What do you think?
Rate this book
Flowers For Elvis
In 1956, Olivia and her twin sister are born to a nun in an old auto parts store turned convent in rural Mississippi. Little Olivia doesn't survive the day, but her spunky spirit hangs around and takes on the role of ethereal watchdog over her twin. When the Reverend Mother-and holy guilt-convince the nun's sister (a young pregnant newlywed) to secretly raise the baby as the twin of her own soon-to-be-born child, Olivia realizes the urgency of her presence and support. Not only is her aunt a fanatical Elvis fan, she's a renegade Southern belle, bent on self-indulgence and desperate to safeguard her multitude of sins.Without revealing which girl is her twin until the end, Olivia takes the reader on a flower strewn tour of misguided love and maternal betrayal which culminates at Elvis' funeral, where they finally discover the truth of their parentage and unravel the generations of secrets that shadowed their lives.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2009
21 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 27, 2025
Bi-racial twin girls are born out of wedlock in rural 1960s Mississippi; one survives the birth, one does not. Through the lens of the lost sister, we watch the survivor as she is raised by an Elvis-obsessed relative through a series of tragedies and traumas that become heavier and more disturbing as the novel progresses.
On paper, this seems like it would have been up my alley, but unfortunately, I never developed any attachment beyond mild curiosity that got less interested the more dark the story became. My attention often wandered, and during the last third, I found myself kind of rushing just to get through it. Considering the high regard others had for this book, I know this has an audience but I was clearly not it.
Trigger warnings for this one: suicide, child abuse (including sexual), sexual assault, child death
On paper, this seems like it would have been up my alley, but unfortunately, I never developed any attachment beyond mild curiosity that got less interested the more dark the story became. My attention often wandered, and during the last third, I found myself kind of rushing just to get through it. Considering the high regard others had for this book, I know this has an audience but I was clearly not it.
Trigger warnings for this one: suicide, child abuse (including sexual), sexual assault, child death
September 29, 2010
This was not one of my favorite books or one of the best that I've read but it held my attention. I liked the concept, twins born, one doesnt make it and becomes the self appointed guardian angel for her sister.
The secrets, the hiding, the fakeness of the characters was really hard for me to read and relate to. I understand all families have their secrets but there was just something about this story that I can't really put my finger on that didn't sit well with me.
It's quirky, funny and heartwarming and an easy weekend read. I think this would be a nice pick for bookclub discussions.
In my opinion this is one of the best things about having a Kindle and a Nook. eBooks at very nice prices that allows us to read outside of our reading box and some finds are better than others but it's always a good experience.
The secrets, the hiding, the fakeness of the characters was really hard for me to read and relate to. I understand all families have their secrets but there was just something about this story that I can't really put my finger on that didn't sit well with me.
It's quirky, funny and heartwarming and an easy weekend read. I think this would be a nice pick for bookclub discussions.
In my opinion this is one of the best things about having a Kindle and a Nook. eBooks at very nice prices that allows us to read outside of our reading box and some finds are better than others but it's always a good experience.
February 3, 2013
This was a 3 1/2 star read for me. I really enjoy Southern fiction, and this was quite Southern. The perspective from which the story was told was unique and interesting. At times it was heart-warming and at other times it was heart-wrenching. I grew quite attached to the characters. The mystery kept me guessing until the very last page, and I loved the twist at the end. I would recommend this story for anyone that loves a good, Southern story.
April 28, 2024
Beautiful, painful and uplifting work of art
I was stunned at the tragedies that kept happening. Weaved together to an ending that brought it all to understanding God's plan. So well written with true heart and emotion. Julia, thank you for this incredible book and I can't wait for your next masterpiece!
I was stunned at the tragedies that kept happening. Weaved together to an ending that brought it all to understanding God's plan. So well written with true heart and emotion. Julia, thank you for this incredible book and I can't wait for your next masterpiece!
August 20, 2022
I have had this book on my shelf for quite a while and thought I would finally read it. It held my interest. There were times I couldn't put it down and other times while I was reading my eyes glassed over. The twist and turns were interesting and the twist at the end was very interesting.
September 19, 2017
Absolutely beautiful!!! Highly recommend to my Goodreads friends!!
June 23, 2009
FIRST LINE: "Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley on January 8, 1935 in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi."
"I came into this world and left it on the same day."
