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The Sweet Life [Mass Market Paperback]

Lynn York (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)


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Book Description

February 27, 2007
The heartwarming sequel to The Piano Teacher

In her eagerly anticipated second novel, The Sweet Life, York catches up with the good people of Swan’s Knob for another poignant, funny, and beautifully realized glimpse of small-town life in the South.

It’s been eight years since Roy Swan successfully won the hand of piano teacher and resident choir director, Miss Wilma and now, their lives have settled into a state of happy predictability. But all that changes with the arrival of Miss Wilma’s teenage granddaughter, whose estranged father, Harper, follows shortly behind. Soon Harper has convinced Roy to let him stage a "small" country and bluegrass concert in his pasture, drawing thousands of screaming fans, not to mention a small forest of Porta Potties. Roy and Wilma weather each new tempest with grace and grit, until a crippling stroke leaves Roy debilitated—and life in Swan’s Knob becomes a lot less simple.

A worthy successor to her memorable debut, Lynn York’s The Sweet Life weaves a story at once whimsical and wise, filled with all the warmth and charm of the South itself.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Folksy, slyly erotic and immensely entertaining, York's sequel to 2004's The Piano Teacher revisits Swan's Knob, N.C., as returning heroine Wilma Swan takes charge of her granddaughter, Star, and Star's hustler father, Harper, rumbles into town in 1988—eight years after Wilma married the town's leading (and wealthiest) citizen, Roy. Wilma's daughter, Sarah, asks Wilma to watch Star while she travels to the Far East, and soon, smooth-talking Harper arrives and convinces Roy to allow him to use the family farm for a bluegrass festival. Wilma hardly has time to protest before her beloved husband has a near-fatal stroke and falls into a coma. Enter Delrina Kay, a fading country music star whose thirst for the wine from Roy's vineyard is nearly as well-developed as her bosom. Following Delrina's and Harper's wine-fueled late-night trip to the hospital, Roy comes out of his coma, sparking a dispute about who and what is responsible for Roy's recovery. Quixotic hijinks, quirky characters and affecting romance (both adolescent and geriatric) afford insights into the imbroglios of smalltown types searching for happiness. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Wilma Swan is still trying to understand her husband Roy after eight years of marriage. This is her second marriage and his first, and lately Wilma is wondering about Roy's fidelity because they seem more like brother and sister than husband and wife. Then their staid household in Swan's Knob, North Carolina, is changed when Wilma's granddaughter Star, a high-school senior, comes to stay with them, and her father, Harper, visits. Wilma does not approve of Harper and his slacker lifestyle, while Roy enjoys his company. Life soon swerves out of control as Harper arranges for a bluegrass festival at Roy's farm that blossoms into a major event with media coverage, and Roy suffers a major stroke. This charming sequel to York's Piano Teacher (2004)lets fans revisit the small southern town and its memorable inhabitants and provides the reader with true insights into marriage, gender differences, and what is shared across generations. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Mass Market Paperback: 290 pages
  • Publisher: Plume (February 27, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452288223
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452288225
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,941,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this warm, witty story!!, November 27, 2009
By 
Josie Jean (Maplewood, MN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Sweet Life (Mass Market Paperback)
Lynn York has beautifully written a charming, warm story of how family relationships heal, bend, grow and deepen. Set in the small town of Swan's Knob, North Carolina, elderly couple Wilma and Roy Swan are happily enjoying a quiet life together. But chaos is ensured when Wilma's teenage granddaughter, Star, arrives for an extended stay. Soon after, Star's con man father shows up and talks Roy into using the Swan family farm for a "small" bluegrass festival. As the story unfolds, the Swans are heading for a crisis which will forever change their lives and their community. This engaging story is written in the third person, alternating between six of the characters providing a deeper perspective of their relationships.

Ms. York did a magnificent job describing the essence of life in this particular small southern town. The storyline is very imaginative and captivating. The emotionally complex characters are extremely well developed and interesting, and their antics provide many laugh-out-loud moments. The Swan's marriage portrays a rather accurate example of how love changes as we age. In addition, I enjoyed learning about the process of winemaking. I really loved this engaging, witty story and highly recommend it! This is the sequel to "The Piano Teacher", although both books stand alone.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting look at small town southern life at the end of the Reagan era, March 10, 2007
This review is from: The Sweet Life (Mass Market Paperback)
In 1988 in Swan's Knob, North Carolina, Wilma and Roy Swan continue to behave like youthful newlyweds though they are much older and married for eight years. Life is good for this couple as the PIANO TEACHER and the grapevine farmer share what most people envy, a strong loving relationship.

However, the dynamics abruptly change when Wilma's daughter from a previous marriage Sarah begs her to watch her teenage offspring Starling as she travels in the Far East. Reluctantly Wilma agrees to take in her granddaughter; not realizing that when she acquiesces Star's father Harper will also come to town. A con artist, Harper persuades Roy to let him use the farm as the setting for a small bluegrass festival starring drunken has-been Delrina Kay. Wilma objects especially when she learns that Harper is thinking of a country and western 1980s Woodstock, but soon has a different crisis to deal with when Roy suffers a debilitating stroke that leaves him near death in a comatose state. When Delrina and Harper go on a wine binge they visit Roy who regains consciousness while they serenade him.

The second Swan family drama starring a delightful older couple is an interesting look at small town southern life at the end of the Reagan era. The characters are cleverly drawn especially the beleaguered Wilma whose lament has to be a family member in need is a pest that is before Roy's stroke brings home the mortality of their love for one another. Though much of the issues brought forth by the strong secondary cast are left unresolved as if plans are for a next generation sequel, fans of family dramas with fully drawn protagonists will enjoy Lynn York's latest concerto.

Harriet Klausner

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