Customer Reviews

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen: A Novel

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Catherine Grace Cline was six years old, and her sister Martha Ann was four, when their mother drowned. Their daddy is the preacher at the Baptist church in their small Georgia town. When their father is busy, Gloria Jean, a neighbor and old friend of their mother's watches the girls. Catherine Grace loves Gloria Jean because she's the only person who will talk about her mother.

Catherine Grace and Martha Ann head down to the Dairy Queen every Saturday for a Dilly Bar. That's when Catherine Grace does her dreaming and planning. She longs to get out of their small town and head to Atlanta and can't understand why Eddie Franklin is content with his life - working at Dairy Queen in a small town.

When Catherine Grace causes a commotion at a church function, her father punishes her by forbidding her to go to Dairy Queen for the rest of the summer. Gloria Jean comes up with a plan to keep the girls busy and help Catherine Grace earn money for her get-away all at the same time.

After she graduates from high school and turns eighteen, Catherine Grace heads to Atlanta with her savings. She finds a job and a place to live and things are going pretty well for her when she's called home because of a family emergency. She gets some shocking news when she gets home and finds out that she may have been looking for happiness in the wrong place all along.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is the wonderful debut novel of Susan Gregg Gilmore. (It's hard for me to believe this is her first book!) There is so much more to this book than appears on the surface. It's about love and acceptance of friends and family. It's about having a dream and having the guts to follow it. Mostly it's about forgiveness, though.

This book is full of fantastic characters, too. I just loved Catherine Grace and could relate to her restless, curious spirit. She misses her mother so much and feels guilty because she doesn't remember her as well as she thinks she should. She also feels some pressure to be perfect since she's the preacher's daughter. Gloria Jean was a wonderful, loving character who was just a little bit different. She provided so much for the girls including a strong female role model. A lot of the secondary characters were great too. I was really able to get a feel for the small Georgia town they all lived in.

I'll readily admit that I'm partial to books set in the South, but I would have loved Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen no matter where it had been set. I can't wait for Susan Gregg Gilmore's next novel.

I knew this was one of my all-time favorite books when I couldn't put it down the first day I got it. But then the owner of a bookstore compared it to To Kill A Mockingbird -- then a radio producer mentioned the same thing to me when she finished it -- Catherine Grace (the main character) is the voice of Scout in a different time. I laughed as I read the way Susan Gregg Gilmore (author) described, people, feelings and places. Then I cried when Catherine Grace faced decisions that seem insurmountable to an 18-year-old. Somehow I was right back there with her at that age (even though that was nearly 30 years ago!). By the end I was laughing and crying. This book is an onion. You can skim it as chick-lit, if that's you're wanting out of it. You can feel it to the core of your soul if you want to take a journey back to the time just between being a child and an adult. Or, you can argue the finer points of the book as an allegory. If you do, guess what Dairy Queen is? - Heaven. For this first time author to connect so genuinely with each and every reader (the best reviews have come from male book reviewers so far), I think we've got a new author to follow.

I am a huge sucker for good Southern fiction! Even though I now live in Central, PA, I did spend the majority of my childhood living in the South; and maybe that's one of the reasons that I enjoy these types of books so much. When I read the praise for LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN by Susan Gregg Gilmore and saw that this novel was being compared to Fannie Flagg's books, I just knew I had to read it. I absolutely love some of Ms. Flagg's novels and especially her characters, and I can definitely say that LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN did not disappoint me (even given that big build-up). I treasured each and every page of this book!

I read this book in almost one sitting (which you know is hard if you are a stay-at-home mother of two.) There are just so many things that I loved about this novel, but I think what I appreciated the most were the characters -- and especially Catherine Grace. This book is really a coming-of age novel about Catherine Grace growing up in the South in the 1970s, and she is just one of those characters that you can't help but fall in love with. She was smart, sassy, stubborn and even a little vulnerable; and reading about her actions both as a child and an adult were just so much fun. I loved seeing how Catherine Grace handled the various challenges in her life, and I enjoyed seeing her mature into an amazing young woman as a result of them.

The supporting characters in this book were wonderful too from Catherine Grace's sister, father, and even the various citizens of Ringgold. I especially loved Catherine Grace's colorful neighbor Gloria Jean who provided the much-needed woman's touch in Catherine Grace's life. Not only did Gloria Jean teach her about boys, clothes, and nail polish, but she also taught her so many wonderful life lessons about acceptance and forgiveness. Her support of Catherine Grace, even when Catherine Grace wasn't always appreciative, was such a heart-warming form of kindness.

Another thing I really liked about this book were the many messages about life that Catherine Grace learned while growing up. Many of these messages seem obvious to me now, but I can remember being young like Catherine Grace and not yet being able to see the bigger picture. There were also many lessons in this story that I still haven't quite figured out, and seeing how Catherine Grace was able to forgive the people in her life that harmed her really caused me to take a step back and think. I love it when I can take messages from books and apply them to my real life!

