Cold Sassy Tree (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Cold Sassy Tree, a novel full of warm humor and honesty, is told by Willy Tweedy, a fourteen-year-old boy living in a small, turn-of-the-century Georgia town. Will's hero is his Grandpa Rucker, who runs the town's general store, carrying all the power and privilege thereof. When Grandpa Rucker suddenly marries his store's young milliner barely three weeks after his wife's death, the town is set on its ear. Will Tweedy matures as he watches his family's reaction and adjustment to the news. He is trapped in the awkward phase of rising to adult expectations - driving the first cars in town - while still orchestrating wild pranks and starting scandalous gossip through his childish bragging. He seeks the wisdom of his grandpa and has his eyes opened to southern "ways" under the tutelage of Grandpa's new Yankee wife, Miss Love. Still, Will "couldn't figure out...why in the heck she would marry the old man." But Miss Love's influence seems to be transforming Grandpa into a younger man, and the answer unfolds slowly and sweetly as Will Tweedy becomes the confidante and staunch defender of this unlikely couple. The lessons of life and death, of piousness and irreverence, form the basis of memorable characters and a story that is both difficult to put down and hard to leave. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Suzanne Leslie Simmons --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Rich with emotion, humor and tenderness." The Washington Post

"One of the best portraits of small-town Southern life ever written." --Pat Conroy

"One beautiful book. Better than To Kill A Mockingbird." --Shirley Abbott

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Product Details Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (September 4, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0618919716 ISBN-13: 978-0618919710 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (232 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #6 in  Books > Reference > Education > Book Notes #21 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > 20th Century #90 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Single Women

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	95% buy the item featured on this page: Cold Sassy Tree 4.1 out of 5 stars (232) $10.04
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Customer Reviews

232 Reviews 5 star:  (120) 4 star:  (64) 3 star:  (15) 2 star:  (8) 1 star:  (25)           Average Customer Review 4.1 out of 5 stars (232 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 42 of 45 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Boy howdy, I loved it, April 6, 2004 By  Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Paperback) Who can fail to love this wonderful novel, full of warmth, humor, and honesty, of life in a small, turn-of-the-century Georgia town. Told by Will Tweedy, a 14yo child whose Grandpa Rucker forms the spine of the novel. The story begins with the death of Grandpa Rucker's wife, a saintly woman beloved by all, and there's a lovely scene of Grandpa asking his grandson to cut all the roses from the garden and help him stick them into burlap sacking to make a blanket of roses under which to bury his wife. After that touching scene, readers - not to mention family members and townsfolk and church people - are shocked to find Grandpa marrying Miss Love, the town's young and beautiful milliner less than a month later. And it's suspected that Miss Love has A Past. A beautiful coming-of-age story unfolds as Will becomes the confidante of Miss Love and his grandfather, and he learns life-changing lessons about love, life, death, and the meaning of true reverence, and the smallness of some minds. Wonderful, memorable characters, wonderful life lessons, wonderful set pieces. And absolutely top-notch dialogue. 20 of 21 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Comments from a teenage writer, sort of, March 10, 2001 By A Customer This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Hardcover) ... I was required to read this book in school. Being biased against the tedious, coming-of-age novels that always seem to find themselves on my reading list for English class, I immediately labeled Cold Sassy Tree under the "dragging, bland, slow-moving" category. My viewpoints have changed since then. Cold Sassy Tree is a fast-paced, interesting novel about the coming-of-age of a fourteen-year-old boy named Will, who grows up in Cold Sassy, Georgia. A major family conflict sets off the cruel, small-town gossipers of Cold Sassy in the beginning of the book. As the books progresses, several smaller plots take place, which support the theme and thus complicate the story. There are some points in the novel where it seems that Will's family's reputation has gone to the dogs. In the end, however, everything works out and Will learns lessons about life, love, and dignity. For the romantic, Cold Sassy Tree covers the acceptnace of so-called "odd couples." For the religious, Cold Sassy Tree questions theological issues. And for teenage boys also coming of age, Cold Sassy Tree views life from the eyes of a fourteen-year-old (as well as comments on the opposite sex). 17 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars One of my new favorites..., March 8, 2005 By  HardyBoy64 "Hardy" (Rexburg, ID United States) - See all my reviews    Amazon Verified Purchase This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Paperback) I love a good novel and I'm glad our bookclub chose this one. It's a humorous and touching story about life in the south. I recommend it as much as I would "To Kill A Mockingbird".		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars At Home In Cold Sassy I purchased COLD SASSY for fun because I share the name of the main character and was delighted with what I encountered. Read more Published 1 day ago by Mary Kelly Blakeslee 5.0 out of 5 stars Cold Sassy Tree This is a WONDERFUL book and we have passed it from person to person. I am recommending this for our next book club read. Published 2 months ago by Swami Mommy 2.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite Not my favorite book. I just didn't like the hokey speech pattern. I have read other books from the deep south, but this book didn't appeal to me. Read more Published 3 months ago by Joanne Sellner 4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible First Novel [70] In this 1984 novel about 1906 events in small town U.S.A., Faulkner-like melodrama meets the turn of the century post-construction Georgia. Read more Published 4 months ago by Miami Bob 1.0 out of 5 stars Cold, Sassy, Bore I was required to read this novel for a summer reading assignment, and what a nightmare it was. There was absolutely no plot. Read more Published 4 months ago by K. Loeffler 5.0 out of 5 stars I'd Love to Visit Cold Sassy Tree This is a wonderful story with surprise upon surprise. The simplicity of human nature is interwoven with the complexities of relationships at all levels. Read more Published 5 months ago by Bonnie Brody 5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Read"--If You've Already Read It, Read It Again--It Gets Better With Age Good Book. A damn good book. A five-star rating is not enough. This is a 10-star rating or better... Read more Published 5 months ago by Big D 5.0 out of 5 stars Truly, a great book This book was such a delight. It was so wonderfully written that it really took me back to my childhood and brought back so many memories of my grandfather and the area where I... Read more Published 5 months ago by Gloria Winzenread 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!! I really love this book. The language is sometimes a little hard to understand, but adds to the authenticity of the book. Published 6 months ago by P. Portele 5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK This book is such a great read. The use of narrator is very well done. I have to say that anyone who gave this book 1 or 2 stars is an idiot. Sorry but it had to be said. Published 7 months ago by ComedyLover Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618919716
• ISBN-13: 978-0618919710
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (232 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Reference > Education > Book Notes
  #21 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > 20th Century
  #90 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Single Women

