Fallen Angels
By Patricia Hickman
Warner, 2003, $12.95
This is the first installment of the Millwood Hollow series and I am looking forward to the next book.
We meet Jeb Nubey, a young man on the run from the law. And Jeb meets three abandoned children who talk him into giving them a ride to Nazareth so they can find their aunt.
Said aunt is no longer living in Nazareth and Jeb is ready to get rid of these kids. Fate intervenes as someone mistakes Jeb for the new pastor of the Church in the Dell and the next thing he knows, Angel (the eldest of the children) has convinced him to play the part of the preacher.
It’s both touching and funny to read about the struggles Jeb has (he can’t read and Angel has to coach him from the Bible) as he half-heartedly preaches his weekly sermons.
Hickman has received acclaim for her writing in both the secular and Christian fields. She lives in Huntersville.
The Quilter’s Legacy
By Jennifer Chiaverini
Simon & Schuster, 2003, $22
Senior writer Florence Gilkeson gave this book a lengthy review last week, but I feel compelled to mention it because I enjoyed reading it so much.
I hate to admit it, but I haven’t read the earlier books in this series. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story of Sylvia Compson of the Elm Creek Quilters as she searches the country for her mother’s quilts. Sylvia’s sister, Claudia sold them many years ago, a fact that Sylvia has just discovered.
The story travels back and forth between the youth of Sylvia’s mother, Eleanor and contemporary times, giving us the background we need to understand the whys and wherefores of this intriguing family.
I’ll go back and read the other books — sometime!
Chiaverini will be at McIntyre’s Fine Books at Fearrington Village near Pittsboro on Saturday, May 17 at 11 a.m.
Fire in the Rock
By Joe Martin
Ballantine, 2003, $13.95
“Fire in the Rock” follows the story of two young men, one black, the other white, as they come of age in a little Southern town during 1956.
Bo and Pollo are 16. They are constantly accompanied by Mae Maude Snoddy, who up to now has been “one of the guys.” An unhappy incident brings their summer fun to an end and 10 years pass before Bo and Pollo meet again.
The atmosphere of this novel hovers dangerously at the boiling point throughout the story. The reader expects a blow-up anytime.
Martin co-athored of “Any Given Day,” in which he talks about his daily battle with ALS. This, his first fiction effort, took 20 years from conception to publication. He holds a doctorate from Duke University and makes his home in Charlotte with his wife, Joan.
Faye Dasen is the book page editor. She may be reached at 693-2475 or via e-mail at fdasen@thepilot.com