Set against the backdrop of the 1960s South, Flowers for Elvis tells the story of fraternal twin girls. One of the babies, Olivia, dies immediately after being born. Meanwhile, her sister continues to be raised as the twin sister of her cousin, born three days later. Olivia's spirit, however, lingers, observing with a wry fondness the twists and turns of her sister's turbulent life.
Though Schuster's Catholic tendencies (which tend to be traditional, somewhat conservative, but not fundamentalist) are obvious, she uses them honestly in her perception of Olivia's story, rather than a tool with which to preach to the audience. Because the first chapters are about Olivia's birth and death and encounter with the Mother Superior who buries her, I worried a little about getting through the rest of the book. I stumbled, a bit, over Olivia's brief encounters with God and the capitalized pronoun "He," since that doesn't reflect my own theology nor a common use in progressive churches. I'm not sure whether Schuster's trying to capture the time period of the modernist church or just mirroring her own beliefs (she's a religion teacher in Memphis, TN.)
The good news is, things markedly improve once the awkward introductions have been made. I marked the page in this book where my interest was finally captured. Page 38. It takes Schuster, a fellow former Louisville-ian, that long to get into an otherwise strange and charming tale. Willard and Genevieve, Anna Beth and Louisa evoke the Practical Magic sisters or the women from Fried Green Tomatoes. They are strong, flawed characters, loving and willful and impatient and wise.
By the end of Flowers for Elvis, I was captivated by this story. It helps that there's a twist I didn't expect - it's hard to surprise me - and an ending that might be one of the most perfect (in that same strange, charming way) endings I've ever read.
If you're an Elvis fan, you should just buy this book. Every chapter is headed with an Elvis reference, and while the King never makes an appearance, Genevieve does regard him as her patron saint and ultimate Love Interest. If you're not an Elvis fan, you should still pick up a copy of this book. It's an excellent summer read, and, trust me, once you finish, you're going to want to pass it on so you can discuss it with your sister or mum or friend or book group.
Similar to:
Fannie Flagg
Barbara Kingsolver
Billie Letts
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books for a review copy of this title.
"I came into this world and left it on the same day."
Set against the backdrop of the 1960s South, Flowers for Elvis tells the story of fraternal twin girls. One of the babies, Olivia, dies immediately after being born. Meanwhile, her sister continues to be raised as the twin sister of her cousin, born three days later. Olivia's spirit, however, lingers, observing with a wry fondness the twists and turns of her sister's turbulent life.
Though Schuster's Catholic tendencies (which tend to be traditional, somewhat conservative, but not fundamentalist) are obvious, she uses them honestly in her perception of Olivia's story, rather than a tool with which to preach to the audience. Because the first chapters are about Olivia's birth and death and encounter with the Mother Superior who buries her, I worried a little about getting through the rest of the book. I stumbled, a bit, over Olivia's brief encounters with God and the capitalized pronoun "He," since that doesn't reflect my own theology nor a common use in progressive churches. I'm not sure whether Schuster's trying to capture the time period of the modernist church or just mirroring her own beliefs (she's a religion teacher in Memphis, TN.)
The good news is, things markedly improve once the awkward introductions have been made. I marked the page in this book where my interest was finally captured. Page 38. It takes Schuster, a fellow former Louisville-ian, that long to get into an otherwise strange and charming tale. Willard and Genevieve, Anna Beth and Louisa evoke the Practical Magic sisters or the women from Fried Green Tomatoes. They are strong, flawed characters, loving and willful and impatient and wise.
By the end of Flowers for Elvis, I was captivated by this story. It helps that there's a twist I didn't expect - it's hard to surprise me - and an ending that might be one of the most perfect (in that same strange, charming way) endings I've ever read.
If you're an Elvis fan, you should just buy this book. Every chapter is headed with an Elvis reference, and while the King never makes an appearance, Genevieve does regard him as her patron saint and ultimate Love Interest. If you're not an Elvis fan, you should still pick up a copy of this book. It's an excellent summer read, and, trust me, once you finish, you're going to want to pass it on so you can discuss it with your sister or mum or friend or book group.
Similar to:
Fannie Flagg
Barbara Kingsolver
Billie Letts
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books for a review copy of this title.
March 25, 2014
This is definitely a very quirky southern story. It takes place in the 60's and early 70's in Memphis and Iuka, Mississippi. A set of fraternal girl twins are born to a novice nun in a remote cloistered convent located in an old Auto Parts store. One twin dies and the other survives, the babies' complexions are very different, one appears to be white and one appears to be black. At this point, I was already a bit disenchanted....
