Going down South

Going Down South

This book is an amazing read and I read it in less than a day, it was that good. Olivia Jean, Daisy, Birdie and Turk were all likable and at times misunderstood. But in a good way, being brought up in the south I often heard stories of things like this happening and reading about Olivia was so refreshing, I would recommend this book to the young adults as well as the more mature readers. It teaches in a humorous and non judgemental way the lessons some of us are still struggling with today. Pick up a copy today and see for yourself, you won't regret it. I loved it and so will you.

Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com

This is a story of women spanning three different generations.

Olivia Jean is the apple of her daddy's eye and is praised by her mama for her good grades. Now, she's pregnant at fifteen.

Her parents, Daisy and Turk, decide it's best for her to go down south and live with her grandma, Birdie, to hide their shame. Birdie isn't going to make it that easy, though. She gives them the ultimatum that Olivia Jean is welcome to stay, but only if Daisy stays, as well.

Daisy hasn't been in contact with her mama for years and can't imagine how this will work. She figured this would be her chance to work on her relationship with Turk. After all, he doesn't come home for days at a time. What's he up to?

These three women must learn to live together and be a family. All of them are harboring secrets that need to be revealed if they are ever going to learn to forgive, love, and move on with their lives. They must pull at their inner strengths in order to stand up for what's right and what they believe in.

This endearing story is set in the 1960's and is full of moments that make the reader want to keep on reading. I found myself anxious to reach the ending just to see what happens. I highly recommend GOING DOWN SOUTH!

BURIED SECRETS

WHAT A WONDERFUL READ. I ENJOYED THE STORY OF BIRDIE, DAISY, AND OLIVIA JEAN. ALL THESE WOMEN HAVE A SECRET THAT WILL EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO HAUNT THEM. AND THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ONCE THE SECRETS ARE REVEALED. SOMETIMES IN ORDER TO COME TOGETHER YOU MUST FIRST GO BACK, BACK TO THE BEGINNING. AND WITH TIME & UNDERSTANDING, HEALING WILL FINALLY START. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ALL MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS.

Wonderful read! A true page turner!

How well do your know your mother? How well do you know your daughter? That's the question raised in this beautiful second novel by Bonnie Glover. When Olivia Jean finds herself in the family way, her mother,Daisy, sends her 'down south' to stay with Birdie, Daisy's mother. After the long trek down south, Birdie announces that Daisy will have to stay with her daughter Olivia Jean. Three generations of women under one household slowly unveil their dark secrets and begin to see each other in a new way. This novel teaches us that all mothers love their children, be it in different ways, it teaches us that we all want a better life for our children, and that the road to motherhood is riddled with mistakes, but it is a road that is filled with joy. This book pulled me in from the very beginning, and it did what I think all great novels do: saddens you that the story has come to an end. It is a must read for women, especially mothers, as we struggle to raise our children the best way we know how. Get this book!

You'll love this trip down south

If you read Bonnie Glover's first book, The Middle Sister, you know that she has a fresh take on families. She writes about things we've read about a million times -- in the case of Going Down South, it's mother-daughter relationships -- in a way that's never been done. She knows that the love between mothers and daughters is of the greatest importance -- but boy, it's sure hard to get at sometimes. In this book, it takes Grandma Birdie to do it. And believe me, she is a primal force. I don't think you've ever read about a woman like Birdie. 'Unconventional' is way too conventional for her. She is just plain original. There's only one way to describe her: Read the book! (And the descriptions of Southern cooking are to die for.)

Growth Can Happen at Any Age...

I just finished Going Down South: This book was the most ¿feel good¿ read I¿ve experienced in a long time. From the first quirky and highly visual scene, the characters came alive and took me with them. Rich descriptions '¿stained glassed windows, but when you got up close you saw that some were only drawings of stained glass taped on top of windows held open by iron bars,¿' poignant similes '¿Charm oozed out of him like Karo syrup, heavy, smooth and sweet,¿ ' and real life metaphors '¿They were night and day, one a piece of bread, the other a thick pork chop with dripping gravy' make every page a sensory experience. Ms. Glover grounds the reader in familiar objects, '¿She¿d heard the poetry of Langston Hughes, stretched to Zora Neale Hurston, twisted to her mother¿s laughter,¿' oftentimes delivering the essence of a whole lifetime in one sentence '¿¿Daisy became Batman and Olivia Jean imagined herself as the old butler, Alfred Pennyworth.¿' Actually my favorite thing about this book is that it¿s a plethora of show-don¿t-tell. Though all a part of the story, the focus is not on race relations, spousal abuse, teenage pregnancy or abortion, it¿s on life lessons, relationships, and how we all learn and grow. It exudes a philosophy that we all learn from our mistakes, and oftentimes there is no one person or group to blame. This universal idea relates to all colors, ages, and socioeconomic groups. Going Down South is endearing coming-of-age novel that brings hope to women of all generations.

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