Susan Gregg GilmoreCritiques

I am such a fool. This book seemed to promise much more than my low expectations. Characters that were just on the nuanced side of caricature and a seemingly stereotypical plot about the small town girl who dreams big, but with so many hints of things happening just off camera and waiting for a surprise reveal. But on exactly page 167, it started to sour for me as I realized that it was all just a mean trick, that the caricatures were just exactly that and no more, and 10 pages later when the promises of an atypical plot began to fail to deliver. And by the last two chapters, I was just skimming because I was sliding into diabetic coma from the glurge.

This probably doesn't deserve 3 stars, but I'm giving it 2 stars for a book that I voluntarily finished instead of DNFing and an extra star because I enjoyed at least half of it, even if I felt horribly betrayed by the time I finished.

Charming and witty.

Good book. Too much religion. The two big secrets were obvious.½

Great little book about life in a small town, the desire to be free, and the craziness that is family.

I liked this one for the most part, but there was a little bit of language I didn't like, particularly the reference to Mary being "knocked up by the Holy Spirit". I would have liked this one more if it didn't include this kind of language.

3.5 stars

Catherine Grace is the preacher’s daughter in a small town in Georgia in the 1960s and 70s. Her mother died when she was only six, so there’s just her, her sister, Martha Ann, and their father, the town preacher. All her life she’s known she wants out of the town; unlike many others, she does not want to stay and be a farmer’s wife. She plans to leave as soon as she turns 18.

I enjoyed this. There was more God in it than I expected. Growing up in a small town (unless it’s different in the South), I didn’t find that much talk of “the Lord” in casual conversation as there was in this book/town. I have mixed feelings about the ending. Some of it, I liked, but some of it seemed to tie up a bit too nicely in a bow. Overall, though, it was fairly enjoyable.½

The story behind Emmalee's experiences is quite different from Susan Gregg Gilmore's other works of fiction. I mean that in a good way.

Life happens & you will be reminded throughout the book. A strong will, a loving heart & a touch of innocence motivate Emmalee to live; although, she doesn't know it at the onset. While youth may be on her side, her elders clash over what is right & wrong. As they bicker, Emmalee grows up faster than she ever thought she could.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise held so much promise, but I never felt enough time or effort were put into a character or a storyline. I respected Bezellia, because even when she was trying to find herself, and grow up away from her family, if they needed her, she was there. But the storylines just didn't pan out for me. I wanted to know why her mother had the issues she had, and even though some was revealed at the end of the book, it was too late. And while I understand the difficulties of black/white relationships in the 60's, I never really felt the love Bezellia and Samuel claimed to have for each other.

I gave it a 3, because I finished it, and because I didn't hate it. But I didn't love it either.

OH my I did not want this book to end.
Ringgold, Georgia is the last place that Catherine Grace Cline wants to spend her life, tending a tomato garden and having lots of babies for a small town farmer. Somehow, though, it looks like that's exactly where her future is headed.

With her daddy being the great Reverend Cline and no mama around to guide her through the toughest years of her life, Catherine Grace has to rely on help from an outrageous, and loving, neighbor who tends to be the subject of much malicious gossip through town. She is lucky enough to have an adoring sister, Martha Ann, by her side and a best friend, Lolly, who remain loyal as ever. Catching the eye of the handsomest boy in town doesn't hurt either.

But still, Catherine dreams of bigger and better things. She pinches her pennies, spending her Saturdays dreaming of big city life with a Dilly Bar in hand. On her sixteenth birthday when her daddy gives her a real luggage set, Catherine thinks she might actually get out after all.

Whether she leaves, stays, or figures out what she wants from life is all up to Catherine and she's got a tangled web of friends and family jumping at the chance to help her make the decision.

Good Book Recommendations: Dairy Queen Opinion

4 ★

1970's...coming of age...women's contemporary southern fiction...fast paced...vivid characters.

This is a debut novel, reminiscent of Fannie Flagg's style...lively, entertaining.

