The Distance from the Heart of Things

by Ashley Warlick

Meet Mavis Black, whose confidently intimate voice invites readers into the eccentric world of her large southern family. Coming home from college to her grandfather's prosperous Carolina vineyard, Mavis takes the measure of the emotional distance she has traveled from the people closest to her heart: her dreamy mother, her practical aunt, her bewildered boyfriend, her prodigal uncle - and most of all Punk, her grandfather, who plans to make Mavis his sole heir. Told with warmth, wit, and brio, Warlick's first novel rejoices in womanhood and the strength of loving ties. As New York Newsday said of Warlick, "Her literary talents, not to mention her prospects, are immense."

Genres: Fiction, Southern, Contemporary

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Ashley Warlick is the author of four novels. The recipient of an NEA Fellowship and the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship, her work has appeared in The Oxford American, McSweeney’s, Redbook, and Garden and Gun, among others. She teaches fiction in the MFA program at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the editor of the South Carolina food magazine edibleUpcountry. Warlick is also the buyer at M. Judson, Booksellers and Storytellers in Greenville, SC, where she lives with her family.

Reviews

[Mindy Burch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blehhhhh. The author is trying too hard to sound deep. The title is a perfect example. Here's another: "She got quiet watching those planes take off, watching them land, and then she just asked to turn the car around and why didn't they just go on back home. The smallest smile came over her face like she'd found something long lost, and then she said she couldn't bear to be up in the air all that way, so very high, and not be able to tell for herself how pure it might could be."
Come on! A whole book of this? Not to mention I found myself hoping that the main character would hook up with her uncle. Icky. I dont want to hope that!

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not enjoy this book. It is overwritten, and totally unbelievable. The main character reads like a fifty year old woman (with attendant wisdom, serenity) and we're supposed to believe she is twenty-two. Not to mention the utter lack of action, etc. Her characters are these cliches of southern eccentricity---all except the narrator, the picture of restraint and practicality, who has been raised by these kooks her whole life? Come on.

[Michael Alan Grapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mavis Black is just finished with college and on her way back to the farm in which three generations still live together. It's her Aunt's wedding day, she's to marry the winemaker that her grandfather, Punk, sells his grapes to. It's an interesting story full of quirky characters with a lot of emotional baggage.

[Bamboozlepig · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, looks like somebody really put that thesaurus to good use. Prose is lovely but it can't hide the fact that the plot is pretty thin and never really takes off.

[Nance · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, tries too hard to be deep

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fantastic book, both in style and execution. The fact that this is Ashley Warlick's first book, written at the age of 23, is astounding. The story of Mavis and her world is beautifully written. The interesting thing is that Mavis, age 22 in the book, relates her story in a manner dense with experience of things, with a fully-developed comprehension of her world, with a deep understanding of herself and her place in that world. It is amazing that this lovely, insightful, intelligent book is the first book of a writer very young at the time of its writing. This is the kind of book that once read, one wants to re-read immediately.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, despite an intriguing first few chapters, this book turned out to be a chore to get through. Mainly because of its lack of plot, its mostly unbelievable characters, and its complete reliance of charming Southernisms to make up for its weaknesses. I am from the South, have lived here my whole life. I know the places she writes about; we do not act, think, or speak the way she portrays her characters. I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. It's just too far-fetched to be believable. I think the mime/Tango scene at the wedding really put the nail in the coffin for me. That's right--there's a scene where she tangoes with a mime at a wedding reception. And no, it's not meant to be funny.

[Debgowengmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this short, easily readable, perfect family peek into an eccentric and wonderful family. Many of us can relate to going back to visit or stay with our families after college, and the complete adjustment it takes, even to stay for a day, even if we love and like our families, and the fresh eyed perspective we now have.
Quick satisfying read.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very carefully written glimpse into a southern woman's interior and world. i'll be buying it for all the southern ladies in my life.

*i just took a class from the author in iowa this summer and she is fantastic. she wrote this while in college!

[Cardee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, I know... everybody on both sides gets their feathers ruffled whenever this distinction is made, but this book is language driven, albeit beautiful language, but too language heavy for me. Not much happening in the plot department, but still worth a read.

[Tejal]

A fast, light, read - a good book to take along on a vacation and read by the pool while sipping pina coladas.



I enjoyed the way Ms. Warlick writes about a young woman's desire to be close to her family and the place of her birth. I could relate to that.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty, pretty prose.

[Funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet thoughtful coming-of-age first novel by Ashley Warlick. I prefer a more narrative style, but Warlick carries through with her Southern retrospective.

[Shellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I wish I wrote.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE IT

[Alex Livingstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great first novel by Ashley. The subject matter wasn't really my cup-o-tea but it was beautifully written. Gorgeous, really.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt I should have liked this more, given the characters and landscape.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

really sothern and just good.

[Trinity Pi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased six copies for Christmas. thank you, Ashley.

[Jennifer Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. The quirky characters reminded me of my family.

[Ablecutegem]

don't even remember reading it. picked it up to read again and i wrote a note in it that i had read it 10/2006, and maybe one other time. hmmm....

[Laila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it started out well with some lovely prose. But then it felt like the author was quite impressed with her overly wrought literary style and it got very tedious.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story of family, self, and perspective as primary character gains maturity.

[Wphorse · Rating 5 out of 5]

OM STARS I loved this book. I understand the closenss between father figure and girl.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordsmith at work. Gritty at times but a well told story.