At Home in Covington by Joan Medlicott

At Home in Covington by Joan Medlicott, 2004 (Find this book in our catalog)
Set in a small North Carolina mountain town, this story is part of a series about three open-minded ladies of a certain age, but the book can be read and enjoyed alone. Amelia, Grace and Hannah, finding themselves single and with relaxing family ties, have moved in together into a Victorian farmhouse in Covington. At this stage of their story, the ladies are in their early seventies. Each one has come to terms with her life and is confident and comfortable with herself; however, they find that life is inevitably filled with change, not all of it pleasant. The events of 9/11 have just happened. Grace’s son’s partner dies from AIDS, and her son returns to Covington, forcing Grace to confront a difficult relationship. Hannah receives in the mail a mysterious diary that opens up for her a past that she thought she had laid to rest and that calls in question her decision to marry Max. Amelia organizes a Caribbean cruise for the three to give them a break from their worries. Is the cruise going to be a success, or will the three start to question their friendship? Along with all the worries there are joys: the birth of a new baby, the loving support of companions. Both new readers and series fans will plunge right into the warmth and charm of this celebration of female friendship.

The Secret Lives of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton

I just finished this book while I was on vacation and can recommend it for beach or poolside, particularly if you are somewhere in the South.

Following The Revenge of the Kudzu Debutants, this second installment in the lives of an independent group of women from Ithaca, Georgia, is the ideal fun beach read, “packed with authentic Southern flavor and characters as colorful as azaleas in full bloom,” according to the jacket notes. Nita, Lavone, and Eadie are fast friends from the time each was married to one of the three partners in the most prestigious law firm in town. Now the partnership and two of their marriages are dissolved, and the three friends are getting on with their lives, each having newly discovered her independence. As the book opens, however, each friend is facing anxieties and sadness. Nita is anxious about her impending marriage to a man thirteen years her junior, who makes some very risky financial decisions to prove himself to his new bride and her connections. Lavonne is lonely and longs for love despite her new slim figure and her business success. Eadie remains married to Trevor but feels neglected and indulges in an excess of alcohol and wild behavior, ignoring her own artistic gifts. At this most vulnerable time, Virginia Broadwell, grand dame of Ithaca and Nita’s ex-mother-in-law, sees her opportunity to exact her revenge on the three friends for their part in her own social and economic downfall in the wake of the scandal that ruined the law firm. Virginia hatches a devious plot, but hides secrets in her past that could prove her Achilles heel. Will the friends be able to pull together their wit, spirit, and gumption in order to derail Virginia’s scheme?

This is a fun read and it is also a very good picture of friendship among women. I thought the characters were very sympathetically and perceptively drawn, even the larger-than-life character of Virginia Broadwell. Her over-the-top persona provides a good bit of the comedy in the book, which is very funny in places. There is lots of sly observation of character and motive that makes people believable among all the characterizations. Perhaps the book makes you think how people can start to believe their own legends of themselves? Give the book a try and tell me what you think.