A Messy Job I Never Did See a Girl Do

IF YOU EVER GET THE CHANCE, GO HEAR RYALS READ FROM HER BOOK. LISTENEING TO HER BEAUTIFUL SOUTHERN VOICE BRINGS THE CHARACTERS ALIVE. THE BOOK IS GREAT, AND THE AUTHOR IS TOO!

A Messy Job I Never Did See A Girl Do, by Mary Jane Ryals, is a kaleidoscope of tumbling words that ultimately fit together into a highly perceptive, rough-edged picture of southern U.S. culture. The result is stories that make you laugh out loud, cuss and spit, and cry revival empathies for the banged-on unheard. Mary Jane captures the native intelligence of young people who, in their own awkward ways, expose the weaknesses, the bigotry and emotional insensitivity of the adults in their lives. At the same time, we feel all of the characters' fears behind the numbness or the anger, the anxiety and the outrage, or the wiry strength and simple stubbornness. Her characters make us believe that the scars on the new generation will not run so deep and not be as debilitating as on the old. We are left with the hope that the new generation will be better in some ways, kinder or more accepting, willing to look over walls, kick them, and knock them down.

This book of short stories is so descriptive you can close your eyes and feel the muggy heat and sandy dirt of the South, as well as smell the the acrid sweat of people around you. These beautifully written stories cover a myriad of subjects from young girls struggling with the knowledge that their voice doesn't have real meaning, to the pain of living in poverty in the rural South. The wonderful thing about these stories is the sense of hope that some of the characters continue to have, even against seemingly tough odds. "I don't know where I'd go from here, but somehow, my words would get me there." "When I leave someday, I'll fly in a car with red lights, whiz-roaring through the highway" Mary Jane Ryals' words have certainly gotten her there, she has done a wonderful job capturing the essence of both pain and promise in the souls of these young girls. Highly recommended reading!!

Like sweet dark chocolate or good red wine, Mary Jane Ryal's first collection of stories will satisfy a craving for North Florida settings and strong female protagonists.