I chose this book from NetGalley because I love Crandall’s writing. While this book covers some similar territory as Whistling Past the Graveyard, I love to read a good southern saga, and I appreciate Crandall’s tendency to place her young female protagonists in charge of their family’s destiny. Tallulah James is just one of many memorable characters; Crandall suffuses them with a natural warmth and kindness despite the tumultuous times and their unpredictable, often destructive, family. Set in an era revered for its righteous outrage — civil rights marches, Vietnam war protests — Tallulah discovers that not everyone’s motives are pure, and that often, they come at a grave cost. This is a perfect coming of age story, with courage in the face of hardship and uncertainty, and friendships that survive over time and tragic loss.
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