Strong characters drive the plot of this delightful novel. Three generations of strong women, each strong in a different way, interact and learn about the corrosive power of secrets. The male characters are perhaps a little stereotypical, but in the service of the plot that is understandable and as it should be. The evocations of time and place are poignant and ring true. A home run from Glover. ( )

Going Down South by Bonnie J. Glover

Going Down South is the story of three generations of women with three generations worth of secrets. Birdie the matriarch of the family is a blue-black woman with a questionable background. Birdie’s daughter Daisy, left Alabama at an early age never to return again, or so she thought. Olivia Jean, Daisy’s daughter changed that with the realization that she is pregnant at 15. Daisy decides that she and her husband, Turk will take Olivia Jean to live with Birdie, whom Olivia Jean has never met. Once they reach Alabama, the plan changes. Secrets are revealed, feelings explained and relationships recovered.

Bonnie J. Glover does an excellent job revealing the personality and history behind each of the three women. While men are very much present in this novel, the role they play is secondary at best. Men are discussed only in relation to one of the three lead characters. While Glover does not talk ad nauseum about the time period in which she is writing, she does a good job of conveying general feelings and social mores of the time.

Going Down South will leave you feeling hopeful. If these three Black Alabama women could overcome all that had to and still find some semblance of peace, then what’s stopping the next woman from doing it. Nothing. ( )

Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com

This is a story of women spanning three different generations.

Olivia Jean is the apple of her daddy's eye and is praised by her mama for her good grades. Now, she's pregnant at fifteen.

Her parents, Daisy and Turk, decide it's best for her to go down south and live with her grandma, Birdie, to hide their shame. Birdie isn't going to make it that easy, though. She gives them the ultimatum that Olivia Jean is welcome to stay, but only if Daisy stays, as well.

Daisy hasn't been in contact with her mama for years and can't imagine how this will work. She figured this would be her chance to work on her relationship with Turk. After all, he doesn't come home for days at a time. What's he up to?

These three women must learn to live together and be a family. All of them are harboring secrets that need to be revealed if they are ever going to learn to forgive, love, and move on with their lives. They must pull at their inner strengths in order to stand up for what's right and what they believe in.

This endearing story is set in the 1960's and is full of moments that make the reader want to keep on reading. I found myself anxious to reach the ending just to see what happens. I highly recommend GOING DOWN SOUTH! ( )

A story about three generations of women finding their strength and learning to love each other. The author did a wonderful job bringing her characters to life. ( )

For those who enjoy Southern Literature, add Going Down South to your list of must reads. That said, people who tend to avoid this genre might end up enchantment by this story. I was. Bonnie J. Glover, the book’s author, brought together three African American characters: fifteen year old Olivia Jean, her mother, Daisy, and her grandmother, Birdie. Each had their very own story to tell.

It’s the early 1960s when Olivia Jean discovers she is pregnant out of wedlock. Her father and mother pack her up and head down south to Birdie’s. Old wounds are reopened and secrets revealed as these three come to terms with their own obstacles.

My copy to be given away at http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com. Look in the right sidebar under Giveaways. ( )