Seven of our group met at The Hundred to discuss our Autumn read which got a massive thumbs up from everyone, including three absent members who sent their comments by email. So that’s a very satisfying 10 out of 10 for Delia Owens' debut novel.
Comments ranged from a simple “I loved it” through to a more reflective, yet positive: “this book had everything from romance to murder to nature”.
It is, however, an incredibly (some felt horrendous) sad story of loneliness, love, loss, acceptance and resilience. It is an emotional story that brought most of us to tears.
Of the characters, we loved Jumpin’, Mabel, and the many incarnations of Big Red, for being so consistently kind, caring and loyal toward Kya.
On the downside, some of us found the poetry a little odd, even after it had been put into perspective. One of our readers found the time-jumping hard work although the rest of us agreed it was necessary for the story that unfolded. We also felt it is completely unrealistic - just for the record!
We wondered, what are grits? Well: Grits are made from ground corn, typically from less sweet, starchy varieties often referred to as dent corn. Grits can be made from either yellow or white corn and are often labelled accordingly. When cooked slowly in water, grits release their starch and make a creamy porridge that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There’s some confusion (and no agreement) about the actual difference between polenta and grits — some claim that grits are only made with white corn, and that polenta has a finer grind size.
Would we recommend this book? YES - this is the best book we have read in ages and we are left wondering “how can we top this?”
Let’s hope our next book choice – The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters – can live up to expectations!
All will be revealed when we next meet on Thursday 20th January, 2022 at 8pm in The Hundred of Ashendon.
In the meantime here’s wishing you a warm-hearted Winter and a Christmas spent with family and friends.
