Quite a Year for Plums

I did not enjoy this book and was unable to finish it. I like some "silly" stories but this one was beyond ridiculous. It might be for some, just not for me.

I loved this book from start to finish. Life isn't about plot, it's about the little events that shape your life each day. Sometimes you can only see the plot when you get to the end and look backwards, and I think that's the style captured so gracefully here. It's a book with no heroes, no villans, just people with fragile human hearts. The humor is very dry, you will miss it if you aren't paying attention. But the effortless storytelling is very engaging. If you want something to HAPPEN, if you want some grand GESTURE, and if you have to have everything about life EXPLAINED to you before it makes sense, pass on this book. If you like sitting on the porch with a good friend and listening to the events of their day over a glass of iced tea, then this book will suit you. It's about being in the company of quality people, and knowing that whatever they say will be worth the time to listen.

In reading other's reviews it seems people either love or hate this book. For me, it spoke directly to my heart, soul and funny bone. I first listened to it on audio cassette, then read it. Both times I found myself smiling or laughing aloud throughout. Her writing is superb. Her characters were deftly drawn. The plot was subtle. She clearly understands one of the primary premises of writing: show don't tell. Perhaps you have to grow up in a certain place or time to click with this book. (rural America with eccentric relatives and neighors)

Bailey White writes a very small, understated story that takes place in a little south Georgia town. The joy of reading this book is spending time with a very unusual cast of characters...a peanut disease specialist, wildlife artist, collector of electric fans, to name just a few. While reading, you get to watch, unobserved, the comings and goings of these quirky people, as they go about the business of their lives. This is a beautifully written book. It's funny and witty, especially the dialogue. How wonderful to spend time with these people. Ms White doesn't disappoint.

Characters that gently flow with each changing of the season. There was a soothing quality to the pace of the story that the reader absorbs, especially from the elderly characters. Scenes are centered around the cycle of nature so anyone who has gardened, lived on a farm or had a parent to care for, will especially appreciate the manner in which life and people are shown. I closed the book gently with a sigh and wanted more.

Reading Quite a Year for Plums is like walking among the residents of a small town, becoming part of their lives and they part of yours, without ever being seen. Bailey White has an uncanny knack for creating characters that come alive. When I finished reading Quite a Year for Plums I was left with the same empty feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had the day I moved from my childhood home in rural Virginia. Like moving to a new locale, it takes a while to get to know each of the characters. My only criticism of the novel is that during the first few chapters I often found the need to refer to the list of characters. When I purchased the book, I believed that a cast list for a relatively short novel was presumptuous. I later learned that it was a necessity. I highly recommend Quite a Year for Plums, as well as Mama Makes Up her Mind and Sleeping at the Starlite Motel.