Customer Reviews

My Summer of Southern Discomfort

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a page-turner from start to finish. I quickly became wrapped up in the life of the protagonist and found myself identifying with her in ways I didn't expect. The plotline combines an interesting legal story that touches on several ethical issues with a great character study of several different people, along with a dash of romance. The characters are rich and multi-faceted, so that they really are true human beings with strengths and flaws. I found myself rooting for so many different characters, including ones that I didn't think I would like as people when I started the book. It is a fun read that it also thought-provoking and inspiring to women. I highly recommend this book.

There is nothing interesting about this book. Gotten myself half way through it and just won't be finishing it! Just an ordinary story about every day in the life of a young lady.......a lot of details just too much, like how she pays and files her bills. Who cares!

A woman stuck in misery questions herself endlessly for having an affair with a married man. A year after relocating to Macon from New York, Natalie walks through her days in a constant state of self-flagellation. I had to ask why any of the other characters in the book liked her in any way. If I'd had anything else to read over the weekend, I wouldn't have finished the book. Stilted dialogue and an unlikeable heroine, a murder trial that has no real intrigue...very disappointing. The "I helped a battered wife" subplot was a heavy-handed way to try to give the main character some heart and failed miserably. Nothing rang true in this book. Secondary characters were flat as well, especially Ben the prosecutor and Carl the vague love interest. Not a strong character in the entire novel.

Dull and extremely disappointing, not to mention a misleadingly light and cheerful cover.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But it's awkward and sort of clumsy -- the dialogue and the plots just don't seem real. Some of the writing is engaging, but much of it falls flat and just doesn't have the impact it's supposed to. There's a good idea for a novel here, but it never realizes its potential.

I just finished this book and was so sad when the last page appeared - I didn't want it to end! Natalie's summer of transformation from a heart broken Yankee to more relaxed Southerner draws you in with a cast of memorable, well developed supporting characters. It is surprisingly well written for a freshman piece. The author's wit and sarcasm shine through out the novel. Her attention to detail, from how things look, smell and sound, helps you feel like you are there in Macon with Natalie, understanding all she is going through. I look forward to Ms. Gayle's second book.

I just finished reading this terrific new book and had to share my enjoyment. I found myself sept into the life of the main character, Natalie, and at the end of the book, I found myself wanting more! The author deeply develops each of the characters that surround Natalie in her life. The court case is interesting, but does not overshadow the transition that Natalie is facing as she moves from New York City to Georgia to start a new life. I found myself rooting for Natalie's success. This was a great summer read!

The story of a woman who leaves New York for Macon, GA to run away from her past and start a new future, this novel has a little bit of everything including a wonderful ending. The writing style flows consistently and is scattered with witty and funny observations of people in the south. The plot moves along and does not drag at any point in the story, which is uncommon for most writers. Also, the book is long enough to tell a complicated tale but short enough to keep interest, as any book should be. After reading Eat, Pray, Love, the author reminded me of Elizabeth Gilbert and is similarly engaging. Both authors are excellent at self-deprecating humor and at pointing out quirks in themselves and others. Altogether a wonderful beach book or light summer reading. Not epic by any means, but not every novel has to be The Fountainhead to be good.

I started reading this book in the evening and didn't put it down until I had finished it at 5 am. Despite my lack of sleep, I felt pretty good about life.

Gayle has succeeded in the difficult task of writing a feel-good novel set the real world. This book is an extremely well crafted character study in which crime exists, mistakes are made, people have flaws, and life is complicated. Even so, Gayle deftly reveals her characters' good qualities and binds them into a community that I was jealous to join.

The story is told from the point of view of Natalie Goldberg, a woman who is undergoing a profound personal transformation. However, because Natalie is such an observant character, her own issues do not overwhelm the narrative and she brings into focus the other citizens of Macon, who are diverse and well drawn. As a lawyer, Natalie's interaction with her cocounsel, Ben, during a murder trial is probably the most difficult and rewarding relationship in the book, but Gayle gives us enough interesting characters to populate the whole town.

This book defies easy categorization; it's not chick lit, a romance, a thriller, a heavy drama, or a frivolity. It was definitely a great read, however, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I just finished this delightful gem of a book. A southerner myself, I thought that Ms. Gayle did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the south without overdoing it (A common problem in many books). I enjoyed the way she developed the relationships, slowly and naturally, and not forced. The criminal case that the lead character is working on throughout the story weaves a tale that links the entire book and all of the characters together. There are some very serious deeper topics that the book touches on, but not to an extent that they take away from the enjoyment of the story.

At the end I found myself wanting to know more, wondering and imagining what the future holds for these characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Natalie Goldberg has spent the last year building a new life in Macon, Georgia after leaving New York where a failed, adultrous love affair with a co-worker took place. Like her father, Natalie is a lawyer, but serves the prosecution, rather than radical causes; yet, she still is able to help people. She guides an abused woman to freedom and safety on her own time and at work is presently working to get justice for a murdered child.

** Although Natalie's life story is very realistically portrayed, the ordinariness of it all, combined with the awkward first person, present tense narrative, and lack of real plot made this a somewhat flat read. I kept waiting to find out what the point of the story was, and at the end, still did not know. **

Amanda Killgore