After graduation, Catherine Grace immediately packs her bags, leaving her family, the boy she loves and town of Ringgold, Georgia.
She's off to Atlanta to claim the life she’s always imagined.

We share her"journey of self discovery, love, dreams and forgiveness."

The lesson:
"Sometimes you have to return to the place where you began, to arrive at the place where you belong."

After hearing Susan Gregg Gilmore as a guest on the Southern fiction episode of the Books on the Nightstand podcast, I realized that my love for the genre had been limited to the Gothic side. I had assumed novels like this would be too sweet for my taste, but thankfully I was won over by Gilmore’s discussion and encouraged to expand my horizons.

“She knew the sound of death, its tone and rhythm, as well as she did that of a popular song played over and over on the radio. At her father’s house, death never acted hesitant or shy. It came barreling out of nowhere, walking straight up to the front door and announcing itself with a bold and repetitive rap.”

The most striking thing about The Funeral Dress is how real Gilmore’s characters feel. From the first page, I was pulled into Emmalee’s life as her early moments in the Tennewa Shirt Factory are detailed and the stories of those around her established. As the novel progresses, the harsh realities of life in the small Tennessee town make it easy to feel sympathetic toward both Emmalee and Leona. Still, there are multiple dimensions to the characters Gilmore has created, which are revealed in the alternating narrative of the story and come together in a touching end.

Blog: www.rivercityreading.com

All her life, Catherine Grace Cline has had just one ambition: to leave Ringgold, a small town in the Southern US, with just one gas station, a dollar store and a Dairy Queen, to leave the house of her father, whom she loves but whose strict ideas of morality (he is, after all, the town’s Baptist preacher) make it just a little bit too hard to breathe for some of those around him, and to set out into the big, wide exciting world in the shape of Atlanta, Georgia. And finally, the time has come to pack her prized set of matching suitcases and get onto the bus.

A coming-of-age story set in the deep South, full of quirky, original characters. A story about families and the ties that bind us, about love and forgiveness, and about figuring out just where it is you belong.

This is the story of the upbringing of a girl in Tennessee in the 60s. She is part of a rich family that has their fair share of problems. The book follows her through middle school, high school, and a bit beyond that. There are many issues with her family and as Bezillia grows she starts to learn why people end up the way they do and who she can truely count on as memebrs of her family.
I rarely read books set in the south in this time period, and I’m not sure why because I usually love them. Similar setting to The Help but more of a coming of age story. I think anyone who is interested (and slightly fascinated) by that era and the south would enjoy this, maybe it just seems so foreign to me that I really enjoy reading about it. The other benefit is that it is pretty short and easy to get through, and you are satisfied by the time you get through it!

I really was moved by this book. Although the book skips around in time, thankfully, Ms. Gilmore labels the chapters. She said she took sewing lessons to be able to provide the detailing of the sewing, but I wouldn't have minded if she left that out. I guess it did help show the toil of work that it was. I will be looking for more of her books.

I'm officially a Susan Gregg Gilmore fan. I liked her debut novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, and her most recent book, The Funeral Dress, so I had high hopes for this one, and it didn't disappoint. Bezellia Grove is born into an old Nashville family and saddled with the name of a famous ancestor. But living up to the expectations of her mother, who is concerned with the maintaining her place in Nashville society, is difficult in tumultuous 1960s. The context makes this more than a typical coming of age novel as Gilmore captures the time and place while developing a character that is as complex and real as the times.½

This was a lovely story that is told between two women and also two different time periods. It starts out in 1970s Tennessee while also giving glimpses of 1950s Tennessee. Although the story is mostly about young Emmalee we also get to know what made Leona the woman she was.

Emmalee didn't have much of a life living in Red Chert with her father who spent most of his days in a drunken state. Her life was cast in a new direction when she took a job at the Tennewa Shirt Factory. Most of the women worked there for years, but they took Emmalee under their wings, teaching her the ropes and becoming one of them. She needed to earn money to support her new baby because her father certainly wasn't any help in that department. She didn't expect to develop such close friendships with her co-workers, but working side-by-side next to Leona created a relationship similar to a mother and daughter.

