My Summer of Southern Discomfort
by Stephanie Gayle
Copyright 2007
Audio Book Version
7.75 hours
Read by Julie Dretzin
This first novel by a Pushcart Prize-nominated short story writer takes place in Macon, GA.
Natalie Goldberg, daughter of a noted civil rights attorney, is now a prosecutor with the Macon, GA district attorney's office. How she got there is part of the story - think heartache and betrayal and you won't be far off.
Now she's trying to find herself in her new surroundings. She's originally from Cambridge, MA and the job from which she is running was in New York.
The South takes a little getting used to.
Fortunately, author Stephanie Gayle manages to portray the south without resorting to caricature, and I was grateful for that. Her heroine is nicely portrayed and very human; she was someone I wouldn't mind getting to know and calling "friend." It's not always easy to portray a character to that degree. Her southern characters are done very well, too.
Throw in a capital murder trial for a girl who doesn't believe in the death penalty, and you have a thoughtful and occasionally gut-wrenching story about growing up, learning lessons, and finding yourself.
Highly recommended read.
Thanks for the book review. The title caught my eye. I'll definitely give it a go! I'm ready for a new book to read.
ReplyDeleteSounds good, but I think the heroine's name would throw me off (it being that of a popular writer).
ReplyDelete