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The Pecan Man

Cassie Dandridge Selleck

Start date: February 1, 2016

Finish date: February 29, 2016

Discussion: Past Book Discussions 2014-19

Discussion leader: Kris (My Novelesque Life)

Why we're reading this: Our member selected February 2016 book choice.
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Past Book Discussions 2014-19

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By Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴… , Founding Retro Chick · 51 posts · 18 views

last updated Nov 30, 2020 08:05AM

December 2017 Buddy Read: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
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last updated Oct 29, 2020 11:12AM

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What Members Thought

May 12, 2016 Brina rated it really liked it

Shelves: southern, goodreads-friend-author

I give around 4.3 stars to The Pecan Man, a debut self published novel by Cassie Dandridge Selleck. A native of northern Florida, Dandridge got the ideas for the three main characters in the novel from her Leesburg upbringing. Only 136 pages, the novel, which I have dubbed To Kill a Mockingbird meets A Time to Kill, packs a punch.
Ora Lee Beckworth has only been widowed for a little under a year when she hires Eldres Mims to mow her lawn and tend her shrubbery. Beckworth tolerates all people but I give around 4.3 stars to The Pecan Man, a debut self published novel by Cassie Dandridge Selleck. A native of northern Florida, Dandridge got the ideas for the three main characters in the novel from her Leesburg upbringing. Only 136 pages, the novel, which I have dubbed To Kill a Mockingbird meets A Time to Kill, packs a punch.
Ora Lee Beckworth has only been widowed for a little under a year when she hires Eldres Mims to mow her lawn and tend her shrubbery. Beckworth tolerates all people but her neighbors lead by Dovey Kincaid start spreading rumors about the homeless black man and plead with Beckworth to fire him. Meanwhile Blanche Lowery her loyal housekeeper for over thirty years feels uncomfortable around him as well yet can not pinpoint it. Beckworth allows Mims to keep his job.
One day Beckworth arrives home from an errand to find Blanche rocking her youngest daughter Grace on a porch chair. Horrifyingly it turns out she has just been raped by the town police chief's only son. In the post civil rights, south, however, Blanche could not report the crime because the town still sees things in black and white. At this time, Ora Lee, in need of more companionship of her own, brings the Lowery family into her home and treats them as family. Yet many things go unspoken between Ora Lee and Blanche, creating a web of lies that would last for many years.
As the book progresses, Ora Lee grows closer to Blanche and her daughters, while also growing closer to Eldred Mims. You can see that Ora Lee is a respected member of her community, having taught many of the younger generation in Sunday school, and having a vested interest in their lives. It is from this unique vantage point that she is able to assist Eldred Mims and the Lowery family in the horrible things that befall them as the book moves towards its denouement.
It is alarming to think that as recent as the late 1970s that racism still reared its ugly head in the south. Yet, unfortunately, that still exists today. Vacationing many times in Florida, I witnessed a schism in white and black society. Blacks are today still accused of crimes they may or may not have committed. Selleck here paints a picture of a Florida community in the post civil rights era, where unfortunately most people still see things in black and white.
I enjoyed this book as a poignant debut by Cassie Dandridge Selleck. I would recommend The Pecan Man to those looking for quality southern style fiction, and I look forward to reading more works by the author. ...more

133 likes · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2016 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, american-south

4 stars

Ora Lee Beckworth is a woman I just had to admire for her spunk, her flaws, her desire to do the right thing, and her growth as an individual. Set in Florida during the mid-1970's, the widowed Ora Lee lives a very comfortable life with the assistance of her black housekeeper, Blanche Lowery, a single mother of five struggling to make ends meet. When Eldred Mims, a homeless black man known to the town citizens as The Pecan Man, sets up residence in the nearby woods, racism rears its ugly h ...more

73 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2016 Kris (My Novelesque Life) rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, southern, justice, 1970s, rape

RATING: 3.5 STARS (Both times I read it)

7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2016 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is a story of family, honesty, and cultural awareness. Ms. Selleck's strength is her character creations, characters with depth that lend to the serious nature of the story.
Ora Lee is a fascinating character, she's quick-witted, colorful, and independent. Eldred Mims is a gentle soul, protective, and kind. The characters are linked by tragedy, are filled with remorse, and work together to find joy and justice in their intertwined lives. A lovely story that will linger with me for a great wh ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2019 Nancy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-books

5 likes · Like

Sep 13, 2019 Belle Blackburn added it

Aug 09, 2020 Stacey B rated it really liked it

4 likes · Like

Dec 02, 2023 Sarah Brown marked it as to-read

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