THE HELP

The Help, the first novel by Kathryn Stockett, irritated me, added wrinkles to my already-wrinkled brow--and heaven knows, I have enough wrinkles without getting more from a book! Why did I react this way to a #1 New York Times bestseller? Not because I'm a Southerner whose family had "help" or because of non-Southerners' reactions to the typical Southern families of the 50s and 60s. This book irritated me because it was so good I didn't want to put it down!

Sorry. When I scanned the book I chopped off Kathryn Stockett's last name.

When our electricity went out at 10:30 Wednesday morning, I abandoned all plans to clean out my pantry. After all, my pantry is dark unless the light is on. I couldn't use my computer, do laundry, either, but I could relax in my recliner and read The Help. I grinned and settled down in my chair. Three hours later the power returned. Bummer. I finished the book two days later.

Initially, I started this book because it was the scheduled book to be read by The Pearls of Wisdom book club, and since I'm a member, well, you know how that goes. Would I have read it if not for the club? Probably not. I'm a lover of mysteries, thrillers, suspense novels. Touchy-feely books usually don't appeal to me.

From the jacket flap: "In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't."

I highly recommend this book. Run, don't walk, to the nearest book store, library, or friend who owns a copy.

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Author's website: www.kathrynstockett.com
Penquin's website: www.penguin.com

Deltaville Book Club

Deltaville, a charming town on the Chesapeake Bay, is the sailboat capital of Virginia. The seafood there is some of the best I've ever eaten, and the little shops in Deltaville and the surrounding small towns are unique. So you can imagine how tickled I was when several months ago Keaton Garber invited me to speak to the Deltaville Book Club on September 14th.

Some of the ladies on the Kelly House sun porch. I'm wearing the white jacket.
Photo by Martha Stokes

The meeting was held in the Kelly House, a restored 1840's Virginia planter's home. Furnished with period antiques, the house is lovely. Around 20 delightful ladies came to hear me. Southern hospitality was everywhere, and a lavish spread of goodies covered the dining room table. The centerpiece, created by Keaton and inspired by my first novel "Secrets at Spawning Run," surprised me.


If you've read "Secrets at Spawning Run," you will recognize the black Labrador retriever, King, complete with red collar, sitting on the dock. On my book cover, King is on the dock. Look carefully and you will see the Jack Russell terrier, Little Guy, tied to a tree, an overturned red boat with anchor and rope attached to a man lying in the water, a water bird, and a jeep and police cars. All of these things are in the book! It must have taken Keaton days to come up with all the figures. One of the ladies who had not yet read the book kept turning the boat back up and putting the man back in it because she didn't want him to drown!

I had fun, met some nice ladies, sold some books, and had the opportunity to spend a few days in Deltaville again. If you're looking for a nice place to visit, you won't want to miss Deltaville.

Cruising with the Eclectic Book Club

A couple of months ago, Carolyn Hart called to tell me that the Eclectic Book Club had read my first novel, Secrets at Spawning Run, and wanted me to join them for a book discussion on the Virginia Dare. I felt honored that they read my book, and was delighted they invited me to join them. A few days before the event, Eclectic member Mary Jane Morgan called to give me the boarding time and other details.

The Virginia Dare

Yesterday, October 14, King (my stuffed black Lab complete with red collar) and I joined 21 delightful Eclectic ladies and three other book club girls for a luncheon cruise on the Virginia Dare. Also on board were two tour bus loads of folks, some of whom were from a senior center, and other miscellaneous people. The book club ladies were absolutely delightful. I enjoyed getting to know them, although I hope they will forgive me if I can't remember all their names.

After a good meal, Lake Writers buddy Marion Higgins and I walked to the bar area where Marion was handed a microphone. After a great introduction (I am so lucky to have friends who give wonderful introductions--see the previous blog post), Marion turned the mike over to me. I read a little from Secrets at Spawning Run and from my second novel, Secrets at Sweetwater Cove.

I really liked being with these nice ladies, the food was very good, and cruising on the Virginia Dare again was lots of fun. However, I would not advise any group the size of ours to try to have a discussion in that type of setting. One woman--not from our group--at the table closest to me started telling me that I had said enough. And that was after I read one short paragraph! I ignored her for five minutes, but then decided that it wasn't fair to her for me to keep speaking. After all, she paid for a luncheon cruise, not to hear a murder mystery author read and speak. So even though other non-book club people were enjoying my talk, I quickly wrapped it up and returned to my seat.

I've cruised on the Virginia Dare several times, always loved it. Unfortunately, yesterday was cold and wet. Even though the cruise was still fun, I wish we had had a nice, sunny day. Luckily we were on the lower deck, which is glassed in and out of the wind. I didn't notice if the upper deck was now enclosed or not. It was not enclosed in the above picture that I took two years ago from our boat. But I did enjoy myself, and would love to talk with these nice gals again sometime in a place more conducive to a good discussion.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Virginia Dare, she is a faux paddlewheel boat, a reproduction of the boats that used to travel our Southern rivers such as the Mississippi. She was built in Lacrosse, Wisconsin in 1989, is 63 feet long, 20 feet wide, and can accommodate 112 people for a seated meal or 135 for a sightseeing cruise.