Skaking The Sugar Tree series by Nick Wilgus

[PaperMoon]

This sequel starts two years down the track from Shaking the Sugar Tree with Wiley and Jackson marking a deeply apprehensive drive to the airport to collect Jackson’s ‘blue-blooded’ Bostonian parents who’ve been invited to visit for a month! Just why Jackson has been so elusive about his absentee parents become explosively clear as soon as they open their mouths in greeting. For me, this first half of the book was spent CRINGING whenever Wiley (the prospective son-in-law; especially now that there’s an engagement ring involved) is forced to engage Eunice Ledbetter his prospective mother-in-law. I am left breathless and reeling in the wake of the barrage of verbal salvos that are launched from each side. We already know that Wiley has little verbal self-control but Mrs Ledbetter – she has to be read to be believed!

I ran the full gamut of emotions in reading this sequel. I laughed, I snorted, I cried, I protested aloud. This is high drama in the deep south – where bigotry, homophobia, extreme right religious beliefs and downright kooky mindsets and behaviour reign supreme. Throughout the chapters, the author thoroughly engaged and entertained me with a strangely delightful blend of southern charm, comfort, hospitality and craziness. All the delightful Cantrell family members return – mama, Papaw, brother Bill and his family. The local parish priest Father Ginderbach is a breath of fresh air and provides a sane and loving foil to all the conservative hateful claptrap that comes out of the mouths of Wiley’s work colleagues, his sons’ teachers as well as his own family members.

In the end, even Wiley’s deep inner fighter and resolve gets worn down when all manner of troubles get thrown his way. On of top his own family’s disapproval with his intentions to ‘marry’ his boyfriend in Tupelo (Lee County, Mississippi) – they’re already very angry and embarrassed by the publication of his no-bars held tell all expose autobiographical book ‘Crack Baby’ where the family skeletons have been flung into the public arena for all to see. The arrival of the ‘butter-won’t-melt-in-our-mouths’ Bostonian Ledbetters further drive a deep divide between Wiley and Jackson when it appears Jackson’s parents are out to stop the marriage from going ahead. And speaking of the crack baby – lovable Noah, Wiley’s son is hitting puberty and there’s all manner of health concerns raised by the medical authorities which hit Wiley’s guilt buttons hard. Noah is not doing well at school – barely fitting in, ostracised for having two-daddies, struggling with his deafness and being held back … my heart BROKE with the parental weight and concerns that faced Wiley in his endeavour to raise and love his disabled child the best way he knows how.

Then midway through the book – I am hit with a double whammy of ‘I did not see that comings’. Someone calls the DHS on Wiley and Jackson – there are concerns for Noah’s safety and welfare. And in the midst of an agonising ‘let the 2 families meet over Sunday luncheon’ the entire Cantrell-Ledbetter clans are greeted with the full force of one of Mother Nature’s horrific acts with fatal consequences. Before I have time to regroup emotionally – several of the characters make decisions and perform acts which flummoxed me as much as they did to Wiley. Old definitions and boundaries as to who is a good guy and who is a bad guy become terribly blurred and all jumbled up; I have to admit by the end of the book, I was truly AMAZED by the character development arcs for all the main protagonists and antagonists. Just. Did. Not. See. That. Coming. Wow – truly wow. And hence a 5-star rating from me for this sequel – the first book rates a solid 4 stars but this has proved a so much better reading experience. Do yourself a favour and buy both to read in sequence – you will not regret it.

One final point – Mr Wilgus does a fine job in weaving in spiritual and religious themes/truths of forgiveness, charity, hope and love amidst the plotline madness and mayhem – there was no ‘preaching’ and I was deeply moved/touched. I truly hope and pray for a third book in this series – the characters are all so wonderful they deserve another book or two in the least. Y’all hear that now – Mr Wilgus.

[PaperMoon]

I’m writing these thoughts almost 5 days after completing the latest offering in the “Sugar Tree” series - my emotions being more in check and my thoughts more settled. What can I add to the plethora of reviews making almost universal comment on being in tears and wracking with laughter alternately throughout the reading – yup … happened to me too. But then I guess that’s is to be expected since the previous two titles (especially Stones in the Road) had exactly the same effect on me – one could say that is a trademark style of Mr Wilgus’ non-murder/mystery books.

The timeframe of this latest instalment is several years after its predecessor with some major family-life charges having occurred in the meantimes; most significantly being Noah’s death/passing. WTF??? I was quite upset when there were hints of this in the months prior to the release and the author has already posted his thoughts/comments regarding the unhappiness of his readership on this plot-point. I loved Noah as a character … and I thought I would be feeling quite bereft of his absence in the reading of this title. Give it to Mr Wilgus … the grief and loss felt by Wiley and others comes through loud and clear, but amazingly – Noah is present all through the book, through flashback recollections and memories, being referred to in conversations by the characters, and even through an amazing event which I will not give away here. My feelings mirror Wiley’s in that I didn’t want to be disloyal to Noah when the character of Tony was introduced – and what an impression making character he is! I guess I’m just a sucker for badly damaged/deeply traumatised boys who need lots of TLC parenting; just exactly the sort of character that brings out all of Wiley’s mama bear protective instincts. The prospective adoptive parent-child relationship unfolded throughout the book is sheer joy to read as several hours of sleep and some meals were forsaken as I remained glued to my Kindle.

Almost all the marvellous characters from the previous books come back into play at some point; longtime partner Jackson Ledbetter stands head and shoulders above them - stalwart, emotionally withdrawn in his own pain and loss. Jackson’s mother, Eunice continues to produce her expected ‘tell it like it is’, ‘I-can’t-believe-she-just-said-that’, ‘shoot from the hips’ snarks and snipes … resulting with the majority of the hysterical laugh-out-loud reading moments. Death and new beginnings continue on as concurrent themes in this latest book of the series. The redemption of antagonist characters happen again … I had to smile broadly through tears near the ending with the BBQ reconciliation scene – sniffles.

Having to battle ‘the system’ (again) for the sake of a lost child brings out all the high emotional dramas and meltdowns in Wiley – I sometimes felt like smacking him as he escalates into one of his ‘all about me’ moments; in fact he is repeatedly informed of this annoying trait by several people having to ‘speak the truth’ to him – which makes for an interesting character development arc for our Wiley.

I’d hate to think this is the end of the road for the Sugar Tree series … I so so so deeply wish there would be one more book outlining where Wiley and Jackson find themselves and their immediate as well as extended families a decade on. That would be the cherry on the icing do y’hear that Mr Wilgus? An unreserved 5 plus stars rating from me.