Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Book Review: Gone South

Gone South, by Meg Moseley
Book description:
Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans Tish McComb imagined for her life, dreams of marriage and family that were dashed five years earlier in a tragic accident. Now an opportunity to buy her great-great-great-grandparents’ Civil War era home beckons Tish to Noble, Alabama, a Southern town in every sense of the word. She wonders if God has given her a new dream— the old house filled with friends, her vintage percolator bubbling on the sideboard.
 
When Tish discovers that McCombs aren’t welcome in town, she feels like a Yankee behind enemy lines. Only local antiques dealer George Zorbas seems willing to give her a chance. What’s a lonely outcast to do but take in Noble’s resident prodigal, Melanie Hamilton, and hope that the two can find some much needed acceptance in each other.
 
Problem is, old habits die hard, and Mel is quite set in her destructive ways. With Melanie blocked from going home, Tish must try to manage her incorrigible houseguest as she attempts to prove her own worth in a town that seems to have forgotten that every sinner needs God-given mercy, love and forgiveness.

I actually really liked this book (which was especially pleasant after the last book I reviewed with the Blogging for Books program).  The characters were interesting and likeable, and I really enjoyed all the moral dilemmas and misunderstandings they faced.  It was a book about fighting prejudices, dealing with unfulfilled expectations, and coming to terms with unpleasant truths. It was a delightful very real story.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.