Rosiebelle Lee Wildcat Tennessee: A Novel

by Raymond Andrews, Benny Andrews (Illustrations), Mary Hood (Foreword)

Bawdy and sometimes horrifying, hilarious on the way to being tragic, Raymond Andrews's Muskhogean County novels tell of black life in the Deep South from the end of the First World War to the beginning of the 1960s, from the days of mules and white men with bullwhips to the moment when the pendulum began to swing.

This second novel in the trilogy begins in 1906, on the day when a beautiful "acorn-brown" woman arrives in the small North Georgia community of Appalachee asking directions to "the house of the richest white man living in this heah town." Forty years, one hundred acres, four children, numerous grandchildren, and many legends later, Rosiebelle Lee is on her deathbed―and ready to reveal her secrets.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Southern

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raymond Andrews was a treasure, and remains so. This is so rich, in language, Georgia history, Piedmont culture, and storytelling.
Highest recommendation.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, bawdy book, replete with vernacular and zany scenes that will leave you howling with laughter. There are touching scenes and some pointed insights about race relations in the deep south in the early 20th century, but for the most part this reads like antidote for too much Faulkner. The illustrations by the author's brother, an acclaimed artist, are just another aspect of this book's charm. Highly recommended.

[Xiomara Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read any books by Raymond Andrews, you're really missing out! All of his books are vivid, gritty yet humorous accounts of life in the south. He's somehow able to capture the social injustice of the time period, while maintaining a certain lightness. Even though he's definitely one of a kind....I've always thought of him as sort of a sarcastic Richard Wright, with a sense of humor

[Chrissy Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stop what you are doing and fetch a copy of Ray Andrew's Rosiebelle Lee-you won't be sorry! Andrews could flat out develop his characters-even the pig Roosevelt had character! Filled with laughs, tears and just good reading! Loved this! Honey, hush yo mouth!

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book by a great american writer.
you will be grateful to have found this author.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roosevelt the pig, best character ever. There wasn't w whole lot that went on in this book, it was more a bunch of character sketches, but thoroughly enjoyable ones.

[Sharon]

it was a good book. not what i'm used to but it was good. the end was beautiful though. and i liked that she was half black and half indian that was cool.