The story is then narrated by the spirit of the dead twin, Olivia. Her sister is passed off as a twin to her cousin born a few days later. They are raised by the crazy sister of the nun without her knowledge. The crazy sister is a pathological shop lifter, an irrational Elvis fan and a drunk. She keeps secrets without any reasonable justification and seems to cause major damage to the girls as they grow.
The "twins" are very different and the narrator intentionally withholds and misleads you about which girl is her authentic twin. Louisa is very promiscuous and gets involved with a married older man who is her mother/guardian's former lover. Anna Beth is level-headed, sensitive and artistic but loyal to her "twin".
Things get pretty messy and sad.
Not a book I would recommend as fun to read. I also did not admire most of the people in the story....not horrible but not great.
The story is then narrated by the spirit of the dead twin, Olivia. Her sister is passed off as a twin to her cousin born a few days later. They are raised by the crazy sister of the nun without her knowledge. The crazy sister is a pathological shop lifter, an irrational Elvis fan and a drunk. She keeps secrets without any reasonable justification and seems to cause major damage to the girls as they grow.
The "twins" are very different and the narrator intentionally withholds and misleads you about which girl is her authentic twin. Louisa is very promiscuous and gets involved with a married older man who is her mother/guardian's former lover. Anna Beth is level-headed, sensitive and artistic but loyal to her "twin".
Things get pretty messy and sad.
Not a book I would recommend as fun to read. I also did not admire most of the people in the story....not horrible but not great.
December 26, 2011
This book almost received 4 stars with the caveat that it's really a 3.5, but... one of my oddball criteria for four stars is whether I would tell one of my daughters that I think they'd enjoy it. (For five stars, I have to insist my daughters would read a book.) So this one, no - I can hear my oldest daughter's voice now (if she were to read this book) saying, "What's the point, mom?"
I think "Flowers for Elvis" is supposed to fall into the category of "magical realism," told in the voice of the spirit of a stillborn twin, as she plays guardian guide to the living twin. Throughout the book, the living twin experiences life in a crazy, conflicted - rather modern Southern gothic - setting. In the end, there were some interesting folks here, but I didn't care deeply about any of them, root strongly for any outcome, and derived my greatest pleasure from predicting the conclusion of the book.
Incidentally, the Kindle editing was poor for this book. For some strange reason, every time a word began with the letter "j" it was separated from the rest of the word. A couple other visible typos, too, but the "j" thing caused a reading disruption.
I think "Flowers for Elvis" is supposed to fall into the category of "magical realism," told in the voice of the spirit of a stillborn twin, as she plays guardian guide to the living twin. Throughout the book, the living twin experiences life in a crazy, conflicted - rather modern Southern gothic - setting. In the end, there were some interesting folks here, but I didn't care deeply about any of them, root strongly for any outcome, and derived my greatest pleasure from predicting the conclusion of the book.
Incidentally, the Kindle editing was poor for this book. For some strange reason, every time a word began with the letter "j" it was separated from the rest of the word. A couple other visible typos, too, but the "j" thing caused a reading disruption.
February 4, 2011
I bought this book at a luncheon where the author was present and signed the book for me. I almost didn't buy it because I thought the title was too hokey.
The title is misleading. That is not what the book is about. One of the lesser main characters owns a flower shop and has flowers delivered to Elvis every day because she is a big fan, but that is minor part of the story. She has twin daughters (what is it with books about twins,lately?) and the book is about their lives as they grow up.
The book was a fun read for me because the author lives in Memphis and part of the story takes place in Memphis. She names several streets and businesses that are familiar to me. I don't know that someone who is not familiar with Memphis would enjoy it as much.
At the luncheon the author said she wrote the book because her sister had such great stories about her life, but was not a good enough writer to write them. As I read the book, I tried to figure out the sister's stories, but was not able to do that.
The book was o.k. Not a book everyone would enjoy.
The title is misleading. That is not what the book is about. One of the lesser main characters owns a flower shop and has flowers delivered to Elvis every day because she is a big fan, but that is minor part of the story. She has twin daughters (what is it with books about twins,lately?) and the book is about their lives as they grow up.
The book was a fun read for me because the author lives in Memphis and part of the story takes place in Memphis. She names several streets and businesses that are familiar to me. I don't know that someone who is not familiar with Memphis would enjoy it as much.
