The Problem with Murmur Lee : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Searching for the great hereafter
Review:

Murmur Lee Harp is a true child of nature, who has inherited a home on the Florida coast that has been in the family for generations, content to appreciate the world around her. When she drowns unexpectedly in the middle of her third decade on earth, her friends and current lover are shocked and confused, especially since Murmur Lee was as comfortable in the water as on the land. This was an extraordinary woman who has suffered her share of tragedy but lived each day to the fullest.

Murmur's connections to those she loved are examined in first-person chapters from the point of view of the dead Murmur herself, her close friends, Charleston Rowena Mudd, Lucinda, Dr. Z., Billy Speare (the last boyfriend) and Edith Piaf, an ex-Marine and transsexual at the age of 62. Each brings a personal perspective to Murmur's demise, the private moments of friendship that evolved over time.

Murmur's chapters are confessional, brief glimpses into the memories and events that shaped her rebellious personality, including a large dose of religion. Motherhood looms large, the culmination of higher purpose in a once unfocused life. But Murmur is trapped in the here and now, not yet released to the world of the spirits, trying to make sense of this temporary state as she drifts from one state of consciousness to another.

The inexplicable drowning leaves an enormous hole in the lives of Murmur Lee's friends, many of whom question whether the death was accidental or decidedly more sinister. All savor their memories of this rambunctious and irrepressible woman. Ferociously loyal, Charlee Mudd has the difficult task of closing up the beach house, reminiscing over the emotional tangle of her own impulsive decisions and the particular closeness that only best friends can enjoy. Dr. Z is utterly bereft, having lost his wife scant months before Murmur died. In a concerted effort to comfort the eclectic mix of friends, Edith Piaf gathers them together for an evening of celebration, the resulting brouhaha worthy of Murmur's wildest adventures.

The Problem of Murmur Lee is light-hearted, humorous and poignant. The reality of Murmur's death plays out against a canvas of nature's bounty, its rich excess contrasted against the complexities of human nature. This novel is vintage Connie May Fowler, a writer with an eye for the small details that often pass unnoticed, yet define so much of each day. Murmur Lee Harp's natural exuberance led to some volatile, even dangerous situations, but this woman joyfully embraced her home, her friends and her life with an endless capacity for love. It is those left behind who must make peace with this loss. Luan Gaines/2005.


Rating:
Summary: No problem with Murmer Lee...
Review: (pardon the play on words)! Reading this book is a magnificent experience! If we are lucky in life we meet a Murmer Lee...if we are truly blessed we find the Murmer Lee within ourselves. I can't recommend this book enough. I have placed it on the shelf alongside my other very favorite books where it will be easy to find and reread.

Rating:
Summary: Connie May Fowler's
Review: Connie May Fowler's latest novel is brilliant and devastating-a celebration of all the elements that make our world simultaneously heart breaking and joyous. The novel explores Southern culture, both the external features and the deeply ingrained qualities that one cannot completely abandon, no matter how hard they try. "The Problem With Murmur Lee" offers a multifaceted examination of an extraordinary woman's life, in addition to the lives of the people who loved her. Throughout the novel, Fowler's prose remains lyrical and evocative, as the story of Murmur Lee Harp unfolds with all the beauty, pain, and complexity that characterizes a fully realized life.