Downtown

he became a bestselling novelist!I love Anne Rivers Siddons and I bet that the photographer in DOWNTOWN still does too, in his own weird way.This story is partly autobiographical but not enough so to be a memoir. The editor is patterned on the notorious and terrific Jim Townsend of Atlanta Magazine, where Siddons worked in the '60s and the staff members she worked with then show up with personalities slightly skewed. It's obvious to the reader that every bit of the material here is close to Siddons's heart. In some places she seems restrained, as though she's holding something back; in others she lets loose and her youthful passion surfaces.I lost my paperback in a recent move (I'll replace it with a hardback so it'll last) or I'd copy a passage so you could see the sensuousness of her writing. She is, without a doubt, one of the finest wordsmiths practicing today. She writes about things that are part of her, what she has known and what she cares about -- and she'll make it all a part of you, too.Sunnye Tiedemann

I've read a few of Anne Rivers Siddons books so far, and they were mostly light reading, the story of a woman who has some issues and then seeks to resolve them. But Downtown is a different and more complicated book. This book details many of the civil movements in the 60s like the Vietnam war, the African-American quest for equality, and the changing of society. The different types of characters in this book are fascinating, from the upper crust society types to the people living in projects and slums. The narrator, Smoky, is a sort of tabula rasa, a blank slate who records many of the changes around her, as she herself changes. Not having lived through this period in history, I found that reading this book gave me a lot of insight into the lives of people in the 60s. It was a very engaging read and I would highly recommend it. And the ending is somewhat surprising, which should keep you tuned in until the last page.

As with her other books, this one was a delight. The characters are all flawed and very real. The historical references to the civil rights movement were enthralling. The book's only downfall was it ended to soon. I wasn't ready to give up the story!

I first encountered this story in the pages of Cosmo--it hooked me and I went out immediately to buy and finish it. Anne Rivers Siddons writes the kind of books that you don't want to end. She creates another world--really paints a unique vision with her words. This story rings so true, it really has that feel of authenticity--almost autobiographical even. I have read most of her other books as well, but this one which I read a few years ago remains my favorite...As an aspiring writer, her writing both inspires and intimidates me it is so good!

This book set me on the trail of many other delights by this author. It gave me insights from a young "career woman's" perspective about the South during the era that I was growing up in the northeast. Lots of wish-you-could-meet-them characters. Wonderfully rich language and images. If you like spunky heroines in a thought-provoking upbeat storylines, this one may transport you for a while like it did me.