Novels Now

Michael Lee West
291 pages

Renata DeChavannes is going through a rough time. Her mother and stepfather recently died in a plane crash, her director-boyfriend is in Ireland directing a film when the tabloids report of his alleged affair with a young starlet, and her difficult relationship with her father isn’t getting better any time soon.

The relationship between her parents and the eventual end of their marriage has always been a mystery to Renata and she decides the time has come for answers. Fueled by a letter written by her mother and with her father unwilling to communicate, Renata heads to Point Clear, Alabama to talk with her paternal grandmother, Honora DeChavannes and her former nanny, Gladys Boudreaux. There, surrounded by the familiar, Renata begins to get the answers to her questions.

I don’t believe that my description of what happens in this novel is fair because it doesn’t convey the humor and warmth that is shared between Honora, Gladys, Renata, and Honora’s next-door neighbor and best friend Isabella D’Agostino McGeehee, which is truly the delight of this book. Honora is the matriarch of her family. She loves her son Louie but recognizes his faults and maintains a strong relationship with her former daughter-in-law, Shelby. Gladys is protective and loyal to Shelby, Renata, and Honora, and Isabella is the character who brings on the laugh out loud moments with her frank speech, man-chasing and randomly drugging food and drinks at the parties.

Another strength is the descriptions of Point Clear and the surrounding areas. They are very warm and inviting and felt familiar even though I have never been there.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed this book quite a bit, I did have few problems with it. There are a lot of different things going on and it can sometimes be a little hard to keep things straight. Also, while I felt the book had a satisfying conclusion, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.

There is a bit of graphic content but it’s a fairly small amount and this book is truly fun and humorous. I recommend it if you enjoy reading southern fiction. (3.5/5)