New Fiction by Regional Authors, November 2001 by Hal Jacobs for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Pamela Duncan's debut novel, Moon Women (Delacorte Press, $23.95), which spotlights three generations of women in a rural Southern family, begins with a crash. Actually, 12 crashes, as a lonely, hugely pregnant, somewhat tipsy and Kool-smoking Ruth Ann stands on her front porch and smashes crystal glasses onto the sidewalk. The first glass, she says, is for ugly wedding presents (such as the set of crystal from her dutiful little sister). The second is for her unplanned pregnancy with her cheating husband. The third is for bratty children. And the list goes on: piles of laundry, unwashed dishes, stretch marks, swollen ankles, ironing boards, houses with no air-conditioning or shag carpet, and "all the men in the world who lie, lie, lie." When the story picks up 19 years later, a middle-aged Ruth Ann is still lonely and stressed out. But now the unplanned pregnancy belongs to her unmarried daughter, Ashley, who has just moved back home after a stint in rehab. (Following on Ashley's heels is the father of her child, a guy from rehab, in his noisy Camaro.) Instead of bratty children, Ruth Ann and Ashley must care for the demanding matriarch, Marvelle Moon, who gets lost in the present while living more in the shadows of the past. The cheating husband is now the ex who, much to Ruth Ann's discomfort, is starting to look good again. In Moon Women, each character shares the spotlight as their points-of-view are told in alternating chapters. Gradually, a deft portrait of three generations of hard-working women emerges, each rather heroic in her own way. Susan S. Kelly examines the subtle yet powerful influence of a childhood friendship on a woman's life in Even Now (Warner Books, $22.95). When Hannah Marsh and her family relocate to a small town in the mountains, she imagines quieter, more charming days ahead. What she doesn't expect is to come face-to-face with her old friend, Daintry O'Connor, who is as cool and aloof now as she was back when. Of course, Hannah also never imagines being so attracted to the sexy new minister, who happens to be Daintry's husband. As teenagers, the girls' friendship ended under a cloud of resentment and guilt. But now that they're older and more mature, will they rise above those misunderstandings to become friends again? Will they achieve "closure," that holy grail of baby boomers? Or is it true, the more things change, the more they stay the same? Susan Kelly's second novel has a quiet dignity and honesty that fits well with busy, middle-aged characters who rarely have time to stop and smell the roses. In Ann B. Ross's Miss Julia Takes Over (Viking, $23.95), nobody appreciates Miss Julia as much as Miss Julia does. Nor would anything get done if Miss Julia didn't do it herself. ("I declare, it's a burden when everybody stands around, waiting for me to make everything right.") This white-gloved, proper Southern lady - widow of a highly regarded but very imperfect businessman -- is on a one-woman crusade to make the world right, or failing that, at least make people sit up properly. If Miss Julia wasn't such a hoot, she'd be quite unbearable. But in her second starring vehicle (with four more in the works and with Shirley MacLaine set to star in a movie adaptation), this good Christian woman takes on a villainous professional race car team who has the misfortune of kidnapping Miss Julia's young, wayward housemate. With the help of a private detective and good-old-boys NASCAR drivers, it's just a matter of time before the wicked receive a taste of justice served up Miss-Julia style. The New Orleans' arts community is harboring
a perverse killer in Greg With its young female hero, cast of FBI profilers and News-of-the-Weird An edited version of these reviews appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2001 |
