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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a Keeper!, June 19, 2006
Nonny Frett is caught between feuding families. Born to an unwed Crabtree girl, she is adopted and raised by a Frett. Her mother, Stacia Frett, suffers from Usher's Syndrome, a devastating disease that steals the victim's hearing, then their eyesight. Stacia never let her challenges interfere with being a good mother. Nonny has grown into a strong woman who works as an interpreter for the deaf and mute.
Now thirty years old, Nonny's life lacks direction. Her marriage is ending, her aunt--Bernese Frett Baxter--is being inexplicably hard on Nonny's young cousin, and the tension between the Crabtrees and Frett has been notched way up.
This is the proverbial turning point of Nonny's life. Although strong, she must see past her own disappointments in order to move forward. The question is whether she can find her path before her world crumbles before her very eyes.
Between, Georgia is a treasure for anyone who has ever felt torn between worlds. Jackson has beautifully rendered the story of Nonny Frett by evoking laughter, shouts, and tears. Readers will feel the weight of Nonny's responsibilities, as well as the lightness of her joys. Little Fisher, Aunt Bernese's granddaughter, is an added delight who steals some of the scenes.
Besides the wonderful literary value of this novel, it would make a spectacular movie. (Many readers may imagine Aunt Bernese portrayed by Tyne Daily.) The characters leap from the pages, reminding readers of people in their own lives. Small Town, America is well represented by the atmosphere of Between.
You will love this novel. As far as I'm concerned, this "keeper" will stay on my shelf with other beloved books.
Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
6/19/2006
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Modern Day Hatfield And McCoy Tale ...But With A Twist, July 23, 2006
Whether you're a fan of the Montagues and the Capulets, or the Hatfields and McCoys, you'll no doubt be familiar with the familial battles that abound in Josilyn Jackson's new novel, Between, Georgia. The book's title is fitting; being representative of both the tiny Georgia community where the story is set and a microcosmic conflict between two families within it, the Fretts and the Crabtrees.
Told in first person by Nonny Frett -- initially the daughter of a young Crabtree -- she is the "between" antiauthoritarian stuck in a renewed struggle between her biological kin and her adopted family. When the Crabtree dogs attack Nonny's mother (Stacia Frett), old wounds are opened anew between the two families and Nonny acts as a forced referee. Love, hate, gene pools, romance, and even comedy are the driving forces behind Between, Georgia as we witness a type of one-upmanship taking place after the dog attack. Nonny's aunt, Bernise Frett-Baxter, shoots and kills one of the dogs. Then tires get slashed, more dogs die, and finally death comes near for the Frett family as the truly "bad Crabtrees" enter town to settle the feud once and for all. In the midst of all this, Nonny is trying to divorce her husband, Jonno, an adulterer who gave her The Clap but whom she still holds a grudging sexual attraction toward. Nonny's adopted mother, Stacia, has Usher's Syndrome, a disease that destroys one's hearing and then robs them of their sight. And, to top it all off, Nonny is attracted to Henry Crabtree, a distant cousin who is obviously in love with her, too.
The middle of the novel will probably be the toughest for most readers to get through. It's a bit slow but is beneficial to the story as a whole. The reader gets intimate with these characters and they'll be completely unprepared for some devastating events that unfold in the later two-thirds of the story. Then, just when you feel like your heart can't take it anymore, author Josilyn Jackson makes your spirit soar with the slamming on of the brakes and a humorous "thump".
From kissing cousins to tear-jerking brushes with death, Between, Georgia is a place I'm happy I visited (even if it is a fictional community). The action is slow to get going, but once the dynamics of these families hits the gas pedal, there's no stopping them.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Betweens Abound!, February 21, 2007
I loved this book! It could be because I am a sign language interpreter myself, and could relate to much of what was taking place in the novel. I especially enjoyed the narration by the author-- many authors are NOT good narrators of their work, but Jackson certainly is excellent. I loved her accents. Made the characters so believable.
I appreciated the title so much, as it was a running theme in the book-- "between". So many "betweens" within its pages. I also quite enjoyed the author's notes at the back, telling about the actual town and such. I really can't wait for this author's next book!
This book is quite different from Jackson's first book, GODS IN ALABAMA, which I devoured upon opening the cover. However, it is a good book in its own right, though not a mystery and written in a much different style. In some ways, I liked it better. It is funny and sad (but not too sad), and everything in between. There's that word again!
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