Don't Miss Jackson's Southern Fiction

by Carrie Pålsson

I hate when I miss the train, and boy did I miss the train. When all my friends were raving about Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson I didn't pay attention. "I'm not religious," was about as far as my thoughts went before I dismissed the book as something that wouldn't appeal to me.

Oh, how very wrong I was. It might have helped if I'd read the blurb or even taken note of the small "g" in "gods." The gods in Alabama have nothing to do with religion and everything to do with football stars and pretty girls. You know, the kinds of gods that you'll find worshipped at most high schools, but especially in small towns.

When I finally purchased my ticket into the world of Joshilyn Jackson, I didn't regret it. gods in Alabama, the story of a woman who must confront the past and her typically crazy Southern family after years of running away, is totally engaging and one of those un-put-downable books that are rare in the overwhelming world of fiction. I read it in less than forty-eight hours. I'd shove frozen waffles at my screaming toddler while I read "just one more page." I had to find out what happened in this delightfully funny--yet poignant--whodunit.

Jackson's prose is fresh, witty and never predictable. It has a faint hint of Flannery O'Connor, one of my favorite authors, which isn't a surprise since Jackson lists O'Connor as one of her favorite authors as well. I'd like to give you a bit of summary of gods, but it wouldn't be fair to you if you plan to read it. Suffice it to say that I was stunned when I read the conclusion. As a jaded mystery reader, I rarely have that experience, and I wouldn't want to ruin it for you. You'll need to take your own ride on the Jackson train of twists and curves.

I had to have more from this fabulous writer, so I immediately went down to the store and picked up Between, Georgia, her sophomore effort.

Once again, Jackson uses her intimate knowledge of small-town Southern life to create an eccentric, lovable family who must finally face issues from the past. The main character, Nonny Frett, has some serious life problems. She was adopted as an infant, but her biological family wants her back. She's getting a divorce, but she's not sure she wants one. She's on the cusp of independence, but must prove to herself and everyone around her that she can take charge of her life instead of letting life take charge of her.

I didn't think it was possible for me to like a book more than I liked gods in Alabama, but I was even more enamored of Between, Georgia and the members of Frett family than I was of Jackson's original characters. I particularly loved the interplay between the women in the story. Jackson has said that her books are "love stories to mothers" and it is abundantly clear in Between what she means by this. Once again, she's written a book that I couldn't put down. The myriad plot twists left me holding my breath as tears streamed down my face.

Now I'm waiting less than patiently for Jackson's next book, but in the meantime I plan on haunting her website and blog, Faster Than Kudzu.