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boy howdy, I loved it, April 6, 2004

By	Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Paperback)

Who can fail to love this wonderful novel, full of warmth, humor, and honesty, of life in a small, turn-of-the-century Georgia town. Told by Will Tweedy, a 14yo child whose Grandpa Rucker forms the spine of the novel. The story begins with the death of Grandpa Rucker's wife, a saintly woman beloved by all, and there's a lovely scene of Grandpa asking his grandson to cut all the roses from the garden and help him stick them into burlap sacking to make a blanket of roses under which to bury his wife.
After that touching scene, readers - not to mention family members and townsfolk and church people - are shocked to find Grandpa marrying Miss Love, the town's young and beautiful milliner less than a month later. And it's suspected that Miss Love has A Past.
A beautiful coming-of-age story unfolds as Will becomes the confidante of Miss Love and his grandfather, and he learns life-changing lessons about love, life, death, and the meaning of true reverence, and the smallness of some minds.
Wonderful, memorable characters, wonderful life lessons, wonderful set pieces. And absolutely top-notch dialogue.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comments from a teenage writer, sort of, March 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Hardcover)

... I was required to read this book in school. Being biased against the tedious, coming-of-age novels that always seem to find themselves on my reading list for English class, I immediately labeled Cold Sassy Tree under the "dragging, bland, slow-moving" category. My viewpoints have changed since then. Cold Sassy Tree is a fast-paced, interesting novel about the coming-of-age of a fourteen-year-old boy named Will, who grows up in Cold Sassy, Georgia. A major family conflict sets off the cruel, small-town gossipers of Cold Sassy in the beginning of the book. As the books progresses, several smaller plots take place, which support the theme and thus complicate the story. There are some points in the novel where it seems that Will's family's reputation has gone to the dogs. In the end, however, everything works out and Will learns lessons about life, love, and dignity. For the romantic, Cold Sassy Tree covers the acceptnace of so-called "odd couples." For the religious, Cold Sassy Tree questions theological issues. And for teenage boys also coming of age, Cold Sassy Tree views life from the eyes of a fourteen-year-old (as well as comments on the opposite sex).

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my new favorites..., March 8, 2005

By	HardyBoy64 "Hardy" (Rexburg, ID United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cold Sassy Tree (Paperback)

I love a good novel and I'm glad our bookclub chose this one. It's a humorous and touching story about life in the south.
I recommend it as much as I would "To Kill A Mockingbird".