"Perennials"

by 

Julie Cantrell

Description

When two estranged sisters reunite for their parents’ 50th anniversary, a family tragedy brings unexpected lessons of hope and healing amid the flowers of their mother’s perennial garden.

Eva Sutherland—known to all as Lovey—grew up safe and secure in Oxford, Mississippi, surrounded by a rich literary history and her mother’s stunning flower gardens. But a shed fire, and the injuries it caused, changed everything. Her older sister, Bitsy, blamed Lovey for the irreparable damage. Bitsy became the homecoming queen and the perfect Southern belle who could do no wrong. All the while, Lovey served as the family scapegoat, always bearing the brunt when Bitsy threw blame her way.

At eighteen, suffocating in her sister’s shadow, Lovey turned down a marriage proposal and fled to Arizona. Free from Bitsy’s vicious lies, she became a successful advertising executive and a weekend yoga instructor, carving a satisfying life for herself. But at forty-five, Lovey is feeling more alone than ever and questioning the choices that led her here.

When her father calls insisting she come home three weeks early for her parents’ 50th anniversary, Lovey is at her wits’ end. She’s about to close the biggest contract of her career, and there’s a lot on the line. But despite the risks, her father’s words, “Family First,” draw her back to the red-dirt roads of Mississippi.

Lovey is drawn in to a secret project—a memory garden her father has planned as an anniversary surprise. As she helps create this sacred space, Lovey begins to rediscover her roots, learning how to live perennially in spite of life’s many trials and tragedies.

Years ago, Lovey chose to leave her family and the South far behind. But now that she’s returned, she’s realizing things at home were not always what they seemed.

Biography

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, Julie Cantrell is known for writing inspirational novels that explore the hard truths women typically keep secret. While she delves into emotional issues, she does so with a compassionate and open heart, always bringing readers through to a hopeful path for peace, empathy, and healing. 

Julie's debut novel, Into the Free (2012, David C Cook), earned a rare starred review by Publishers Weekly, became an international bestseller, and received two Christy Awards and the Mississippi Library Association Fiction Award. It spent three weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists (both print and e-book), made the USA TODAY Top 150, and was listed as a top read of the year by LifeWay and USA TODAY. 

The sequel, When Mountains Move (2014, David C Cook), received the ACFW Carol Award for Historical Fiction, made many best read lists, and was again named a top read of the year by both USA TODAY and LifeWay Christian Stores. 

Her third novel, The Feathered Bone (January, 2016, HarperCollins/TNZ), was chosen Book of the Year by the largest book club in the world (Pulpwood Queens) and was selected as a Top Read by Library Journal. It is currently a finalist for both a Carol and an INSPY award, and is set in Louisiana where Julie spent her childhood.

Perennials (November, 2017, HarperCollins/TNZ) is Julie's fourth novel. Another work of Southern fiction, this story is set in her current community of Oxford, Mississippi, a literary mecca for many writers and readers. The story explores themes of family relationships, the seasons of life, and the search for a place called home.

A speech-language pathologist and literacy advocate, Julie was honored to receive the 2012 Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Fellowship. She also received the 2016 Mary Elizabeth Nelson Fellowship at Rivendell Writer's Colony, which is awarded to a writer who encourages spiritual growth, healing, and care through his or her work. 

Julie and her two children now live in Oxford, Mississippi where they spent six years operating Valley House Farm, a sustainable organic farmstead, before moving into a new adventure. 

Learn more:
Website: www.juliecantrell.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliecantrellauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieCantrell

My Perspective ~

Sisters, and the events and anguish that separate them are the essence of this heartrending story. A comment regarded as preference for one daughter over the other caused bitterness that persisted for a lifetime. Our perceptions of an imagined act of favoritism can eat away at the hearts of our very being. Lovey and Bitsy carried that misguided perception for years. The relationships that paralleled the lives of these sisters were troublesome and unpleasant. Their parents' 50th anniversary party brings the two together after a lengthy separation. Their family yearned that healing would begin if the sisters could see beyond the past and find forgiveness for one another.

This author has a gift of developing strong and believable characters that create a clear picture of how each character functions. Most characters throughout this book are charming and engaging. I had a difficult time liking Lovey and Bitsy, and that influenced my reactions to this book. Names and nicknames affected me as trite and somewhat irritating. This may be a geographical difference and doesn't affect my rating of this book.

The perennial gardens and literary connections add to the execution of this memorable story. That coupled with the relationship between the Sutherlands reveals that true love can survive the test of good and bad times. Adversity comes to all in different ways, and the reactions and actions that one takes has a profound effect on circumstances beyond our control. 

Detailed descriptions are breathtaking, and create an artistic portrait of the grandeur that defines Perennials! I highly recommend this very poignant work of art!

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this book for my own pleasure. All expressed opinions are my own.