I am so impressed that this book was Ms. Gilmore's debut novel. Ms. Gilmore has written articles for numerous newspapers as well as a weekly column on parenting in the South; however, I am very glad that she decided to apply her writing talents to a novel. I loved her writing style -- it was so real to me; and I think the characters she created are very memorable. And while this book deeply touched me, I also found myself laughing out loud at certain parts -- it was a great blend of storytelling and humor. If you think you might be interested in reading some of Ms. Gilmore's work, you should definitely check out this excerpt of the book or even her personal blog.

I highly recommend LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN! It's just a very sweet book that is guaranteed to make you smile; however, it also contains some pretty substantial and thought-provoking themes. I think this novel would make for a terrific book club selection because there is just so much to talk about; and I was very happy to see that there is a reading guide available with some very interesting questions. Some topics for discussion include parent/child relationships, sisterhood, redemption, death, religion, happiness, salvation, escapism, and especially forgiveness. Food was also a huge recurring theme throughout this novel, and I can only imagine how fun it would be to serve (and eat) some of the foods mentioned in this story like strawberry jam and dilly bars.

I do have to warn you that reading this book will make you crave ice cream and especially a dilly bar or chocolate dipped cone. I can pretty much promise that you'll want to make a trip to Dairy Queen before you are done!

Catherine Grace Cline wants to get the heck outta Dodge... or better said, the heck outta Ringgold, Georgia. There is just something about this town that just makes her restless - maybe it's that it's too quiet, or too small, or that it has a very small population - where everyone is your neighbor and they all know every little thing about your life. She and her sister spend every Saturday eating Dilly Bars at the Dairy Queen and plotting their big escape.

Catherine Grace lives with her father, the town's Baptist Minister, as well as her younger sister. It's been tough living without her momma, who accidentally drowned when she was young. And although she still misses her mother and has always been haunted by her passing, she has luckily found a mother figure in her mother's best friend, Gloria Jean.

Gloria Jean is an inspiration to Catherine Grace. For no one in town looks, dresses or acts like Gloria Jean - with her pretty nails, always done-up hair and fancy clothes. So when the chance arrives for Catherine Grace to move out of town and live in the big city, Atlanta - working in a department store and leading the life she has always dreamed about, she has no qualms with saying good-bye to her family, friends and boyfriend.

But when tragedy strikes and Catherine Grace has to make her way back home - not just is she surprised when she realizes that nothing she believed was as she thought, but she will also question whether leaving her hometown was the best thing for her, or was she where she belonged from the start.

Catherine Grace's voice is so unique and innocent that you become immediately immersed in her life and that of the citizens of Ringgold from the first sentence. As you read, you almost feel as if you are reading with a Southern drawl... it was really very endearing. Her voice is that of anyone who grew up in a small town - with hopes of seeing the great big world. Although the decision to leave everything and everyone you've known your whole life is a tough one, it is one that must be made.

This was a very lovely story - with some fantastic characters and plenty of twists that will keep you interested and in the end leave you wanting more. This is a coming-of-age story that not only leaves you feeling hopeful but also with a big grin on your face. I loved it and can definitely recommend it.

The author's book jacket bio explains that this is Susan Gilmore's first novel. If plot and character development are any indication, it may well also be her last.

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen is an attempt to cash in on Southern fiction. Protagonist Catherine Grace Cline lives in the presumably small town of Ringgold, Georgia with her sister and father. She prays every night to "...find a way out of this town". She eventually takes the opportunity to move to Atlanta. Catherine Grace seems to be settling in and enjoying "city life", when she must return to Ringgold for a deeply personal reason. What happens next is supposed to be bittersweet and moving but lacks any emotional resonance or appeal to connect the reader to Catherine Grace as anything more than a just character in a book; and that is my primary critique of "Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen". The characters remain flat and two-dimensional from beginning to end.

Other reviewers have characterized the author's style as reminiscent as that of Fannie Flagg. I disagree... strongly. Just read (or re-read) "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café". Flagg has a gift for combining description and dialogue into an effective story while Gilmore violates the basic rule of story-telling: She tells. And tells. And then, for good measure, tells some more. I counted more than fifteen pages of exposition. (Incidentally, these pages were the first fifteen.) There were opportunities for really good character development and dialogue. By page thirty-two, the reader knows that Catherine Grace has a younger sister, a preacher father and a bootlegger-turned-preacher grandfather. But not once do we hear the voice of any of these characters. Not once do they have any significant interaction with Catherine Grace. There is no activity. We just know what she tells us. Far too many sentences in those first, critical pages (and throughout the book) begin with "My daddy said..." or "I told..." or "She said...". Even those descriptions are flat and lackluster. For this basic, but important, reason I would not recommend this book.

