Book Review: Deb Rogers' Florida Woman

Thank you to a rep from HarperCollins for bringing a galley of Deb Rogers’ novel, Florida Woman, to the bookstore where I work. I was lucky to attend a talk with the rep and her description of Florida Woman made me borrow it from our store’s galley collection and bump it to the top of my shelf.

During a bizarre event at a restaurant, Jaime, unwittingly turns herself into a “Florida Woman” meme and lands in jail. As part of a parole/restitution/rehabilitation scheme, her lawyer finds an opportunity for Jaime to work off the remainder of her sentence at a macaque sanctuary. Jaime will live in the sanctuary, located deep in the wilds of Florida, and work with the founders, a trio of women who have an usual outlook on life. Although remote and rustic, Jaime initially embraces the opportunity, thinking that anything is better than jail. However, as the founders become comfortable with Jaime’s presence, their behavior becomes increasingly disturbing and cultish, leading Jaime to wonder if she has put herself in a dangerous situation.

Florida Woman is a strange and wonderful ride. It takes the idea of “Florida man/woman” and flips it, turning this regional stereotype into an unlikely hero. Rogers has a sharp and dark sense of humor. Her writing reminds me Carl Hiaasen, not only for the Florida setting, but for the bizarre, off-beat characters and style of humor. Rogers keeps the tension and sense of danger throughout and I could not have predicted the journey that Jaime takes. The ending perfectly ties with the title and theme. Florida Woman is a really fun and quirky summer read.

Book Review- Annie Lyons' The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with a copy of Annie Lyons’ novel, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, in exchange for an honest review.

Eudora Honeysett is eight-five years old and done with life. She decides that the most dignified death would be to pursue assisted suicide through a company in Switzerland. The process is not simple. It requires doctors appointments and months of thought, during which Eudora’s otherwise predictable life changes with the addition of new friends, including an unusual little girl named Rose and a fellow senior named Stanley. As Eudora discovers that there might be more to her life than she imagined, she is forced to confront difficult issues in her past.

I loved The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. It’s an emotional journey that had me in tears for the last quarter of the story. I had to put the book down many times, because I became overcome with emotion. The best, most memorable books are ones that shake me to the core, and Lyons’ characters are sure to stay with me for a long time.

The story alternates between the present and Eudora’s younger years. We learn that trauma from Eudora’s early years has led her to put up walls, to protect herself. Octogenarian Eudora is tough, and even has a difficult time softening towards her cat, Montgomery. Lyons carefully balances the difficult senior Eudora, with the hurt child Eudora, giving us a well-rounded, relatable character.

I was struck by how much Eudora reminded me of my mother-in-law. This is not to say that they had similar situations, but more in the general way that senior Eudora has firm ideas about how a person should behave and tends to discredit activities that others use for joy. I also found my niece, Charis, in the character of Rose. Like my niece, Rose is an absolute force of nature, who gathers other people in her orbit. It’s a wonderful quality in a person, but it also means facing criticism by those less comfortable in their own skin. Eudora tries to resist Rose, but Rose simply won’t let her.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is the perfect story to remind us to be compassionate towards others and to remember that we don’t always know the trials that other people face. It’s also a story about the importance of building our own tribe and that blood relatives are not our only family. Lyons has written an absolutely beautiful story with unforgettable characters. She is a new author discovery for me and I was thrilled to learn that she has written many other novels. I look forward to reading them all.