Sugarland

So compelling was this novel that I couldn't put it down and couldn't pay more than superficial attention to anything or anyone else while I was reading it! The other reviewers here have said enough about the plot and characters that there's nothing I need to add to entice other readers on that account, but I would like to add that the writing is so strong, so brilliant!, that had the characters and their stories, their loves, their troubles, their triumphs, not enthralled me, the sheer beauty of the prose would have. I will be buying copies of this as gifts for those to whom I usually pass on my books because I don't want to let go of this one. I can't wait to read her other books and I'd love to see this one become a best seller. The author doesn't preach, but she sure does teach--about power and love and independence and forgiveness and bonds between people and respect.

Funny, Poignant, Sexy, Exciting, Compassionate, Smart, Scary, Earthy, Heartbreaking, Courageous, Lyrical -- just like life. During a storm scene, I actually put the book down to go turn off my computer to protect it from lightning, only to realize it was a beautiful spring day in the real world -- that's how compelling the writing is. I read this novel because I liked the author's autobiographical "Bald in the Land of Big Hair" so much and wanted to check out her fiction. I am extremely impressed and look forward to reading her "Crazy for Trying" next.

A beautifully written book by an author who has a way of truly giving her characters life and substance. I found myself holding my breath with Kit, crying with Kiki and pounding my fist in the air when justice was served to Wayne. A book with pain and triumph, love and laughter, survival and true emotion. Reading this book was a great way to spend my time.

Reviewers throughout the country agree: Sugar Land is a winner! According to Publishers Weekly, "The girl-power quotient runs high in Rodgers' alternately wrenching and humorous follow-up to her debut, Crazy for Trying. . . Rodgers' strength however, is her knack for realistic characters who show their faults unselfconsciously. . . .The country-western twang of her prose salts the heartache she's not afraid to show with a womanly, wise, laugh-through-the-tears appreciation of life." Library Journal adds, "In snappy prose, Rodgers creates fully dimensional characters in a story with elements of love, loss, humor, passion, joy, feminism, and even mothers-in-law." And Booklist declares, "Sweet, sad, often funny, Sugar Land has all the elements of a classic country song, saliently including the courage of everyday people in tough situations." And finally, Southern Living sums it all up by stating, "Every character in this novel resonates with life. This talented author knows how to bring paper-and-ink people to flesh-and-blood fulfillment through description, dialogue, and drama so rich and varied it reads just like real life." There you have it! This book is a great read, perfect for those who love epic novels about larger-than-life women who make you laugh and cry at the same time as you read about their their triumphs as well as their defeats as they deal with this crazy experience we call life.

Living, loving, laughing, crying, and the soul searching sounds of the blues. Kit and Kiki make day to day living an adventure. From their early days on the stages of back country Texas county fairs to their coming of age and finding that life is a lot like what Mama Viveca always told them it would be. This is one good read!