Between, Georgia

I loved this book! It could be because I am a sign language interpreter myself, and could relate to much of what was taking place in the novel. I especially enjoyed the narration by the author-- many authors are NOT good narrators of their work, but Jackson certainly is excellent. I loved her accents. Made the characters so believable. I appreciated the title so much, as it was a running theme in the book-- "between". So many "betweens" within its pages. I also quite enjoyed the author's notes at the back, telling about the actual town and such. I really can't wait for this author's next book! This book is quite different from Jackson's first book, GODS IN ALABAMA, which I devoured upon opening the cover. However, it is a good book in its own right, though not a mystery and written in a much different style. In some ways, I liked it better. It is funny and sad (but not too sad), and everything in between. There's that word again!

BETWEEN, GEORGIA broke my heart in more ways than one. First there is the fact that Joshilyn Jackson's writing is so masterful and authentic that anyone else with the temerity to try and write a Southern novel will feel like an imposter. Her voice, her characters, the setting, and the sheer excitement of the plot are enough to make me feel I need to dump my work-in-progress and start all over again. Ms. Jackson starts the novel in media res a fancy term for cutting straight to the chase and what a chase it is, this gripping and yet poignant tale of a "red-headed stepchild" that turns the concept upside down and inside out. Nonny Frett is the darling of two feuding (and somewhat feudal) families. She is their peacemaker and their greatest hope, and yet she is also so clearly their beneficiary. The frailities of her family show up against a frieze of their strenths, it's a tableau of Gothic proportions while also striking this reader as completely fresh and inarguably true. Most compelling for me was the way in which the characters tended one another with an almost paranormal sense of delicacy, punctuated by the odd deadly swipe with the bon mot on crack or the reptilian clumsiness that will strike a chord way down inside the place where Hallmark don't go. I inhaled this book, I savored this book, I hated to have it end. Joshilyn Jackson is the real thing. Go buy this book and don't bother making any other plans for your weekend Sheila Curran, author of DIANA LIVELY IS FALLING DOWN, Penguin, USA

After reading Gods in Alabama, I was sure to preorder Between, Georgia. I had hoped it would be a worthy read, but figured surely Joshilyn would drop off a little. Well, to my reading pleasure, this book pulled me in just as much as Gods did. And the ending didn't disappoint one bit. There is a bad thing though. This time, for me, there isn't the next book on its way out yet!

With BETWEEN, GEORGIA, her second novel, published just one year after her stunning debut, Gods in Alabama (2005), Joshilyn Jackson has exceeded all comparison with the legendary Harper Lee (as a talented southern author from Alabama who wrote about the dark South) -- Harper Lee only published one book in her lifetime. BETWEEN, GEORGIA is a triumph for Joshilyn Jackson. Gods in Alabama was a great book: received terrific reviews and critical acclaim, became a bestseller, and even landed Ms. Jackson the envied author spotlight on Oprah. BETWEEN, GEORGIA is even better. Both novels are set in the "deep South" and could be categorized as "dysfunctional redneck" (a genre all Joshilyn Jackson's own) -- in a good way: compelling, and truly original -- with the main character in each struggling to escape her past, but drawn back to family and small town for reconciliation and redemption. While readers will recognize Joshilyn Jackson's charming southern voice (more a twang than a drawl), her gift for storytelling, and laugh-out-loud funny southern characterizations, BETWEEN, GEORGIA (the name of a fictional town), is not a sequel. The small town in Georgia is a completely new setting, with all new characters, and very different essential conflicts. While the main character may seem familiar, as a strong southern girl, independent but emotionally damaged by her past, Nonny Frett is very different from Gods' Arlene Fleet. Nonny Frett is a grown southern girl in her thirties, on the edge of divorce, if she and her aspiring, but way laid-back musician husband could ever stay out of bed and get around to it. Nonny lives and works in the college town of Athens, Georgia -- a thriving metropolis, compared to her hometown of Between, Georgia, population 90, most of whom she is related to in some way, either by birth, or by theft. While Nonny is trying to grow up and move on with her life (after she gets rid of the good-for-nothing husband), she's tied to her hometown in many more ways than one. It gets complicated... The population of 90 in Between, Georgia, are all part of a decades-long feud between two families, and Nonny is caught right in the middle, between "the Fretts, who stole her and raised her right; and the Crabtrees, who lost her and can't forget that they've been done wrong." Add in all the remarkable elements of Joshilyn Jackson's redneck dysfunctional storytelling talent: eccentricity, mental health, physical deformity/handicap, gross obesity, and, above all, love, loyalty and family, BETWEEN, GEORGIA is truly original. Reading along, you can't imagine what is going to happen next, right through to the shocking, explosive conclusion -- and there's a love story in there, too! I liked Gods in Alabama. I love, love, love Between, Georgia. I can hardly wait to see what Joshilyn Jackson has in store for us next! -- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at RebelHousewife.com Co-Author, The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Dome

Nonny Frett is caught between feuding families. Born to an unwed Crabtree girl, she is adopted and raised by a Frett. Her mother, Stacia Frett, suffers from Usher's Syndrome, a devastating disease that steals the victim's hearing, then their eyesight. Stacia never let her challenges interfere with being a good mother. Nonny has grown into a strong woman who works as an interpreter for the deaf and mute. Now thirty years old, Nonny's life lacks direction. Her marriage is ending, her aunt--Bernese Frett Baxter--is being inexplicably hard on Nonny's young cousin, and the tension between the Crabtrees and Frett has been notched way up. This is the proverbial turning point of Nonny's life. Although strong, she must see past her own disappointments in order to move forward. The question is whether she can find her path before her world crumbles before her very eyes. Between, Georgia is a treasure for anyone who has ever felt torn between worlds. Jackson has beautifully rendered the story of Nonny Frett by evoking laughter, shouts, and tears. Readers will feel the weight of Nonny's responsibilities, as well as the lightness of her joys. Little Fisher, Aunt Bernese's granddaughter, is an added delight who steals some of the scenes. Besides the wonderful literary value of this novel, it would make a spectacular movie. (Many readers may imagine Aunt Bernese portrayed by Tyne Daily.) The characters leap from the pages, reminding readers of people in their own lives. Small Town, America is well represented by the atmosphere of Between. You will love this novel. As far as I'm concerned, this "keeper" will stay on my shelf with other beloved books. Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer 6/19/2006