Bona-Fide

by B.J. Tassin

Back in the 1960's, 10 yr old Sassy lived a cloistered life with her family in an old broken down school bus, hidden back off the dirt roads, nestled deep in the Ozark Mountains. When her mother falls seriously ill, she and her young siblings set out on foot to find their father and bring him home.
Days later they end up in the mountainside town of Whisper Ridge, where a host of colorful characters band together to try and help them. However, not knowing their parents by any name other than mama and daddy presents quite a problem with the search!
Complicating matters, Sassy realizes that she too is known only by her nickname.
Will she be able to unravel her true identity?
Read along as Sassy discovers what it means to be 'Bona-Fide'.

Genres: Fiction

548 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2016

Reviews

[Matt]

What a story!!! I couldn't put it down. Wonderful characters and plot and it was sad to say goodbye to them and the town of Whisper Ridge. I hope a sequel is planned! The narrative had me in the Ozark mountains with those kids during their adventure. Well done.

[Jessica]

I enjoyed the story line of this book and being able to read what the characters went through. I would recommend this book to anyone!

[Barbara]

Bona-Fide was a recent pick in my book club due to the fact that the author, BJ Tassin, lives in our hometown of Bella Vista, Arkansas.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this local, indie author and her self-published novel. Being that literary fiction is my favorite genre, I was curious about Bona-Fide but came to it without any real expectations. I am thrilled to report that I found Bona-Fide to be an absolutely enchanting read! I highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who love stories set in the rural south.

When I first picked up Bona-Fide, it seemed a bit long at 537 pages. I ended up reading it using both my physical copy of the book, as well as the audio version. I highly recommend using this combination, as Bona-Fide is an ode to the disappearing dialect of the Ozark mountains: Both reading AND hearing the story made the narrator, characters, and dialogue really come to life.

One of the hallmarks of the novel is BJ’s attention to the smallest detail. I admit that I struggled at first with this aspect of the book, but eventually came to appreciate it. Bona-Fide is an almost encyclopedic account of life in the Ozark mountains circa 1968.

Bona-Fide also deepened my appreciation for regional southern dialects, which are unfairly maligned and slowly going extinct. As a transplant from Seattle to Arkansas in 2003, one of the things I love most about the south is listening to all of the diverse accents. I’ve always loved language in every form, and am pretty darn good at matching accents with states. BJ, however, could teach a masterclass (as can most native southerns over the age of 50). She’ll tell you that even the slightest distinction in a turn of phrase or vowel pronunciation can prompt the question “y’all ain't from around here, are ya?”

While southern accents may be fading, Bona-Fide embodies many of the values still associated with rural America: Living in harmony with the land, reverence for the simple joys of life, the lifesaving power of cooperative community, and authentic hospitality. During my conversation with the author I asked her the following question: Of the many themes you cover in Bona-Fide, which one would you most like readers to come away with? Her answer was to not be too quick to judge people by how they sound or their appearance. Amen to that!

Bona-Fide reads more like a well-spun yarn told from the front porch with a sweating glass of sweet tea than a traditional novel. BJ is a uniquely gifted storyteller in the rural southern tradition. If you’re a fan of Coal Miner’s Daughter, Sling Blade, or almost any Dolly Parton lyric you will thoroughly enjoy the story of Bona-Fide’s four young protagonists and their Ozark adventure.

[Laurie]

I just finished reading Bona-Fide by BJ Tassin. I can honestly say it was one of the best books I have ever read. BJ’s in-depth descriptions made me feel like I was right there with Sassy, Earldean, EdEarl and Learline. It was difficult to put down yet written in a way that allows the reader to read it over several days. I wanted to know how the children faired, but at the same time, I did not want the book to end. I am so glad my friend recommended it and am equally glad I had the oppourtunity to meet BJ Tassin in person and to purchase the book directly from her when I was in Arkansas. It certainly made my ride to Texas and then back to Wyoming very enjoyable. Thank you, BJ Tassin, for sharing your talent with the world. I will share my love of Bona-Fide with everyone I know.

[Carla]

The good:
The core story is enjoyable. Four young hillbilly kids head to town on foot to search for their daddy when their mama dies. I truly enjoyed reading about their first experience with a water fountain and about their first time eating in a diner. I wanted to keep reading to discover their eventual fate.
The bad:
It was tooooo long. The story went off on so many tangents and even got preachy at times. Pascal's Wager near the end - really?
And, WAAAAYYYY too much dialogue, especially between the kids. Really slowed down the pace of the book. And why was the dialogue in italic print?
The Ugly:
Admittedly, I'm a grammar nerd. Not that I expect an author to be perfect, but the editor should have caught the mistakes. There were so many that it was distracting. No book should go to print with spelling and grammar errors on every page. (I'm not talking about the dialogue which was written phonetically.) After a good editor "got a hold of" this book, I could recommend it to others.

[Pam]

It was a very pleasant read. It was chosen by my book club. Told mostly from the perspective of 10 year old Sassy. It follows the lives (in great detail) of 4 children born in the back woods. Several times I was ready for the book to end but the characters were followed until they were grandparents. The little town they come to live in is charming and filled with good-hearted people.

[Kelly Turner]

Just finished reading this book. I purchased it years ago, and started reading it; however, it got put aside through several moves and was somehow forgotten - how unfortunate. It is a wonderful book! I laughed and cried out loud and absolutely could not put it down for the entire last half of the book! What a great read.

[Derrella]

Such a great read!! I related so much with the main character Sassy! Overall Takeaway
Bona-Fide is a heartfelt coming-of-age story that mixes adventure, humor, and emotion. At its core, it’s about finding your identity, discovering the importance of family and community, and learning that being “bona fide” means knowing and accepting who you truly are.
Loved it!
XO Derrella Dixon

[Mike-Beth Blackburn]

I bought and read this book quite awhile ago but I forgot to tell everyone how much I loved it! I could picture the scene as if I was actually there! It was wonderful and I hope to read more from you! Mrs. BJ Tassin!!

[Sharon Pickell]

Great book!!

I loved this book because I grew up in the sixties in central Arkansas and this brought back memories of my childhood. And I loved the way BJ incorporated scriptures into the story and moral values. Its a good read!! Now I'm ready for her next book!!

[Sally]

Good read with a lot of dialog! It could have been a little shorter IMO! I did enjoy it.

[Janet]

I loved this story! Sassy, Earldean, Ed Earl, and Learline will steal your heart! When their Mama falls ill the children set out to find their Daddy. Walking along the road they have many adventures and meet all kinds of people. This story will have you laughing, crying, and staying up way later than you should because it's so hard to put down! It's heartwarming to read about all the friends they make along the way and how they try to help the children. I'm looking forward to more great reads by BJ Tassin!!

[Scott]

I am an avid reader and this is one of the best books I've ever read. If you only read one book this year, it should be this one.

[Stacy Curry]

Bona-Fide is an amazing book, I loved it, I've always been amazed by the past, I thought of my brother through out most of the book because after his son was born him, his wife, and son lived in a school bus up high on a creek bank in the woods, my nephew may have been a year or so old, they lived there for about a year, the bus was not yellow anymore, more like it had been there for years, they had it decorated cute on the inside with a little table and they used 2 bus seats to go with it more like a booth u see in restaurants today, they also had a couch, TV, bed, curtains, all the works, yes they had electricity, anyway to make my story short the book brought me down memory Lane, and I thank the author for sharing her story for the world to read, This is a must read book to add to your list, can't wait for more to come