Nashborough

"Nashborough" goes down as smoothly as a nip of mint julep on a hot Tennessee day. It is a fine, stately novel, written with a grace and intelligence that makes it read more like an English family saga than an American one. Not surprising, considering that author Elsie Burch Donald is a transplanted southerner living in England and France.There's something satisfyingly old fashioned about this book, which is refreshing in this day of the overheated Southern family saga. Characters are developed with care into surprising people, and while the plot covers a lot of ground it does so at the right pace. Donald has caught the rhythms of the long hot afternoons, the family expectations, and the maneuvering to keep up with a changing world.There are plenty of unexpected turns in "Nashborough" and the novel will keep you engaged from start to finish. Take this book and find a good hammock. This is an elegant way to pass some late summer afternoons.