Fair and Tender Ladies

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: This is one of the few books that I have read more than once. Lee Smith is a master of the southern genre, with characters who are completely emersed in the South, and this is her best to date. The letters in this books keep it moving and keeps the reader engrossed. It is sad, hopeful, and very full of life. Read it if you need a treat.

Rating:
Summary: You'll forget that you're reading fiction....
Review: This is the story of Ivy, told through letters she's written to family and friends throughout her lifetime. After reading only a few pages, I found myself forgetting that this was a fictional character. I became emotionally caught up in the ebb and flow of her life in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, beginning at the turn of the century. Lee Smith, by writing the story of an "everyday woman", has proven the point that every living person has a story, no matter what their circumastances, if only there was someone to bring it to light. Ivy is a rich and vital character, a true survivor, who lives fully, loves deeply, works hard, and values all that is good in life and people. Ivy isn't perfect. She's flawed, like all the rest of us. The real beauty of this book is that Lee Smith has seen fit to shine a light on a character who is poor but proud, uneducated but intelligent, unsophisticated but filled with quiet dignity, and manages to get through the tough times with a delightful sense of humor and emotional clarity. This book touched me deeply. It sparked my every emotion. I'll be thinking about it for some time to come...and I STILL have a hard time believing that Ivy isn't real!

Rating:
Summary: Letters of Life
Review: While I ultimately enjoyed this novel, I must say that the format and style of writing took some getting used to. As many of the readers have already stated it's written in the form of letters; the letters however are never answered, so it does read more like a diary. Once you get used to the style, this is a funny, poignant and very touching story. Ivy Rowe is a story teller with few equals, and a character not easily forgotten.