At the luncheon the author said she wrote the book because her sister had such great stories about her life, but was not a good enough writer to write them. As I read the book, I tried to figure out the sister's stories, but was not able to do that.
The book was o.k. Not a book everyone would enjoy.
September 17, 2010
Wish I could give this 3.5 stars, I really liked it! I picked this book because of the title (of course) and while the first part of it was really slow and I had a hard time getting into it, the last 2/3 were a lot of fun as the secrets were revealed. I love how the book kept me guessing which twin was Willard's. I thought for sure it had to be Anna Beth since she had such a close connection to Olivia and Louisa's actions certainly made her seem like Genevieve's daughter. Jack Bland being one of the fathers is one twist I can't believe I didn't see coming, and then I thought for sure he couldn't be Louisa's father because, ew, but then when Louisa kept miscarrying the babies I thought well maybe he IS the dad and that's why.....all in all, a fun read and I loved the Elvis references!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2011
The pace of this book changed throughout. At some times I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, at others, I didn't want to pick it back up.
I barely started the thing. Picked it up a few months ago, it was slow going so I put it down. Tried again a second time and while I didn't like the beginning and found it quite corny, I did continue.
I actually thought the girl/ghost character was a sorry way to write a book. Which is why I only gave it three stars. The book would have been better told by one of the sisters or in 3rd person, but not 1st person ghost character.
However, teh book itself was interesting. I saw right through the twists and turns, but I did enjoy most of it.
I barely started the thing. Picked it up a few months ago, it was slow going so I put it down. Tried again a second time and while I didn't like the beginning and found it quite corny, I did continue.
I actually thought the girl/ghost character was a sorry way to write a book. Which is why I only gave it three stars. The book would have been better told by one of the sisters or in 3rd person, but not 1st person ghost character.
However, teh book itself was interesting. I saw right through the twists and turns, but I did enjoy most of it.
September 9, 2010
Flowers for Elvis is a heartwarming story about a very dysfunctional family, set in Mississippi during the 1950s up to the year of Elvis Presley's death in 1977. I was captivated by this story and I couldn’t stop reading. Flowers for Elvis is filled with quirky twists and characters you’ll never forget. Every chapter is headed with an Elvis reference, and while the King never makes an appearance, Genevieve does regard him as her patron saint and her ultimate love interest. I loved the ending; it was perfect in a strange and charming kind of way. I would like to read more from this author and would recommend this book.
February 8, 2012
This a strange story set in the 1960s South, a set of twins is born, one white, one black in a nun's convent. One of them is stillborn and is stuck nearby like a ghost/guardian angel following the other twin and some relatives around through out the whole story. Lots of twist and turns, if you can get past the fact most of the story is this ghost's view of things you might enjoy reading it. Lots of sorrow due to childhood abuse has set things up for all of their live's story. Elvis is kind of in the background as one sister's crazy love for him but it also makes the story interesting with this going on while she sends him a dozen roses everyday when she's living in Memphis.
December 21, 2011
Another freebie picked up on the Kindle. I've had this for awhile and then a review on it caught my eye - I went back and started reading, half fascinated - half repelled by the opening but then had to keep reading until finished. Without giving away anything - the author does a great job dealing with topics such as abuse, physical and mental; family disfunctions and the secrets kept - some which needed to be kept due to social mores and others kept because of choices made that would affect others.
While this is a work of fiction, it is well worth a read. If you get bogged down in it - keep going. It is well worth it.
While this is a work of fiction, it is well worth a read. If you get bogged down in it - keep going. It is well worth it.
February 22, 2014
A strange story with a lot of strange twists and turns. Twins are born in a convent, one lives the other doesn't. The one is raised with her cousin as her cousins twin while the spirit of the dead twin hangs around to watch over the girls. The title is totally misleading, and Elvis is a minor part of the story. All through the story family secrets are revealed and in the end it is finally revealed which of the girls is the deceased twins sister. The whole story is told from the view point of the spirit of the deceased twin.
September 15, 2010
From page one, I dove right into this book, I am finding it hard to put it down, but some places seem rushed espically when describing how a character felt about certain situations occuring, casuing me to have to go back and reread. However, I do not think I would want to finish this story if there was not so many layers packed together to form this wackey, disfunctional family. I would recommend this book to someone who ponders the after life in a non-religous way.
August 15, 2010
The story is told by the twin that is still-born. That took some getting used to, but the characters are so quirky and the family is so dysfunctional, I had to keep reading it to find out what the heck was going on. There are layers and layers to this crazy Southern family. Kind of like a car wreck you can't look away from. Somehow it's not depressing. It doesn't feel hopeless. I don't know how the author managed that but I will be looking for more books by Ms Schuster.
September 11, 2014
Flowers for Elvis is everything you could want from a Southern Gothic novel and told from such an interesting POV. Rich, interesting, insane, poignant, and flawed-but-you-love-them-anyway characters combined with such a wonderfully Southern setting makes Flowers for Elvis a real gem.I hope there is another novel in the works .These characters are too interesting to leave behind after just one story.
September 17, 2010
A very interesting and compelling book. Quirky, precocious, and unique. What should have been an endlessly depressing coming of age never once felt so. Macabe without being disturbing. Spiritual without being preachy. An interesting story born of heartfelt curiosity and sympathy after the author overheard a conversation.
August 25, 2010
Yikes... not a fan of this at all. I had to quit after a few chapters. The writing style drove me nuts! It would be about 2 pages of pointless expounding, then 2 lines of dialog or action, and then 2 more pages of pointless expounding... (Okay, we get it! You're a ghost, and it stinks because you can't feel anything! Can we move on now?)
September 1, 2010
This book was extremely slow to start, and I almost put it down numerous times. However, once I got about 10-20% through it (sorry, I have a Kindle, so I don't know page numbers, just percentages) it got amazing. You really have to be patient and give it a chance, but once it gets going, it's impossible to put down. Give it a chance- it's worth it!
October 24, 2010
Fantastic book! This is the story of a family full of secrets and tragedy. A nun gives birth to twins in the 1950s. One of the girls survives, the other doesn't. The twin who doesn't make it sticks around to watch over her twin sister and the rest of the family. Along the way, the twins learn a lot of life lessons and pull at your heartstrings the entire time. A very touching book.
January 13, 2011
While I didn't have a lot of patience for the girls' mom I was still interested in the life of the girls. The pace of the book seemed to waiver between interesting and eventful to drab babbling. I guess if you like reading about dysfunctional families you'll love this, but I just found myself wanting to slap the Mom and shake the girls to make them see her for who she really was.
March 5, 2014
Good read
I honestly enjoyed this book. I wasn't alive in Elvis' day but I've always been a fascinated fan of his. This book starts out slow but I would encourage you to push through. I love her descriptive writing style but it lost a star because I never connected to any of the characters. I would still recommend...
I honestly enjoyed this book. I wasn't alive in Elvis' day but I've always been a fascinated fan of his. This book starts out slow but I would encourage you to push through. I love her descriptive writing style but it lost a star because I never connected to any of the characters. I would still recommend...
March 28, 2014
Hard to put down.
Enjoyable book that was full of twists and turns. Assorted group of family members, affected by the sordid choices of the relatives before them. This book was totally enjoyable with twist and turns, keeping you guessing at every turn. Very difficult to put down. I would highly recommend.
Enjoyable book that was full of twists and turns. Assorted group of family members, affected by the sordid choices of the relatives before them. This book was totally enjoyable with twist and turns, keeping you guessing at every turn. Very difficult to put down. I would highly recommend.
July 5, 2014
This was a great summer read to pick up and just do over the 4th of July weekend. Once again loving from whose perspective it was written, but yet there was so much tragedy in these girls lives, over and over again all the way to the end, and how some people deal with these events in their lives. . .
October 10, 2014
A bit slow to start and at times in need of a good editor for word choice or an odd description (pentacle for pinnacle, for instance) the twists and underlying faith and themes were wonderful. Aside from the editing, the writing was very readable and kept me moving forward. Definitely a lot to contemplate on a higher level, woven in between a plot full of family secrets.
September 5, 2010
This book had all the drama a southern family could ask for. I had to pick up the book when I read about a nun having illegitimate twins with a black man in 1956 Mississippi. The book had me in tears by the end. A great piece of work!
September 6, 2010
I downloaded this book at Amazon for free, and read it on my kindle.
I love stories about dysfunctional families, and this one did not disappoint me! Packed full of secrets and charged with emotions.
I love stories about dysfunctional families, and this one did not disappoint me! Packed full of secrets and charged with emotions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews