A rich Southern story that deftly addresses themes of identity and reconciliation.
In Cantarutti’s novel, a woman is forced to confront her past when she returns to her small hometown of Clarksville, South Carolina.
After years of building an independent life in San Francisco, Louise “Lou” DuPree finds herself back in the place she once fled. Her return is spurred by the death of her father, a revered but complicated figure in her life, whose legacy—both personal and financial—casts a long shadow. “Your daddy was a good man, a ‘man’s man’ who lived to work the land, hunt, fish, take care of his family, and those beholden to him,” says a woman who loved him deeply, and Lou can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to his story. Evelyn, her manipulative mother, tries to exert control with judgments and guilt trips. Their interactions hum with tension, as when Evelyn offhandedly criticizes Lou’s appearance: “You got those long shapely legs from me, Louise. Your square chin came from the DuPree side, but there’s no mistaking the legs.” Meanwhile, Lou’s estranged brother, Will, Jr., now heir to the family land, becomes entangled in local politics, aligning himself with a shady development project promising to bring prosperity to Clarksville. Lou also faces an unexpected personal challenge when her former high school sweetheart, Charlie Cooper, reaches out to her. Their reunion stirs long-dormant emotions as Lou tries to reconcile her past with the person she’s become. Over the course of the novel, Cantarutti’s prose is richly atmospheric, capturing the heavy, humid air of the South and the weight of generational ties. As Lou navigates these emotional minefields, the town itself effectively becomes a character—its old diner, boarded-up storefronts, and whispered secrets painting a portrait of a place clinging to its identity, even as it’s forced to evolve. Throughout, the novel excels in its deeply felt exploration of the concept of home—not just as a physical place, but as an emotional milieu where love and resentment intertwine.
A rich Southern story that deftly addresses themes of identity and reconciliation.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798341350458
Page Count: 243
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with...
Talk-show queen takes tumble as millions jeer.
Nora Bridges is a wildly popular radio spokesperson for family-first virtues, but her loyal listeners don't know that she walked out on her husband and teenaged daughters years ago and didn't look back. Now that a former lover has sold racy pix of naked Nora and horny himself to a national tabloid, her estranged daughter Ruby, an unsuccessful stand-up comic in Los Angeles, has been approached to pen a tell-all. Greedy for the fat fee she's been promised, Ruby agrees and heads for the San Juan Islands, eager to get reacquainted with the mom she plans to betray. Once in the family homestead, nasty Ruby alternately sulks and glares at her mother, who is temporarily wheelchair-bound as a result of a post-scandal car crash. Uncaring, Ruby begins writing her side of the story when she's not strolling on the beach with former sweetheart Dean Sloan, the son of wealthy socialites who basically ignored him and his gay brother Eric. Eric, now dying of cancer and also in a wheelchair, has returned to the island. This dismal threesome catch up on old times, recalling their childhood idylls on the island. After Ruby's perfect big sister Caroline shows up, there's another round of heartfelt talk. Nora gradually reveals the truth about her unloving husband and her late father's alcoholism, which led her to seek the approval of others at the cost of her own peace of mind. And so on. Ruby is aghast to discover that she doesn't know everything after all, but Dean offers her subdued comfort. Happy endings await almost everyone—except for readers of this nobly preachy snifflefest.
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with syrupy platitudes about life and love.Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-609-60737-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
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