Today I finished the book, The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew.  I liked it more than I wanted to due to its subject matter.  I’m growing tired of wonderful black maids in the 1950s south with mostly ignorant white people to serve except for that one young girl who sees the person working in their home as a person.  And so begins this book, but wait, there’s more.  There is mystery, suspense, sexual affairs and bad business all wrapped into this story.  It was sort of like riding a roller coaster.  It probably took two, maybe 2.5 weeks to get through half the book (click click click up the first hill).  It’s well written but not so ‘out of the box’ that you can’t wait to sit back down and read a few more pages.  Then the coaster starts down the hill….it’s fast, twists, turns, goes up another hill but much faster this time and before you’re ready, the story grinds to a halt and you have to step out of your car.

My good friend is the one to loan me this book.  It was nice to hold one again as I read almost everything on my iPad these days.  Kelly has never steered me wrong with one of her suggestions but like I said, I wasn’t rushing to start this one.  Our young heroine, Jubie, is tall and gangly as she’s just on the verge of becoming a young woman.  Mary is the family’s domestic.  The stereotypes shine immediately:  Jubie’s mother is fairly negligent of the four children so Mary steps in to give hugs and encouragement, Jubie’s father is a functioning alcoholic, her older sister is a shiny haired cheerleader with her act seemingly together, etc.

I really enjoyed The Dry Grass of August and liked learning a bit more about the author.  This is Ms. Mayhew’s debut novel and she was 71 when it was released.  Wow.

So Is It A Good Story?  Yes.  Well written and just a little outside “The Help” type of genre.  Hardback?  Nah, just grab this one in paperback.