“Because of my relationship with ’Tine, this book isn’t so much about Celestine Sibley, the public figure, as it is a story of a grandmother and her granddaughter. Nothing more.” —from the introduction
Family stories passed down through generations, family recipes lovingly prepared in hot summer kitchens, family secrets held close—all this and more make up the southern life. For Sibley Fleming, her southern life was deeply entwined with that of her grandmother, Celestine Sibley, also known as ’Tine.
With a difficult childhood torn apart by her parents’ alcoholism, mental illness, and divorce; her own failed marriage; and her struggle with single motherhood, Sibley Fleming’s life was always an attempt to reconcile her past with her present. The one constant was her relationship with ’Tine. When Celestine Sibley died in 1999, Georgians, and in fact much of the South, mourned the loss of the revered Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist and author. Celestine was a southern icon, but to her granddaugher, ’Tine was a companion and teacher who showed her how to be strong and tenacious, to love her family, to cook and garden, and to be a writer. Celestine is a tender yet powerful portrait of the life these two women shared.
More rich than a traditional memoir, Celestine is full of photos, recipes, gardening tips, and personal letters. Most important, it is a moving testament to the extraordinary women who are at the heart of every southern family.
Family stories passed down through generations, family recipes lovingly prepared in hot summer kitchens, family secrets held close—all this and more make up the southern life. For Sibley Fleming, her southern life was deeply entwined with that of her grandmother, Celestine Sibley, also known as ’Tine.
With a difficult childhood torn apart by her parents’ alcoholism, mental illness, and divorce; her own failed marriage; and her struggle with single motherhood, Sibley Fleming’s life was always an attempt to reconcile her past with her present. The one constant was her relationship with ’Tine. When Celestine Sibley died in 1999, Georgians, and in fact much of the South, mourned the loss of the revered Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist and author. Celestine was a southern icon, but to her granddaugher, ’Tine was a companion and teacher who showed her how to be strong and tenacious, to love her family, to cook and garden, and to be a writer. Celestine is a tender yet powerful portrait of the life these two women shared.
More rich than a traditional memoir, Celestine is full of photos, recipes, gardening tips, and personal letters. Most important, it is a moving testament to the extraordinary women who are at the heart of every southern family.