My recommendation to those looking for a good bit of Southern fiction is to try just about anything by Mary Kay Andrews, "The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square" by Rosina Lippi, "One Mississippi" (or just about anything else) by Mark Childress or "Garden Spells" and "The Sugar Queen" by Sarah Addison Allen.

LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN

What a sweet little book, full of both surprises and outstanding, likeable characters. Love the Southern setting, loved all the people in this book.

We meet Catherine Grace Cline, daughter of Ringgold, Georgia's preacher. She lives with her daddy and her younger sister, Martha Ann. Their mom drowned when they were younger.

Ringgold, Georgia, is one of those towns you have passed through a million times. One of everything, and a whole lot of nothing to do. Catherine Grace's goal is to turn 18 and leave for Atlanta. Her heart is true to Ringgold, and circumstances being what they are, Catherine Grace's heart never truly does leave her small-town or her friends and family. Catherine Grace tells of friends, school, church, family, get-togethers, all with wit, fun, and being somewhat sarcastic. Being motherless is a huge burden to both of the Cline girls, one that they carry somewhat well and which also makes them closer to each other.

The characters are rich and likeable. I especially loved Gloria Jean, the almost trampy (by Ringgold standards) next-door neighbor who is a substitute mom for Catherine Grace and Martha Ann. All of the characters described are just perfect for this small town story. Loved the names of all of the characters.

Catherine Grace's narrative skills are good and you are quickly caught up in her life and the lives of those in her little Georgia town. We are also taught some lessons in this book and I felt a better person for reading this sweet story.

Get this book! You will enjoy it. I would love to see a sequel to this book, inviting back all of the characters. You will love them.

Thank you!
Pam

My husband and I were shopping 2 weeks ago, and I wanted a good book, easy to follow plus a book I couldn't put down. Hard to find.....but! I grabbed a book off the shelf...because of the cover. And it was the smartest move I've made in a long. time. "Looking For Salvation at the Dairy Queen" is as smooth as warm butter, heartbreaking, and as tasty as a vine ripened tomato. It's like you're listening to a good friend, and you don't want her tale to end. I won't give anything away, but this book will never leave my house, it's that good. AND..my husband read it too, and laughed and cried just like I did. I read "Salvation" in one night, then Gilmore's second book "The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove." This author dazzles and I'm ready for more. (P.S. thanks for the "Salvation" video. Can't wait to try a "Dilly" bar now)

When I read I want the plot to teach me something new on a themed topic. Equally, I want to learn more about myself. I really connected with the story and was able to relate it to my life past and present.

When I was 5 or 6 years old I told my father that I invented the term "dad-gummit" and I truly believed it. What does that have to do with this book? I grew up in the south, too. Instead of a Dairy Queen Dilly Bar, my ritual treat was a popsicle from the "popsicle truck" eaten with friends in the summer shade leaning against side of the house. And I left to get away from home too, but eventually returned just like Catherine Grace does. I love the characters and how the story makes me remember and feel. I highly recommend this book!

This story follows Catherine Grace Cline as she grows up with her sister and her father. It is, I suppose, a coming-of-age story with very Southern appeal. It reads very well and is very much like a made-for-television movie.

It took me a few pages to really get into this one. But once I got into it, I was very attached to Catherine Grace. She is stubborn and sweet and in the middle of growing up without a mother, and just when things are looking up for her...her father dies. Then all the family secrets start coming out. And boy I mean big family secrets! The kind that are very scandalous in the South...

"My mama and daddy had certainly left me a mess to sort out, and I couldn't think of a single verse of scripture that was going to comfort me as I came to terms with an adultering daddy, a resurrected mama, and an expectant mistress with an imaginary fiance." -Catherine Grace Cline

There are two things that I really love about this book. The first thing is the food. Every few pages, it seems, the characters are talking about cooking or eating some type of wonderfully fabulous Southern food. And being from the South, this totally appeals to me. Food and eating are so cultural down here, and play such a huge role in the story in several different storylines. I love that. (This book almost made me hungry.)

I also fell really hard for the supporting characters in this book. Catherine Grace is a marvelous and lovable girl. She moved into my heart in a big way...but Gloria Jean owned it. Gloria Jean is the neighbor; she does not have any children of her own and happens to have been Catherine Grace's mother's best friend. Gloria Jean teaches Catherine Grace all of the things that a mother would...and more. She helps her buy prom clothes and teaches her about hair and nail polish. But she also teaches Catherine Grace about love, forgiveness, and acceptance. The rest of the characters all are great, but Gloria Jean is my favorite by far.

Would I recommend this book? Well, sure! If you love adult fiction and sweet, charming stories that are just...really good...then this is the book for you. If you are a fan of YA paranormal or fantasy, you might want to sit this one out, unless you are feeling in the mood for a good made-for-television movie-type book. It was so fun to read and I'm so glad I did!