My Summer of Southern Discomfort: A Novel
3/5
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About this ebook
Today is Monday. The calls do not come as before. Weeks elapse between them, and when I answer the phone there is no overlap of voices, only my mother's. She spends much of the conversation avoiding mention of the pink elephant trumpeting in the middle of the room.
The pink elephant would be my defection to Georgia. When I telephoned with the news of my imminent relocation my father asked, "Georgia, as in the Republic of Georgia by the Black Sea, or Georgia as in the Peach State?" He hoped I meant the former because that Georgia promised unique opportunities to advance the democratic cause of justice. What could Georgia, former land of the Confederacy, offer?
Convicting arsonists and thieves in Macon, Georgia, was never Harvard Law grad Natalie Goldberg's dream. The pay is abysmal, the work is exhausting, and the humidity is hell for a woman with curly hair. But when a steamy romance with her high-powered New York boss went bad, Natalie jumped at the first job offered, packed her bags, and headed south.
Natalie's leftist Yankee background brands her a conspicuous outsider in this insular community. Her father, a famous civil rights lawyer, refuses to accept her career change—or talk to her. Her best friend begs her to come back home, and Natalie keeps thinking she sees her former lover everywhere.
But Natalie's not completely alone. There are a garden-obsessed neighbor, a former beauty queen–turned–defense attorney, and a handsome colleague who has a nervous tic whenever she gets near. And then there's a capital case that has her eating antacids by the truckload.
Yep, it's going to be one heckuva long, hot summer. . . .
Stephanie Gayle
Stephanie Gayle's work has appeared in the literary magazines 400 Words, The Charles River Review, Edgar Literary Journal, Ellipsis, and The Fourth River. Her story "Interior Design" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.
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Reviews for My Summer of Southern Discomfort
25 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The plot of the book was okay. Nothing was ever explored really, it was like reading a very bad journal, where things are listed, but nothing delved into. I seriously didn't get the point. I gave it two stars because I finshed it, and what little character development there was, I liked.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I had to vindicate this book's honor because I saw the mediocre reviews on LibraryThing, but I really enjoyed it. I used to practice law and hated it, but this book made me want to practice criminal law. The trial at the center of the story was fascinating, and it was easy to root for the protagonist. She never made a misstep (while prosecuting the trial, anyway). There is also a bit of doomed romantic backstory and a hint of new romance, but overall the book is much "deeper" than the fluffy cover implies.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book just seemed like it had no plot. Though it was short, it was difficult to get through because it had no direction. It is also awkwardly written and does not flow at all. The secondary characters are difficult to understand and sympathize with. One good thing is her descriptions of the South are spot on and enjoyable.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book was pretty dull. It's sort of chick lit on a less "brainless" level since the main character is a lawyer. Really, the plot line drug on forever and the whole thing was just a little bland, with a very dull ending to match the entire book. I'd give it a "blah".