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This One and Magic Life: A Novel of a Southern Family
In the deep South, where love and hatred run deep and close, dissension often summers just beneath the surface.When a family gathers for a funeral as its old homestead above the waters of Mobile Bay, it must carry out the last wish of the aunt and sister whom it has come to mourn. It is a wish that will unearth a terrible secret, one that will either tear her siblings and
...morePaperback, 288 pages
Published
February 1st 2001
by William Morrow & Company
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bookczuk
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I was quite surprised how often this novel really touched a cord while I was reading it. Very different from her light "Southern Sisters" mysteries. The characters were well drawn with depth and color, and the intricacies of family life well intimated. At one point George alludes to the fact that we never really completely know another person, even one we're incredibly close to, and that sometimes, we don't even know ourselves. I really appreciated the relationships between siblings, p...more
A southern family gathers at the old homestead on Mobile Bay to mourn the passing of a sister and aunt. The family is disfunctional (which family isn't?) and they struggle with carrying out the deceased's last wish. This book is a bit mystical, a bit quirky, and made very good reading.
I grew up less than an hour from Mobile Bay, so I know the "feel" of this book. Any southerner probably would. This book was not at all what I epected, yet it left me feeling charmed. I...more
I grew up less than an hour from Mobile Bay, so I know the "feel" of this book. Any southerner probably would. This book was not at all what I epected, yet it left me feeling charmed. I...more
A beautiful novel by Anne George - but quite a departure from her southern sisters Murder series
Anne was a dear personal friend. She sent this book to me shortly before her death. She told me that she felt that it was her best work and referred to it as her book about forgiveness. It has been a very long time since a book has moved me so deeply. I recommend it highly. Don't expect to find the wonderful, silly Southern Sisters anywhere in these pages. DO expect to find grace in all its guises-- as beauty, as elegance and, yes, Anne, as forgiveness and redemption. It grieves me that we lost ...more
Maybe it's because I'm from the Gulf Coast, but this novel from the author of the Southern Sisters mystery series made me homesick for the deep south. As lyrical as Pat Conroy's poetic prose and as evocative as James Lee Burke's Robicheaux novels, sit back and smell the salty sea air and embrace your inner southern dysfunctional family.
I read this to mother and even though it was not easy to follow we enjoyed parts of the book. She laughed at the right places but I could tell it wasn't a favorite. I enjoyed it, but it does deal with a family when someone dies.
Thankfully, THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. (I was hoping it was Anne Carroll George's autobiography.)
I've enjoyed reading Anne Carroll George's Southern Sister mystery books and had hoped that this book would be as light and fun to read as they have been. It was syrupy, too sweet for me. I found it similar in style to Anne Rivers Siddons' Peachtree Road, but without the epic plot. This is beach book material.
A very well writen book about a very disturbed family in the south. I thought maybe it wouldn't be such an awful story but towards the end we ran the gammit of revelations from adultry to incest to why he didn't become a priest and the usual jealousy and competition and of course murder was there also. Don't forget the madness of the mother that the children endured with tragic results because they don't just endure, they act. Not one I recommend.
I love Anne George. Great voice.
Beautiful book. Loved it.
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lit Lovers: Feb 2012 Group Read This One and Magic Life by Anne Carroll George **SPOILERS POSSIBLE** | 23 | 18 | 13 hours, 14 min ago |