Leona has lived a hard life up on Old Lick mountain and has had more than her share of heartache. She and her husband, Curtis, live in a small trailer on the mountain, nothing fancy but they get by fine with their love of the Lord and each other. They don't have much, but never having children of their own they decide to take Emmalee and her new baby into their home. They know Emmalee doesn't receive any form of support at home and they have enough love to help both of them get a start in life.

A turn of event puts a crimp in the plans to move Emmalee into Leona's home, setting Emmalee on a new path of self-discovery. Emmalee doesn't know much about mothering, but expects Leona to help her in this area. I have to tell you that Emmalee is not a good mother throughout the book and that was quite disturbing for me. I know she was young, but I do believe that some things just come natural for mothers. But I also know that if there isn't anyone to offer assistance parents can make big mistakes.

Although I was often frustrated with Emmalee, I also couldn't help wanting her to come out on top. I enjoyed reading this story and couldn't help but read certain parts over again that made me smile. With themes of motherhood, friendship, and losses, I'm sure many of you will enjoy this book as much as I did. I don't hesitate in recommending this novel for personal leisure or as a book club discussion.

The Funeral Dress is a story of growing up poor in the South and a story of strong women. The book brings the time period and the place to life. Strong female characters in a book are always promising. I just waited for something unexpected that would make the book stand out, but that did not come.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/03/the-funeral-dress.html

*** Reviewed based on a copy received through a publisher’s giveaway ***

I absoloutly loved this book and I did not want it to end .I loved the charecters as well . One of my top ten for sure .

Glad I hung in there with this one, although at first I didn't think it was going anywhere. There was a problem with the dates in this book however. Short of spoiling the plot I'll just say the author got off track with her timeline. Despite that it turned out to be a pretty decent read.

As soon as I saw that Lee Smith endorsed it I would read this book, and I was not disappointed. Strong character development. This story walked a fine line and I was afraid it would get too sappy, but it never crossed over. Right when you thought it might, it hit you right between the eyes with a powerful twist. I will be revisiting Ms. Gilmore again soon.

This is a sad, moving, and depressing view of what hard lives the women of Appalachia led, while working in textile plants,trying to carve out a decent existence in the face of poverty. This story is centered on a woman who befriends a much younger girl at the factory and how their lives intersect through the years. There are no easy fixes in this story, the many layers of the characters are rich, and the descriptions very well-done, but it is not a feel-good book.

While I loved Gilmore's Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, this one didn't grab me in quite the same way. A lot of it is sad, some hopeful and I think I may have liked it more if I had someone to discuss it with. Probably a wonderful pick for a book group.

Southern writing at it's best. Fans of Lee Smith, Cassandra King will appreciate the despair and humor featured in The Funeral Dress. I feel like I know some of these characters. I especially like how Gilmore used the setting of the sewing factory to create another family setting to showcase in her novel, and to show your family by blood is not always the best or only place for you. The camaraderie of southern women is strong and Susan Gregg Gilmore makes it shine.

Provided by publisher

Teenage Emmalee Bullard has a baby, much to her surprise, and is basically on her own because her father turns away all offers of help. They live in a poor Appalachian town in former coal mining country and are dirt poor. Emmalee had worked at a garment factory until the moment of the baby's birth. Her seatmate, Leona Lane, extends an offer of help to Emmalee and baby Kelly Faye. However, the night before the two are to move in with Leona and her husband Curtiss, the Lanes are killed when their pickup truck plunges off the side of the mountain. Emmalee decides she will make Leona's burial dress, and the book proceeds from there. I would have given this book five stars except that the ending seemed a bit too predictable. Otherwise, I found it a very enjoyable read.½

I think what ruined this book for me is that Leona died early in the narrative. While Gilmore tries to salvage the story by flashing back to Leona's earlier life, the sadness of Leona's death prevailed. I would have rather read more about Leona and Emmalee's burgeoning friendship in those intervening three years (skipped over by the author) than one chapter in the present tense with Emmalee, one in the past with Leona.