BOOKS in Review: A Red State of Mind: How a Catfish Queen Reject Became a Liberty Belle by Nancy French
I'm a book junkie--admittedly, several times on this blog!--so when the opportunity arises to get a free book to review it on my blog, I'm there. No questions asked.But here's the thing, Nancy French, author of my latest review A Red State of Mind: How a Catfish Queen Reject Became a Liberty Belle, had no idea that I am a fiction reader. For the most part anyway. And she was throwing me blog and mind fodder for WEEKS. And a memoirish type book that definitely has something to say.
So here I sit--new book in hand, review to write, and a mind full of spittle I want to share. But, first let me tell you, this book WILL get notice for Nancy. Some of it good. Some of it not so good. Only because her topics--politics and religion. But hey, Nancy is no stranger to walking the line. She's written for years for the Philadelphia City Paper columns about these very topics. And, if you read the book, hate mail is no stranger to her (unfortunately).
Which brings me to the review. If you love blogs, you'll likely love this book. It reads very much like a conversational journal with funny anecdotes and humor only someone like Nancy could pull off. I mean, who can talk about religion and politics and make you smile? For me--and this is personal taste--her research, quotes, and cited sources were a bit of a distraction from the funny tales of living North with a South mentality--and vice versa (because dear Nancy, once thrown in a Northern culture and then moved back South, sorta adopted some of the Northern mentality).
The book IS funny. It IS poignant. It does tell a great tale of dealing with basic cultural differences. And for me, coming from the rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I can relate. So, much so, I wondered if it really is a north/south thing at all. Maybe it is rural versus urban people. Because, honestly, there is a bigger divide in THAT culture difference to me than anything else.
Anyway, give the book a chance. It has the fun, flippant voice so often found in women's fiction and it has a point. A very definite stance on cultural divides. If you're not into the pointed discussions, read this book for its humor. It's chalked full. Read it for the internal dialogue Nancy is sharing with the world. It's honest. She writes like she's your best friend sitting across the table with a steaming cup of coffee. And for me, that made it a one-day-read. One about a topic I likely would have never given a chance on my own.
