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First Chapter, First Paragraph is a weekly meme hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea.
First Chapter, First Paragraph
No matter what trouble he stirs up, what law he breaks, Obidiah Bounds will always be her cool sip of hyssop nectar on a sunny day. Mia knew Obidiah was hers the first time she laid eyes on him. She had to be about three, which would have made him five. You could call it puppy love, a crush, good old infatuation, but the feeling has never died. He didn't start out dark and broody, prone to gloominess on the clearest of blue-sky days. He was shy as a youth, that's true, but he was not angry - not at that age. That's the thing about knowing someone your entire life. You have a common history; it binds, provides a depth that new friendships, new loves, can never create. It lets two folks be in the room together without having to explain their silences. Or their passions.
The Review
In my effort to dwindle down my review pile, I picked up Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli. I wasn't sure what I would think about the book. It is billed for fans of The Help, but I didn't really care all that much for the audio book or movie. But Glow featured an 11 year old girl and I though maybe I would like it a bit more.
"A bit more" would be an understatement. I really enjoyed Glow, which is saying a lot for being southern fiction.
I do have to say that there wasn't so much of a plot to the story and I think that might be what I liked the most. It was like when you sit around at a family reunion and people get to telling stories and a mention on one person in a story leads you to another story further back and so forth. It was fun to see how everyone was connected and a look at the life of minorities from the sixties back into the 1800s. And it wasn't just blacks and slaves, but also the Native American population. And in true southern legend fashion there is even a bit of the supernatural thrown in.
I'm not so sure about the ending. I hate to admit but I don't think I understood what happened. Or maybe it is because what I think might have happen is not the end I wanted so it is more disbelief that misunderstanding. Have you read Glow? If so, let me know so I can you what you think happened.
If you are a fan of oral histories, family sagas, historical fiction, southern lit, then you will want to pick up Glow by Jessica Maria Tucelli.
Buy Glow at Amazon
Available formats: ebook, audio, print (336 pages)
Published: February 2013 by Penguin Books
ISBN13: 9780143122920
Genres: historical fiction, southern lit
Audience: adult
Source: publisher
Read: September 2014
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. A free paperback was provided for this review.
Posts
The Help was great, but I have not heard of this book before....really like the intro!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good! I like the narrative voice in the intro. I have never read The Help or seen the movie, so would have no comparison. I am glad you enjoyed Glow despite not liking The Help. Those comparisons are so often marketing ploys and are rarely accurate, I find.
ReplyDeleteIt does have some similarities (and I use the term loosely) to The Help. Glow though had a different story telling that I liked much more.
DeleteI like the intro to this book, and from your review, it sounds like a book I would enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI like the way the author introduced the characters and their history in the opening. Since I like Southern fiction, family sagas, etc., this sounds like a book I'd enjoy.
ReplyDeleteMy Tuesday post features WAR BRIDES.
I like the sound of this one...I loved The Help and am generally a big fan of Southern fiction. Not so much of the supernatural, but I generally tolerate it more in Southern fiction for some reason (The Tradd Street series by Karen White and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil).
ReplyDeleteThere is something that feels right about a bit of the supernatural in southern lit.
DeleteNow I am definitely curious! Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteThis book is new to me, but I like the INTRO. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
ReplyDeleteI liked the intro and am intrigued by the story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe intro was so sweet. Enjoy your book. Have a nice week! kelley—the road goes ever ever on
ReplyDeleteThe cover grabbed me immediately. The first paragraph was also good. I hope the rest is just as good.
ReplyDelete