Slow Way Home

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Southern Flavor!
Review: Mike Morris has done it again. As he did in A PLACE CALLED WIREGRASS, Morris has created downhome characters in a believable southern setting and sent them on a journey that pulls at the heart of anyone who has ever loved a child.

In SLOW WAY HOME, eight-year-old Brandon has spent his childhood in the care of his flighty mother and her string of abusive and irresponsible boyfriends. When Brandon's mother drops him off "temporarily" at his grandparents house, she fails to show up again until he's formed a loving bond and sense of security in his new setting. Maintaining custody finally forces the threesome to take flight.

With so many children abandoned to their grandparents in today's culture, this is a timely story that's sure to speak to a wide scope of readers.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss Slow Way Home!
Review: This is the first novel I've found since ELLEN FOSTER that moved me in such a profound way. The voice of this child, Brandon, stayed with me. The story line brings Brandon into contact with many lively characters. But in the end, its the voices of Brandon and Siser Delores (his African American preacher) that resonate. This book is beautifully written. Now, I can't wait to read this author's other books. Don't miss SLOW WAY HOME!

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful and Classic Vehicle
Review: With a cover that evokes Southern pathos, "Slow Way Home" enticed me with its jacket blurb and endorsements. I loved a similar looking novel, "The Secret Life of Bees," and I must say that I was expecting this book to live up to my enjoyment of "...Bees." An unfair expectation, I know.

Morris is a formidable writer. He conveys the tale of young Brandon, a child pulled between a wandering mother and a loyal set of grandparents. Morris' characters and dialogue, his descriptions and numerous similes, work effectively. The book is everything one would hope for in a Southern novel. It has humor, racial issues, spiritual moments, family dysfunction, and family honor. Many scenes are worth savoring.

And yet, I had a difficult time with it. Unlike "The Secret Life of Bees" or "The Lovely Bones," this novel has no mystery or secrets to drive it forward. For me, it was a beautiful and classic vehicle lacking the gas to propel me along.

Yes, the jacket blurb gets it right: this novel will be remembered for the voice of its lead character. That alone is high praise. Although, with a backdrop of mystery, I could've been hooked beyond description. Without a doubt, I'll go back and read Morris' first novel. His writing is sublime.