american south

Set in Grace County, North Carolina in 1960, Necessary Lies parallels the lives of Jane Forrester and Ivy Hart. At first glance, fifteen-year-old tobacco-farm worker Ivy appears to live in a completely different world than Jane, a newlywed married to a doctor, but both struggle for control over their lives. Ivy is the glue that holds her family together since her father died. And when her mother was institutionalized Ivy, her grandmother, her sister Mary Ella, and her nephew must rely on one another, as well as the tobacco farmer on whose land they live and work.

As a piece of historical

The author has been compared to Marjorie Rawlings and other famous Southern writers who provide insight into Southern culture.  This interesting saga delves into the culture of a backwater town in northern Florida where the residents - an inbred mix of whites, American Indians and African Americans - have secrets, loyalties and codes known only to them.  Inspired by research about an actual lynching in the area in 1934,   the story provides a window into a little-known piece of American culture and yet another view of the racial divide that is still evident in parts of the country.  Readers

Discovering a mystery writer who writes well – what a treat! The Levee is a great find for mystery lovers. Stan is a 60ish crime writer who is haunted by a crime that happened when he was a 15 year old growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He returns to the scene in order to confront the past in hopes of leaving the nightmares behind. Stan is the narrator in the 1950’s and during the present day. The author flawlessly moves between the two, using the latter only to set the stage for the story surrounding the murder. This book includes several classic mystery pieces – an abandoned mansion, an