The War in Sallie's Station

by Mignon F. Ballard

“. . . a compelling story, deftly and artfully told by a writer at the top of her form.” — Robert Inman, author of Dairy Queen Days In the beginning, God created Sallie’s Station. He molded it from red Georgia clay and Cherokee-brown rivers with names that flowed. He fashioned green, secret places, ankle-deep in leaves, stitched with blackberry and honeysuckle, with a deep summer smell. At ten, Frannie Gordon thought he made it just for her, in a golden time where only good things happened. But then the threat of evil crept over the land, and Sallie’s Station went to war . . .

275 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Mignon Franklin Ballard grew up in a small town in Georgia, and now lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Reviews

[Mandolin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though some things have certainly changed in the small Georgia town of Sallie's Station since the years of the terrible second World War, much has stayed the same, including the scars that the great conflict inflicted on its residents. Tucked away from the world in a "teacup" of hills, Sallie's Station is an ideal place for Franny Gordon and her friends to grow up. It's a small world of friendly people, safe places and down-home values. But when the shadow of war creeps over the nation, Sallie's Station is not immune to its darkness. It sheds a pall over the golden world that Franny lives in. Suddenly, she's struggling with suspicions about her neighbors and fear of the bogeyman-like Hitler. The great war isn't the only one being waged in the little Southern town, however. When their principal and dear friend, Mr. Gregory, goes to war and is replaced by a hateful and cruel woman, Franny and her friends take up their own battle to protect themselves and their school. But when their actions lead to unforeseen consequences, will they be able to bear the burden that is left behind? As she copes with issues of aging and motherhood, the now older Franny reminisces about the events of that fateful year and the effect they had on her life and the lives of her friends.

Though this book is necessarily grim due to its subject matter, I expected something at least a little bit more heart-warming and hopeful from the author of the Augusta Goodnight series. There were certainly parts of the book that I enjoyed (including several really great quotes, which I've listed below) but its overall tone and depressing finish left me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. The book does a wonderful job of describing small town life and the changes imparted by the war, but I much prefer the author's lighter mystery series.

She stuck closer to them than bubble gum on a hot sidewalk.

The best advice Franny's mother ever gave her: Never iron a shirt. AMEN!

You never get too old to need your mama.

[Beth Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is told mainly through the eyes of the main character, Fanny, set in a small Georgia town. The time bounces back and forth between present day and the years during WW2. I didn't like the bouncing back and forth. The tone of the book is a little like "To Kill a Mockingbird" in that it's told thru a young girl's eyes, the innocence of childhood, small southern town, etc. She talks about every single person in the town, though, with everyone getting a first, middle, and last name, and a little history about each of them as they enter the story. All of these people aren't integral to the story though and it was too many to keep track of! The snippets of how life changed, struggled, and went on during the war were interesting. The story of Fanny as an aging woman, dealing with her own health problems, grown children, and her old mother that lived with her was interesting too. The story dragged though at times, and I got frustrated with the allusions to something bad she did as a child, that isn't revealed until the end of the book. That was a couple hundred pages too slow for me. I think I would have liked it better as 2 separate stories or at least told in chronological order instead of hopping back and forth.