Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes

Poignant, beautifully written, compassionate, unforgettable characters. Be prepared to stay up all night - with a box of tissues by your side.

In this first novel of three by Julie Cannon, the story begins with Imogene Lavender Rose who is raising 2 of her own daughters, Loutishie of whom was her sister's child, and also Jeanette. Loutishie is the sweet girl, and Jeannette on the other hand is belligerent. Imogene is around 64 herself, and her dearest husband and soulmate Silas, is dying from cancer. Imogene and the girls are devastated by this, and after his death, Imogene simply cannot get over it, almost grieving too death. Her solace though, has always been her garden, and over a long period of time, this is what gives her comfort more than anything. And then her friend Wanda, at the Kuntry Kurl, tries to jack up her spirits even more by suggesting a whole new makeover, and going out to find another man. As Imogene very reluctantly tries Wanda's and Martha's suggestion of dating, it is nothing but disasters for the most part. When she meets Henry, a widower for the first time, it seems all he can do is speak of his dead wife, then she goes on to meet other men, the last one Mr. Mabry, of whom she almost marries when he dies of a sudden heart attack. Through all this, Jeanette, the older daughter is out getting herself into trouble with men. She is a tough character, rebels against Imo, smokes and everything else. But then one day as she dates an older married man, getting pregnant with his child, this changes, and her life in spite of her mother's shame, changes for the better. The book is very hard to put down, and the next book, Mater' Biscuit, is another great sequel as to what happens in the lives of these three next.

What a wonderful view of the southern world. Told with insight and compassion, this a a story book clubs would enjoy.

Truelove and Homegrown Tomatoes is the wonderful, luscious, bittersweet story of how Imogene Lavender and her two daughters, Loutishie and Jeannete-one actually her niece and the other adopted-cope with life after Imogene's husband, Silas, passes on. This is a story told with compassion and affection from tow distinctly different points of view-that of Imogene, through the regular text, and that of Loutishie, told through her journal. It chronicles their grieving for their father and husband and the inevitably difficult process of picking up the pieces and moving on. The book elegantly evokes the aspects of Southern tradition, mores and custom that both facilitate and aggravate that process.Cannon's particularly gifted at characterization. Even minor characters are reverently constructed and rendered so that by the end of the book you feel as if you yourself are in fact a resident of Euharlee, Georgia and privy to all the goings on, habits and secrets and traditions that are common fodder in any such small rural enclave. The construction of the story is extremely effective, with a short quote from each chapter which acts as an introduction, followed by Imogene's story, followed by Lou's journal. This is the sort of story that grabs you by the heartstrings and won't let go, even after the book is over. It's a truly wonderful debut.I can only hope-and pray-- that this is but the first in a long line of novels by Julie Cannon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Julie Cannon is an immense new talent, along the lines of Lee Smith and Flannery O'Connor. Cannon writes in a conversational, casual tone that fits right in with the classic tradition of Southern literature. The characters and situations ring true to small town Southern life. Kudos to Julie Cannon; may she have a long, vibrant career!

A truly charming book. I could not put it down. An insight into the life of an aging southern lady and her love of gardening. Glimpse into the trials and tribulations of her life. I sincerely hope Julie Cannon has another novel in the works.