Dancing In The Lowcountry (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: James Villas, Miss Ella, Big Earl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A journey to Myrtle Beach, S.C., gives an elderly Southern mother the heartrending opportunity to share a painful, long-held secret with her gay son in Villas's eloquent fiction debut. The veteran food and wine writer (My Mother's Southern Kitchen) concocts a savory dish in Ella Dubose, a feisty 73-year-old widow who smokes, drinks, carries a gun in her purse and does what she wants, when she wants—just so long as Goldie Russell, her Cherokee companion, is riding shotgun. While vacationing at a seaside inn, and waiting for her famous author son to join them, Ella stumbles on a romantic surprise, vacationing Yankee Dr. Edmund O'Connor. When her son, Tyler, does arrive, Ella yearns to tell him about his real father—not her husband, Earl Dubose, father of Tyler's two siblings—but a Jewish WWII veteran driven to suicide. Tyler, however, also has a secret and a struggle of his own. Villas depicts Ella's dilemma and relationships with flair and a perceptive eye, capturing the Low Country's nostalgic allure with loving skill. (Oct.)
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Product Description

From award-winning author James Villas comes a warm, witty, and poignant story of passion, friendship, and family set against the lush, mellow backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Ella Dubose is a Southern lady of a certain age--an age at which memories of youth can rush in at every turn and overwhelm the present. But while Ella's two younger children are concerned for her health and want to limit her independence, Ella--elegant, unconventional, and unrepentantly willful--has very different ideas. And she's not about to be controlled by anyone, not when there are tasks she needs to complete and loose ends that must be tied.

The first step is to leave her family and take a road trip back to the places where key chapters of her life unfolded. Myrtle Beach has been overrun by theme restaurants and ocean-front condos, but the Priscilla is still the charming, shingled inn Ella remembers from visits long ago. At the Priscilla, Ella and her companion, Goldie, sip cocktails on the porch and dine on she-crab soup and fried oysters while awaiting the arrival of Ella's oldest son, Tyler, now a successful writer in New York. And there, too, Ella meets a dashing, attentive gentleman who will help her finally face her ghosts and determine which of the secrets she has carried for so long must be shared, and which are better left untold.

With its unforgettable and instantly loveable heroine and evocative portrayal of Southern life--past and present--Dancing in the Lowcountry is a beguiling, beautifully rendered novel about the places and people that stay with us, the courage it takes to live in the present, and the endless ways life can surprise us, over and over again.

"Jimmy's fiction is like his cooking, wry and ribald, languid and laugh-out-loud funny. When you are from the South, as I am, these are the characters you wish were in your family. A wonderful novel from a wonderful man. The only better thing than reading it would be to hear the author read it outloud. His delicious sass fills every page. A real feast. Serve with some sippin' whiskey and enjoy!" --Marsha Norman, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of `night, Mother

"James Villas has crafted an epic story steeped in the traditions and culture of the South. It's about family and secrets, memories and regrets, lifelong passions and the inevitable tragedies we all face. Ella Dubose is a complicated, courageous woman still living with gusto, still struggling over life's hurdles, still dancing in the Lowcountry with grit and grace." --Cathy Lamb, author of Julia's Chocolates

"James Villas' Dancing in the Lowcountry resonates with the elegance and master storytelling skills that have made his award-winning food writing timeless. Simply told and yet complexly layered, Miss Ella's journey from spoiled girlhood to endearing eccentricity vividly reminds us that there is always more to the celebrated "steel magnolias" of the South than meets the eye. Not all Southerners are good storytellers, but Villas sure makes the maxim seem true." --Damon Lee Fowler, author of Classical Southern Cooking and The Savannah Cookbook

"In the character of Ella Dubose, James Villas shows us how through sheer force of character a person can throw off the burden of the past and choose to accept the challenge of the future. Authentic detail of time and place helps bring Miss Ella's beloved Lowcountry alive on the page." --Holly Chamberlin, author of Tuscan Holiday

"Dancing in the Lowcountry is a delightful and moving account of a certain kind of upper middle-class life in the South of my own generation. I know of few, if any, novels that give such an accurate account of that life and of the rich and amusing language we've used for a long while now--whether we're white, black, or red." --Reynolds Price, author of A Long and Happy Life

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758228473
• ISBN-13: 978-0758228475
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #206,059 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect autumn read, October 15, 2008

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY is a novel about relationships --- those we are born into and those we choose on our own. Set in the warm, lush beauty of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the book centers on Ella Dubose, a Southern lady of a certain age, whose flower may be fading but who still wants to control her own destiny.

