Lately, I've found myself in a pattern of reading really dark books. The last few books I've read have all centered around death. ("Her Fearful Symmetry" and "The Lovely Bones" are both narrated by ghosts.) Needless to say, I wanted something a little lighter to read for a change of pace. I tried "Dear John" because Nicholas Sparks is a guilty pleasure of mine, and I always fall in to the book-made-into-movie hype. It was okay, but I was craving something different. Something I could really sink my teeth into. I saw "Roses" by Leila Meacham on Amazon's homepage, but I dismissed it because it was near Valentine's Day, and I figured they were just showing it due to it's romantic cover and title. Then I saw it was a New York Times best seller, and I read the synopsis. "This enthralling stunner, a good old-fashioned read, may herald the overdue return of those delicious doorstop epics from such writers as Barbara Taylor Bradford and Colleen McCullough. Meacham's multigenerational family saga, set in East Texas circa 1914–1985, charts the transformation of Mary Toliver, a wide-eyed 16-year-old heiress, into a calculating cotton plantation queen as hardheaded as Scarlett O'Hara." (From Publisher's Weekly.) East Texas, my East Texas? Gone With the Wind? I was sold in two sentences.
Although the town in which the story takes place is fictional, Howbutker, Texas, would be pretty much exactly where I grew up, in the "Pineywoods of Deep East Texas." I really enjoyed this book! It has love triangles, history, and vivid imagery that calls upon all of the senses. I found myself wishing that these characters really existed, and that I could research their history more. Although, the whole time I was reading it, I was picturing a writer and editor from New York who had never even been to Texas...some of the descriptions were just not quite right. For instance, two of the characters go to college: one to Texas A&M and the other to UT. At one point in the book, the author refers to the UT student as a graduate of "Texas University." Dear author, this college does not exist...ask any Aggie-they call UT this to make fun of them! After I finished the book, I found out Meacham lives in San Antonio...tsk tsk. That error should not have been made! Also, the story line was a little predictable. There were a few surprising twists here and there, but overall, I pretty much knew how the story was going to unfold. I find this happens a lot in books, so I don't really count this against "Roses." I still couldn't keep my hands off this book. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars! If you are looking for a easy read that doesn't make you think too hard, I highly suggest this.
you are going to be a writer one day! i just know it!
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The author of this blog IS a writer. People who publish New York Times Best Sellers aren't the only ones worthy of the title. I say this because for years I was afraid to call myself a writer. I didn't know how people would react to that since I hadn't published anything (but wanted to, and that was in the years before the internet). I pressed through that mindset and today have written thousands of pieces, about 300 of which were published (and for which I was paid). I correct your comment only to validate and encourage us as writers.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work. I am reading "Roses" right now, and I am truly enjoying this "lighter reading" (I'm typically found reading "the classics"-- I teach literature in my current professional life). I just started the book but I've found it to be quite engaging. :-)
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