Customer Reviews

Tied to the Tracks

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am so excited to write this book review because I absolutely loved Tied to the Tracks. The synopsis of the story doesn't really sound all that exciting: documentary company (Tied to the Tracks of the title) from New Jersey is selected to do the documentary of a famous southern writer, Ms. Zula May Bragg, in Ogilvie, GA. The catch is that the head of the documentary company, Angie, and the department chair of the college where the famous writer is a teacher, John, were once lovers, and John is engaged to be married to the youngest sister of the other rich family in the town.

That said, the story was very exciting, fun to read, and enjoyable in all the right ways. The tension between John and Angie is so tight that the book fairly tingles with it.

What I absolutely love about Lippi/Donati's work is her sense of language. She captures the cadence and rhythm of language in a way that makes the conversations and thoughts of the characters "sound" in your head. The telephone conversation between Tony Russo (one of the filmmakers) and his mother in New Jersey was a delight to read. I was also excited to see that Lippi accurately placed the origin of Frito Pie in East Texas. It's little details like this that make the world she built in Ogilvie, GA, feel as hot, humid, and muggy as it would be if it were a real town just an hour outside of Savannah.

I know that a book I am reading strikes a chord with me when I start to have conversations with the characters and imagine what they would do in my world. The characters in TTTT came to life for me, and I had imaginary conversations with them all week. I am going to miss them now that I've read the book and have to place it back on my bookshelf.

First, I take exception to Publisher's Weekly who calls is a "humdrum" romance, and also, another reviewer classifying this book as "chick lit romance." Yes, the romantic elements are important, but the book far transcends the typical romance novel. The characters are fascinating, fallible, real three dimensional human beings whose stories you're totally drawn into. For example, one of the main characters (the male romantic lead), while handsome, rich, etc. he is also kind and unjudgmental. There is a scene where he (as the head of the English Department) is interviewing a new undergraduate, who is obviously overweight, and he offers her a cinnamon roll. "Lydia studied his face closely, but found no trace of mockery. She had the idea - and very strange it was, too - that she could sit here and devour a couple thousand calories and he wouldn't take any real note of it." And when his catty administrative assistant comments, "I saw Lydia Montgomery leaving just a minute ago. Isn't it a pity?" he replies "I don't see any cause for pity. She's here on a full merit scholarship, her writing samples are stellar, she's got excellent plans for her education."

Often when I read books I do some skipping simply to see how the plot unfolds. But because this author is so gifted in the richness of her language combined with the fascinating personality of the characters, I enjoyed every step of the journey. While there was some predictability (caution: spoiler) in that the main characters were going to wind up with each other, there was enough tension and unpredictability in other elements of the plot to engage you to the end.

This author writes under another pen name, Sara Donati. Don't miss her "Into the Wilderness" series.

If you are looking for a book to change your life, this is not it. However, if you are looking for more of a romantic comedy, not quite chicklit, definitely not a romance (little sex) then this could be for you. Recommended for someone who likes light fiction. The romance is predictable enough (that's not necessarily bad), but the secondary characters, especially the power hungry secretary and the iconic member of the English department are more interesting or nuanced than usual. Also, it gets into to the whys and wherefores of character motivation, which is a little more engaging than the genre's typical: mistakes, leading to romantic breakups, with the charcter then realizing, "Oh if I had only known...." This story has a bit more complexity than that and I recommend it. I gave this book 5 stars, not that it is the best book ever, but it does what it does very well.

Reminiscent of popular books about Southern culture and living, such as Steel Magnolia and Fried Green Tomatoes, Rosina Lippi's latest book, Tied to the Tracks, is written in a similar vain except with a more diverse cast of characters. Lippi does a remarkable job of capturing Southern life by interweaving years of generations of colorful characters in Tied to the Tracks. Tied to the Tracks is a folksy and fresh narrative tale about life, family, love, relationship, community ties and secrets.

