Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal

  Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal.
                              Pamela Dorman Books, Viking, 2014.


For many years Queenie and her family have helped Miss Fannie run a household and learn the very proper ways of doing things in New Orleans. But, it's 1964, and times are changing. Dollbaby and her own daughter Birdelia have new ideas. When Miss Fannie's estranged son dies, his widow Vidrine drops off tween Ibby to live with her grandmother. Fannie, Queenie, Dollbaby, and Ibby form solid family bonds and navigate both the past and the future up to 1972.


Full of believable characters, interesting happenings, and a vivid setting, this tale is truly a masterful debut novel. The title character could be argued as integral to the story, but it is through young Ibby's eyes that readers see and come to understand the truths about her family and the times. This will be the talk of your next book group!

Charleston by Margaret Bradham Thornton

 Charleston by Margaret Bradham Thornton. HarperCollins, 2014.


When Eliza Poinsett visits her home in the South after college and a dream stint in London that includes art and a dashingly handsome Etonian, it's been ten years. Her old flame, Henry, awaits. "Will she?" or "Won't she?" stay and reconcile with her past?


While this could be the plot of a fluffy romance, this fiction debut is a real heart breaker! The lush descriptions of the South are gorgeous and worthy of armchair travel. The slowly paced plot allows for enjoyment of both settings and actions. Readers will root for Eliza and her quirky neighbors and friends as they learn to appreciate every single minute of Life itself.  All will be resolved, but probably not in the way that readers expect!