When her adult children begin questioning the wisdom of her independence, she gathers up her companion, a Cherokee Indian named Goldie, and drives down to a genteel seaside inn on Myrtle Beach. There, while waiting for her eldest son Tyler, a successful New York City novelist, to join her, she meets up with a gentleman doctor from New Jersey and the romantic sparks fly. But Ella and Tyler each have some unfinished business to attend to with one another, and while she awaits her son's arrival, she relives some memories from times gone by and contemplates the choices we make in our lives that end up defining us.

James Villas, a successful food and wine writer for over 25 years, has an obvious passion for the people, places and details of his Southern heritage. An award-winning cookbook author who has often explored the culinary traditions of the Southern United States (THE GLORY OF SOUTHERN COOKING, MY MOTHER'S SOUTHERN KITCHEN), he has as confident and sure a style with fiction as he does with biscuits. DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY is replete with the essence of South Carolina, from the descriptions of the dining table fare (just reading about the hush puppies is sure to make your mouth water) to the beach fishing to the detailed scenes describing the one and only Carolina Shag --- a unique dancing style typical of the area. (In fact, Villas's descriptions were so intriguing that I had to check it out for myself --- there are some great videos of Carolina Shag dancing available on YouTube.com.) He has an ear for nuance and an eye for detail, and his sense of place is pitch-perfect.

Part of the delight of DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY is its ability to evoke a different place and time --- a time when boys asked girls to shag to the music of bands like the Drifters, and when people dressed up for dinner. The tale moves seamlessly between its modern-day storyline at Myrtle Beach with Ella and Goldie to Ella's reminiscences of growing up in the area. As she steels herself to tell Tyler the full truth about his life, she remembers the two men who most clearly marked her past and tentatively explores the possibility of a future with Edmund.

DANCING IN THE LOWCOUNTRY is a perfect autumn read, when the change in seasons naturally encourages us to be a bit reflective about our lives. Villas's obvious love for his setting and subject matter imbues the novel with classic Southern charm. And like a great beach song, a perfect slow dance, or a special Southern dinner among friends, the memory of these characters stay with you long after you have finished their story.

--- Reviewed by Lourdes Orive

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and insightful, October 2, 2008

By	W. Duchon (Milford, CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Dancing In The Lowcountry" is written with keen sensitivity and warmth. The bittersweet encounter between Ella's "old South" and the modern world is conveyed with keen insight to the tenderness and fragility of human nature. Although there is an abundance of charm and wit, "charming" and "witty" are not sufficient to describe this delightful novel. Mr. Villas has crafted an elequent and engaging tale, written from life experience and empathy. Highly recommended reading!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A southern feast!, October 1, 2008

By	Phillip R. Poovey (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Dancing in the Lowcountry" is a delectable southern feast served up by the inimitable James Villas. Set in an old upper crust hotel in Myrtle Beach, SC, the novel revels in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Grand Strand beach setting. One is swept away by the memories of the 1950's with beach music and a poignant mystery of old Charleston and young lovers. Fast paced and very witty, the novel takes you from the bustling economy of the 'new' Charlotte, NC to the fried food eateries of Calabash. You can literally smell the hushpuppies! Mr. Villas captures the mood and flavors of the southern experience in the memories of a grand dame who carries a pistol and likes her cocktails. Romance awaits and deep family secrets are about to explode. Fascinating characters abound and you are swept along in a most lively fashion. I adored the novel and its rich humor!
Phillip R. Poovey - Raleigh, NC