Magnolia Summer (Southern Seasons, #1)

by Melanie Dickerson

[phyllish]

Magnolia Summer by Melanie Dickerson

Will this Zorro of the Deep South succeed in saving his sleepy Southern town?

My rating is 4.5 stars

The sheriff of the little town of Bethel Springs, Alabama saw nothing wrong with lynching a man because of the color of his skin. And burning his house. And he had many of the townsfolk supporting his actions.

Truett was a man after God’s heart. Like King David, he desired to please God and trusted Him to protect him as he fought the giants of his community. I admired Truett greatly. One of the things that made him fun was the contrast between his arrogance and his humility. In a way, he wasn’t really proud, he was just accustomed to having girls fall at his feet. As the son of a Southern gentleman and as a doctor, he could have felt himself above menial labor and yet he helped to teach the neighboring children how to farm and pitched in himself when they needed it.

Celia was a bit of a snob. Not that she was rich and put on airs because of that. She just felt that menial work was something she shouldn’t have to bother herself with. She was angry that her mother was grieving to the point of not being able to care for the family. She was angry that she had to leave her job in Nashville and potentially spend her savings to care for her family and the struggling farm.

But God wasn’t done with Celia and he wanted her to have a renewed heart. She had some serious lessons to learn and maturing to do. Yet through this, she was still likable as a character. She really did want to do the right things so when God exposed her heart to her, she willingly confessed and sought to change her attitude.

Celia was also a fun mix of feisty and fearful. She had an encounter with a rattlesnake that revealed the kind of character that only comes out under pressure. The most amazing thing about the encounter was that she could have been selfish and thought only of her own safety and wouldn’t have had any problem but she really was the type of person who takes care of others, even if a bit grudgingly.

Lizzie, Celia’s 14-year-old sister, and Will, her 12-year-old brother were nothing short of amazing. They saw a need for doing things around the house and jumped right in to do them. Lizzie especially showed a maturity beyond her years as she joyfully cared for the house and her youngest siblings. She even spent time doing extra things for them. And then had time to spare playing matchmaker for Celia!

This story was a departure from the other stories Melanie Dickerson has written, taking place in the post-Civil War American South instead of Medieval Europe. However, it does fit in with the theme of legends re-told. As the first book of a new series, I’m excited to see what the other books will bring in this new chapter of the authors writing.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads

I was given a free copy of this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.