In a Sweet Magnolia Time: a novel

by Robert Wintner

Waities Waring was the first judge in US history to rule that separate but equal is not equal, but he gets no mention in the archives, because we was widely perceived as vindictive. He'd taken up with a Yankee spitfire, putting out his wife of 35 years. Charleston reacted harshly, and Waring gave back with separate but equal. Exiled to NY from Charleston, SC, Waring died there a cold, lonely, broken man 17 years after his ruling. The tale begins at the funeral, in the voice of Waring's protege, derailed, who burned a cross on Waring's lawn.

Genres: Fiction

297 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2006

About the author

Robert Wintner has authored 15 novels, 3 memoirs, 3 story collections and 5 reef photo books. Robert Wintner is the nom de plume of Snorkel Bob, Hawaii’s biggest reef outfitter. He lives on Maui with his wife Anita, Cookie the dog, Rocky, Yoyo, Inez, Buck, Tootsie, and Coco the cats, and Elizabeth the chicken. His novels and stories are adventures, meant to record and entertain with insight.

Reviews

[L A]

Wintner captures segregation's troubling past through the death of Judge Waties Waring in 1968, the first federal judge to make the way for a change in laws of school segregation in Brown vs Board of Education. As the fight for change occurs, Judge Waring divorced his wife of 30 years and remarried a "Yankee Spitfire" leaving the catalyst for hate crimes towards him personal with a cross burned outside his home, a brick through the window and banned from society in Charleston, SC.

"Many people regret the re-framing of history for one cause or another, but re-framing is convenient, even if misleading."

What will open your eyes is the attorney, Arthur Covingdale, telling the story! He took part in the burning of the cross and the brick throwing, and speaks of his own actions terrorizing the judge. The story gives way to a turbulent era and a southern culture on the magnolia plantations. With Covingdale, it was a day of reckoning and a life-changing ride with a black fruit peddler, Jim Cohen, whom was derived from a slave. He speaks of the ostracizing, shaming into exile the judge suffered at the hands of many because of his plea for change.
The author writes about how they "examined this man's faults in light of our own". It is a touching memoir of generations of hate spewing out of their ignorant mouths. A special prologue is an interview the author was able to obtain from Septima Clark, a civil rights activists in NAACP and known as the Mother of Civil Rights. A special interview with newspaper journalist, Tom Waring, who depicted some of the stories by mouth that are not written.
"Separate but not equal is not equal, a hallmark of civil rights in America."
I can't put it into perspective when there is so much more for people to learn on this topic or whether the realization or day of reckoning will be upon all people, or if they will continue to straddled the fence of ancestors misleading antics. The book is an informative read, but I found myself searching for more about Judge Waring's life and his hope for more integration than Covingdale's, since he had lived his life being a racist and not realizing that he was.
Thanks NetGalley and and Twiced Baked Books for this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews]

I rarely rate books this low, but there is something about this book that did not engage me as a reader and I found myself skimming large chunks of the text. I think this could have been an outstanding story based on the premise, but it fell flat for me. I felt like the author was going for literary fiction with his wordy prose but it left me wondering if the book was written for his own enjoyment or for the readers.

I would give it 2 1/2 stars

[Susan]

Slow moving ... had a hard time keeping with it

[Kimberly]

"In a Sweet Magnolia Time' by Robert Winner is the story of 58-year-old Arthur Covingdale in Charleston, South Carolina in the late 1960's. He's the type of older white man who is racist, but doesn't consider himself racist; who thinks racist jokes are perfectly acceptable with the right timing. At the funeral for Judge Waties Waring, who set the ball rolling for the important court case Brown v. Board of Education, Arthur is confronted with his past and the new knowledge that a heinous racist act committed in his youth is not the secret he thought it was. After the
funeral, Arthur gives a ride to a Black fruit peddler, and this action changes the course of his life forever.

I really enjoyed parts of this book, and I liked how Arthur grew as a person-proof that older people can indeed change their ways and that age is no excuse for racism. The characters were vivid and realistic: the descriptions of life in 1960's Charleston were enlightening and interesting. However, some parts of this book were so wordy and convoluted that I found myself skimming large passages. I think it needs a good editing to tighten things up a bit Otherwise, it was a good read and I am thankful to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Patty]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Slow moving storyline that proved more challenging to read than expected. While the description of the story was interesting, perhaps it will prove enticing to those more familiar with the south.

[RMazin]

Attorney Arthur Covingdale is attending the funeral of a Judge considered by many in 1960s Charleston to have laid the initial groundwork for Brown vs. the Board of Education. Although Covingdale considered the Judge a mentor, it didn’t stop him from engaging in youthful racist acts which he incorrectly thought were not known within the community.

An unlikely event following the funeral, puts Covingdale on a new path of self-awareness regarding his professional and personal choices. There is remorse, soul-searching, excuses and self-pity. There are descriptions of the SC area and those who live there, Black and white.

On the negative side for me: too much introspection. He is in his 50s, alone and lonely and only now he thinks about how he has traversed his life. Not a compelling character. On the positive side, the writing has interesting structures and descriptions. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

[Tammy]

This is one of those nostalgic books focused on setting and characters that some people love to linger within. I am not one of those people. I like my plots to move in a faster forward pace. I also like them to be easy to read, which this was not. That doesn't mean it wasn't well-written - just not my cup of tea. My Faulkner flashbacks may have limited my ability to engage. I do appreciate the subject matter of racial reckoning in the deep south.

[Susan]

DNF (yet)
This starts of rambling and is hard to get into. I have tried a couple of times and I will try again when my life isn't as complicated. If I read it with a southern accent in my head it is easier to get into, but I have little patience for the rambling. I probably would like it if I were reading it as an audio book, then it would feel more like someone telling me a rambling story. The parts of the story I have read are intriguing and I want to finish it but I do not have the patience at this time.

Thank yo NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book for free in return for an unbiased review.

[AM]

In a Sweet Magnolia Time by Robert Wintner is a poignant and reflective novel that blends Southern charm with themes of love, loss, and personal growth. Set in a small town, the story follows the journey of a man seeking to rediscover himself after a series of life-changing events. Wintner’s writing is heartfelt and introspective, capturing the emotional depth of the characters and their relationships. With its vivid descriptions of the Southern landscape and a focus on the healing power of community, this novel offers a touching and immersive reading experience for those who enjoy stories of self-discovery and second chances.

[Becky]

This is an

[Katie]

I really struggled to get into this one and didn’t love the writing style.

[Kelly Lyn]

DNF @ 15%

just could not handle the amount of racism