Tuesday Book Review

"Alligator Bayou" by Donna Jo Napoli is based on a true story. It was about a family of Sicilian men that moved to Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century and were never accepted by either the Blacks or the whites. It was a tragic, disconcerting story and to be honest I haven't quit thinking about it since I finished it. It is a book that makes you think about how you treat others. It is supposed to be a book for teens but think that young adult would be a better age group. It is well written but if you read it be prepared to be a little bit shaken.

"Charming Grace" was an interesting book. It was not one of my favorite Deborah Smith books but it was well written and for the most part a good book.

When I downloaded "A Flower Blooms on Cherry Street", "Ociee on Her Own" came with it and I didnt realize it. It was a sweet story and I recommend it. Our library system does not have it and to order the book from Amazon it is $25. To get it on Kindle it is $9.99. It is worth the Kindle price but not the regular book price.

The year that my sister, Marianne and I lived in Ephraim - I was 16 and she was 14 - we discovered Gwen Bristow's books. We have been in love with her ever since. Marianne is a better mother than I am and all of her daughters now know and love Gwen Bristow as much as we did. 'The Plantation Trilogy' is really our least favorite of all of her books but it is still well written. Marianne put her finger on why they are not our favorite - the characters are not lovable. However, I needed a book to carry in my purse and I grabbed "Deep Summer" the first of the Plantation Trilogy books. I enjoyed it and wish that I had the other two to go with it. I have ordered the books from the library - we will see what happens. Maybe I will go on a Gwen Bristow kick for a while. My favorite books of hers are "Jubilee Trail" (which I own, thanks to my sister!) and "Calico Palace" and they always will be. For a long time I was going to name a daughter Kendra but I wasn't the only one to name our daughters!

I read a Donna Jo Napoli book but could find no reference to it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. It a book called 'Angelwings' and it is a book for a readers aged 10 - 14. It was a sweet story of a guardian angel, a quite selfish young girl and a grandmother all learning how to fit in their new roles. If you see it - read it. It is as quick read and very well worth the time. I highly recommend it. There is a whole series that goes with this book - in fact I think this book was something like #3 or 4 in the series.