Zula Braggs, the town's favorite matriarch of the lone, token black family and first African American teacher at the local community college, Ogilvie, named after the founding father, has finally given permission to have a documentary done regarding her life. However, not just any filming company will do. A small, upstart company named Tied to the Tracks, out of Hoboken, NJ must showcase her life story. For years, the residents of the small, quaint, Southern town of Ogilvie, GA have co-existed amiably and friendly. All of that can be shattered and destroyed, if the "Damned Yankees (DY)" from Tied to the Tracks snoop around and dig up skeletons that the own folks would like to keep buried.

Zula Braggs is loved and respected by whites and blacks alike, but what was she thinking to bring in the DY to tell her story. A lot has happened during Ms. Zula's tenure and lifetime, and the eccentric and quirky residents of Ogilvie do not take well to `outsiders' coming to their small, quaint and friendly town and stirring up trouble. Residents of Ogilvie believe they have changed with the times and do not want to be reminded of a past that was part of the Old South. They believe that they have changed with the times, made their amends and are not the close-minded, right winged conservatives or racist, sexist, homophobic throwbacks to the days of slavery, massas, plantations, cotton picking and Southern chewing rednecks that outsiders might claim.

Before the ink is dry on the contract, town folks are buzzing and wondering why Miss Zula would choose this unknown, shoe-string company to document her life story. After all, isn't Miss Zula aware that Angie, the owner and founder of Tied to the Tracks is a former girlfriend of John Grant, Chair of the college's English Department and a descendant of the founding family? With John only weeks away from marrying one of the town's favorite Southern Belles, Caroline Mae Rose, is it possible that Miss Zula intends to use Angie as a distraction and a possible decoy to break up John's impending nuptials?

And, if Angie is one of two many DY to content with, there are also her sidekicks and business partners-Tony Russo and Rivera Rosenblum. Russo, principal photographer and soundman, is 50 years old, single with a taste for whiskey and lonely, miserable married women. There are more than enough of both to keep him busy during his tenure in the small town of Ogilvie. Rosenblum is intelligent, attractive, feminist and definitely out of the closet. When she is not producing or editing for Tied to the Tracks, she is busy trying to make a love connection. But will she be successful in a small Southern town that not only frowns upon alternative lifestyles but believes that if they don't talk about it `those type of people must not exist.' As the DY settle into Ogilvie life, and begin researching Miss Zula's history, gossip flies, rumors mount and loose lips flap.

The cast of the characters would not be complete without the Southern-Belle sisters (think Desperate Housewives with southern drawls); busy body, never married spinster; the overzealous preacher; the town drunk and slut who coincidentally just happen to be married to each other and the secrets that generations are sworn to uphold and never tell. Although everyone knows each others business and there is no secret that has not been passed down from generation to generation.

Told with edgy and sharp dialogue, humor and wit, Lippi gives the reader an intimate and personal look at the lives of the residents of Ogilvie, GA. As the storyline unfolded, I felt as though I was watching a movie come to life on the big screen. Lippi used vivid and graphic imagery to draw me in and make me feel as though I was right there and experiencing life first-hand with the rest of the Ogilvie characters. It was easy to imagine being in Ogilvie on a hot summer day, with family and friends, sitting around the Sunday dinner table, sipping sweet tea, enjoying a home-cooked Southern-style dinner in the comforts of a cool, air conditioned quarters. Living easy and giving no thought to the unbearable and uncontrollable heat and biting mosquitoes which are so common to summers in the South.

My only disappointment with Tied to the Tracks is that I felt Miss Zula's story was not given the necessary attention it deserved. Given her legacy and history, as well as a few skeletons that were unmasked along the way, there was much fodder to give her character depth and breadth. After all, the documentary was supposedly about her life story and she is the hook that drew me into the storyline. After her introduction, Miss Zula was treated more as a supporting character, rather than the guest of honor or an integral part of the storyline. We never really heard Zula's voice throughout the storyline. We heard about her via family, friends and colleague, but given her legacy I wanted I believe there was more that could have been done to further develop her character. I felt as thought Lippi tip-toed around the sensitive, taboo issues in this character's life and spent too much time being politically correct rather
than allowing the character to tell the story and expose what life was like for an African American growing up in a small Southern town, pre-Civil Rights movement and integration when the Ku Klux Klan reigned with terror and lynching were common occurrences. I believe Miss Zula's version of growing up in Ogilvie would have been very different from the one that the non-colored residents of Ogilvie recalled.

