Monday, July 18, 2011

Teaser Tuesday 92: Summer in the South

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!


I spent the weekend inside where it was (somewhat) cool and comfortable, with most of my time spent reading this book. I was especially drawn to this book after hearing the author got the idea for it during a visit to a cemetery. I have long loved visiting old cemeteries and often thought them rich in untold stories. This was a fast and engaging book—perfect reading for a heat wave.




It was one way she had found to fill her solitary childhood, but it was more than that; the act of creation gave substance and shape to her life. It made order out of the chaos.
(pg 150)

~*~*~*~

Everyone has a different story, and you have to ask yourself what motivates people to see reality the way they do.
(pg 165)



ABOUT THE BOOK:
Summer in the South
By Cathy Holton

After a personal tragedy, Chicago writer Ava Dabrowski quits her job to spend the summer in Woodburn, Tennessee, at the invitation of her old college friend Will Fraser and his two great-aunts, Josephine and Fanny Woodburn. Her charming hosts offer Ava a chance to relax at their idyllic ancestral estate, Woodburn Hall, while working on her first novel.

But Woodburn is anything but quiet: Ancient feuds lurk just beneath its placid surface, and modern-day rivalries emerge as Ava finds herself caught between the competing attentions of Will and his black-sheep cousin Jake. Fascinated by the family’s impressive history—their imposing house filled with treasures, and their mingling with literary lions Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Faulkner—Ava stumbles onto rumors about the darker side of the Woodburns’ legacy. Putting aside her planned novel, she turns her creative attentions to the eccentric and tragic clan, a family with more skeletons (and ghosts) in their closets than anyone could possibly imagine. As Ava struggles to write the true story of the Woodburns, she finds herself tangled in the tragic history of a mysterious Southern family whose secrets mirror her own.



* Disclainer: A copy of this book was won from the author through a book blog.




16 comments:

Shelley Munro said...

This sounds like an interesting book, Heather. I enjoy exploring old cemetaries as well.

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

This one sounds really good! I like the idea of an escape to another place, with a completely different focus to shake things up.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Harvee said...

I'm always intrigued by books set in the South. Nice teaser. Here's my teaser: Blood Trust

Heather said...

Shelley: It was interesting, esp. seeing how the dual threads of Ava's story (and the book she was writing) intertwined with the past story of Aunts Fanny and Josephine.

Laurel-Rain: Yes, I wouldn't mind that sort of escape from time to time myself. Especially if it was all-expenses paid, grin.

Book: I thought that aspect might appeal to some people. *vbg*

jlshall said...

Wow, family history and dark secrets - this one sounds like a great read! Love the teasers.

Heather said...

Joy: Yes, indeed. Dark secrets and family history are always good for intrigue.

Aisle B said...

I like the last quote. It is so true everyone sees life in many different ways: no two people will have the same reaction to the same event.

Kyanara_BJD said...

HI,

Great teaser!
Thnx for stopping by my blog today
have a wonderfull day
Kyanara

Jenny Q said...

I don't do a lot of contemporaries, but this is one I'd like to read. I love visiting old cemeteries, too!

Heather said...

Aisle B: Very true. How many times will one be talking with friends, and no one else will remember something that happened at an event you all attended, or won't remember it the way you do?

Kyanara: Thank you!

Jenny Q: I don't read a lot of the more literary fiction myself, but every now and then you stumble across a book that calls to you.

Pooch said...

What a lovely teaser and an alluring title, too. Thanks for sharing it! Come by to say hello!
:)

Anonymous said...

Wow, your teasers are very deep... really love the last one:)

Thanks for visiting.

Alice Audrey said...

I was outside, mostly in the ocean.

Heather said...

Pooch: Thank you, and thanks for visiting!

Tania: That's me--deep. Thanks for popping by! *G*

Alice: Yes, I saw your "Sailing away" post last week. Hope you had a good time and packed plenty of sunscreen!

Alice Audrey said...

I packed a bottle and a tube of sunscreen and my mother packed two tubes. We used it all and still got burned. Worth it though.

Jealous? *evil grin*

Heather said...

Jealous of the journey, yes. Of the sunburn, no. lol Glad you had fun!