Thursday, November 8, 2012

Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society: A Novel by Amy Hill Hearth




This was so much fun! I loved every character in this book so much I didn’t want it to end! This gang of misfits turned Naples on its heel and I loved every minute of it!

Mrs. Jackie Hart is a northerner transplanted to Naples in the early 1960’s and since she’s a Yankee she doesn’t really fit in so she starts a Women’s Literary Society and the group that shows up is also on the outside, we have a divorcee, a woman just out of prison for killing her husband, a colored (their words) girl, a man who they let join because they all know he is a homosexual, a woman the whole town calls Plain Jane and the librarian, this group of outsiders and misfits ends up being about so much more than reading books.

This book had humor, drama, and life lessons what I loved about it was the way these and women (and Robbie Lee) came together as strangers with nothing in common and ended up the best of friends and truly involved in each other’s lives. I just wish it had been longer or maybe has a sequel in the works! I liked the historical details of the time, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the KKK, women’s rights and women trying to find their place in the world, civil rights. The Cuban Missile Crisis chapter I thought was well done and really gave a feel to how people in Florida must have felt.

I also liked in the acknowledgments finding out that Jackie was modeled after the authors MIL who was the actual Miss Dreamsville. And this author’s non-fiction work about the Delany sisters’ is one I have been meaning to read for awhile so will be bumping that up on the TBR pile. I hope she will write more fiction because I will be first in line to read more from this author. I will also be buying a paper copy of this book for my library my patrons will love it!

4 Stars

Full Disclosure I received this book from netgalley for a fair and unbiased review.

3 comments:

  1. Hi there, how about linking this in to Books you Loved - it looks like a goodie! Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for linking this in. The more the merrier! Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read this book too...cute story.

    Stopping by from Carole's November Books I Loved. I am in that list as #2 and #44.

    Giveaway for THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF going on at my blog if you want to stop by.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete