms in Kate's mind as an oasis in the sea of confusion her life has become.  Suddenly, she and her daughter, Devin, pack all their belongings and head out for Lost Lake. Part adventure, part coming home, this story weaves the tale of not only Kate, but those who make Lost Lake their home, and those who return year after year. Not only is this a wonderful story, it is also a very interesting character study. I especially loved Selma. As the story begins, the reader finds her to be pretty unlikable- home-wrecker with a dour personality. However, as more and more of her life is revealed, Selma becomes not only likable, but thought-provoking. This is a great story and I highly recommend it.

Read this story if...

*you love Southern Fiction

*you love Sarah Addison Allen novels

*you love realistic fiction with a little magic mixed in

*you love stories of mothers and daughters

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am eagerly awaiting

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

release date: January 21, 2014

From Amazon:

From the author of New York Times bestseller Garden Spells comes a beautiful, haunting story of old loves and new, and the power of the connections that bind us forever…

The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

It’s a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing  Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve,  before she learned of loneliness, and heartbreak, and loss. Now she’s all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope too, thanks to her resilient daughter Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer… and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.

 One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren’t sure they needed in the first place:  love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended.  Can they find what they need before it’s too late? 

 At once atmospheric and enchanting, Lost Lake shows Sarah Addison Allen at her finest, illuminating the secret longings and the everyday magic that wait to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.

I absolutely LOVE everything Sarah Addison Allen has written and I am eagerly awaiting this one. I read Waking Kate, which introduces Kate and her daughter. It has an excerpt from Lost Lake and it was wonderful! I can't wait for this one!!

Lowcountry Spirit

Title: Lowcountry Spirit Author: Ann Hite : Publisher: Pocket Star Pages: 99

From Amazon:

A haunting historical eNovella about three slave girls with mystical powers living on an eerie island off the coast of Georgia, whose lives intertwine in their quest for freedom.

Meet Emmaline, Celestia, and Liza, three slave girls on a haunted barrier island in Georgia lowcountry.


Emmaline is a mouthy, stubborn young woman who has magic in her blood and conjures the strongest spells with hardly any effort. Celestia was ten when her mother was sold and taken from the island. She’s never stopped longing for her, even when the talking chain—a verbal underground railroad—sends word that her mother has been taken to a plantation in North Carolina. By the time she turns sixteen, she can no longer bring her mother’s face to mind, but she can still hear her urging Celestia to be thankful and keep safe. Liza was a birthday gift to the plantation’s mistress. Her mama was killed for throwing a spell on her master. Before she died she gave Liza her book of conjures, so she could protect herself. And when Liza hatches a plan for all three of them to escape, the three girls’ lives collide. What they don’t realize is that their chances of successfully escaping are slim, and the possibility that all three will die before they leave the island is more likely...

I enjoyed this book, although I kept getting the three main characters all mixed up. They all seemed so much alike. However, this was still a great story. I still am not sure what a storycatcher is or is supposed to be. I know it is someone who catches and untangles other's stories but...I'm just not sure what that entails, exactly... I still look forward to Hite's upcoming The Storycatcher. I loved Ghost on Black Mountain. Hite is a great story teller. I love her simple style. And, hey, If I kept mixing up the characters but still enjoyed the story, that tells you something...

Read this story if...

*you love southern fiction

*you love historical fiction

*you love stories that take place in Georgia

*you love stories that take place in the antebellum south

It's Monday- What Are You Reading

I'ts Monday- What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.  This is a great way to learn about new books and meet fellow bloggers!
This is a "slow" week for me. I'm reading one book-

I bought this book at a local book store- Paradise Lost- in Rome, GA. (If you're in the area, you really need to check this place out!)
As an avid fan of the paranormal (and Georgia girl), I had to try this one. So far...so good. Stay tuned for my review....

Sea Change by Karen White

Title: Sea Change Author: Karen White Publisher: New American Library Pages:392

From the back cover:

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-four, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Michael Frazier and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope and Ava moves to Matthew's ancestral home on St. Simon's Isl;and off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness still eludes her.  There is much she doesn't know about Matthew including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife's death.  And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband.  Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew's family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place- or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future.

Although I'm usually not big on books that pull heavily on romance for the story line, I have been a Karen White fan since I first began reading the Tradd Street series.  I also loved The Color of Light. Some of her books are a little romance-heavy for me but she weaves a good story.  This one I liked in that it relied less on romance and more on the story itself.  I like the setting White chose for the story and her descriptions of St. Simon's island are wonderful. She creates a great sense of place. At first I couldn't put this book down, but as it got toward the end I found myself getting less excited.  I couldn't understand why Matthew was so secretive about his former wife.  He hadn't even bothered to tell Ava about her before they married.  (Agreed, it was a whirlwind romance, but wouldn't a former marriage come up at some point?) I felt like it got a little wordy and I was also left not completely believing the ending of the Pamela/ Georgina/ Geoffrey storyline.  I guess the ending was a little unsatisfying.  All in all, this was a pretty good read, although not my favorite by Karen White.  I still look forward to her next book, and I would still recommend this one to any one who loves a good southern mystery.

Read this book if...
*you love southern fiction
*you love mysteries

*you love books with an island setting