That aside, Lippi does redeem herself somewhat from this shortfall by exposing readers to the essence of the town of Ogilvie and its citizens. Tied to the Tracks is an enjoyable read with memorable characters and moments, where readers vicariously live through the town's folks as we watch events unfold and Lippi gives us something to talk about.

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

Tied to the Tracks contained many of the things I enjoy most in a book: First, it takes place in the South, one of my favorite places of all. Second, there were a lot of quirky characters. And third, there was a lot of humor. The fact that there was a nice romance is just sort of a bonus.

The story takes place in Ogilvie, Georgia, where Miss Zula Bragg, a local resident and an award winning author, is about to celebrate her 50th reunion from Ogilvie College, while the college celebrates its 150th anniversary. To commemorate that event, the college wants a documentary made about Miss Zula and Miss Zula says only one documentary company will do: Tied to the Tracks of Hoboken, New Jersey. So we have three people from Hoboken, NJ, thrown into this small southern town and the fun begins.

Tied to the Tracks is run by Angie Mangiamele who five years ago had a relationship with John Grant who is now the head of the English Department at Ogilvie. John is also engaged to marry Caroline Rose soon. What will happen when Angie and John meet up again after five years? Is the spark still there?

I won't give away any more of the plot, but I will say that this is just a really fun read. We're introduced to many of the inhabitants of Ogilvie, like Patty-Cake Walker, office manager of the English Department who holds the copy machine captive from department members and who is going to do everything she possibly can to keep Angie and John apart.

I've seen this book called chick lit, but I think it is so much more than that. I really enjoyed every page and hated to see it end.

At Ogilvie College, Georgia award winning author Miss Zula Bragg agrees to cooperate with a documentary about her life with the stipulation being that only financially troubled New Jersey based firm Tied to the Tracks make the film. Miss Zula explains that this small firm has the hunger to do it right not just sensationalize it.

Owner, writer and producer Angie Mangiamele has mixed feelings about the project that would provide a boost for her fledgling company as she knows that her former lover John Grant chairs the Ogilvie English Department. Still accompanied by her team, Rivera Rosenblum and Tony Russo who provide technical photography, editing and sound, Angie heads south. Affluent and belonging to the upper crust John is engaged to marry Caroline Rose, his social equal as the daughter of a prominent local family. However, upon seeing each other for the first time since their flame allegedly burned out, Angie and John deny the attraction that everyone at Ogilvie including her partners, his fiancé, and Miss Zula feel is hotter than a peppercorn.

This chick lit romance is enhanced by New Jersey zanies who stick out in rural Georgia amidst local eccentrics as each group adds plenty of humor while observing the not in love goings-on between the filmmaker and the professor. The townsfolk take sides as the matchmakers vs. the anti-matchmakers augment a lighthearted at times satirical romp. Sub-genre fans will appreciate Rosina Lippi's war of northern aggression.

Harriet Klausner

This is a good book, from an excellent writer. However, I expected the action that would keep me "pasted" to the book to happen sooner. This is a great story, and a very interesting one. When you reach the action point, the story will keep you completely "tied" to the book!!

I'm not completely done, I haven't had a lot of time to read lately. But so far, I like it.

I loved this book. I bought it on at a bargain book place because I liked the cover. It was a really good book, a nice surprise.

I don't really know what to say, besides I LOVED IT!!! I thought that the characters were immensely relatable even though I am not from the south. I think the one thing that would have made it better was a more solid ending on Miss Zula's life. We know that the Tied to Tracks people get the real story, but we, the reader, don't get to know it. That was a bit disappointing. I think that Rosina Lippi has a very good handle on the neuroses and quirks that make people unique. I think that she does a very good job of giving us little hints to why people are the way they are without divulging everything in the first paragraph. The characters learn about each other at the same time the readers do. I like that. I'm glad that I have discovered Rosina Lippi. I hope she continues to write romantic novels like this one and The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square. I don't usually buy books, but I think these are two I will actually purchase so I can read them over and over.