This is my first try at a Mary Alice Monroe book, and I must say that on the whole I expected to feel more moved by it. Admittedly, it was enjoyable enough, although a little old fashioned. It did bring back a lot of images of my trip to South Carolina and the Low Country, back in 2006. I truly loved that part of the story: the scenery really spoke to me. In my head I could totally picture that old plantation that has belonged to the Blakely family for centuries.This story is well written, but for some odd reason I found it hard to relate to many of the characters: like I said, I thought that the tone of the story was a bit out-dated as far as the personal stories of the characters are concerned. I must say I did like Preston, the family patriarch, very much. Preston, who suffered a severe stroke but who is strong and kind, and, with the help and love of his family, is on his way to a semi-recovery. Also the part of saving the land – that felt credible. I was all for that.US title: Sweetgrass – UK title: The Secrets We Keep.Synopsis: Sweetgrass is a historic tract of land in South Carolina that has been home to the Blakely family for eight generations. But Sweetgrass—named for the indigenous grass that grows in the area—is in trouble. Taxes are skyrocketing. Bulldozers are leveling the surrounding properties. And the Blakelys could be forced to sell the one thing that continues to hold their disintegrating family together.In this poignant novel of hope, acceptance and the powerful gift of forgiveness,the author paints an intimate portrait of a family that must learn to unravel old patterns and weave together a new future.
Mama June and Preston Blakely have seen their share of hard times in their 47 years of marriage: the death of their older son; the desertion of their younger son; the estrangement of their daughter. Now they are facing perhaps, the hardest time of all. The Blakely family is in danger of losing their beloved home, Sweetgrass, in the Lowcountry--the home that has been in the family for generations. Preston has had a serious stroke and it is now up to Mama June to decide what to do, but she cannot do it alone. A surprise visit from her son and her determined daughter step in to help.The story is about all those things that can pull a family apart and this family has plenty of lies, secrets, anger, and misunderstandings; most of which you can already guess as the story progresses. And then there is love and loyalty.As the story neared the end, I found myself cheering for the broken family. The characters were well defined and I chose the side I wanted to win. While the legalities of all the deeds and misdeeds were a little beyond my understanding, I certainly got emotionally involved in what was my own sense of what was "right". That is the sign of a good book for me, and for some reason, this born and raised in the Midwest girl just loves stories about the Lowcountry. I must be a southern girl at heart!
What do You think about Sweetgrass (2006)?
I admit, I bought this book for its absolutely gorgeous cover. Little did I know, there was a heartfelt family saga inside, just waiting to be read.There have only been a few books I've read over the last couple of years that had such great characters with integrity and reality. I loved "meeting" each one of them, and I will carry them with me long after I lend this book to a friend.The illness that befell Preston was very sad, but it lent such warmth and hope to the story. Morgan was a story within himself, as was Mary June. The novel reveals that, although families aren't perfect, family members are the reeds that are lives woven like one, great, big, wonderful sweetgrass basket.
—Susan O'Bryant
Mary June Blakely and Preston Blakely have been married for forty-seven years; they have spent their entire marriage at Sweetgrass, the Blakley's ancestral home. Unfortunately, their marriage is tested when Preston succumbs to a stroke and when Preston's greedy, developer-friendly, real estate agent sister pressures the family to sell Sweetgrass. As Preston undergoes therapy at home, the various members of the Blakely family finally come to grips with some personal demons and family secrets that have been buried for decades. Interwoven into the family drama is snippets of Lowcountry history and the sweetgrass basket industry that has sustained the African American community since the early days of slavery.***You can read more of my book reviews at my blog: http://www.thesouthernbookworm.blogsp...
—Aspasia
Eight generations of the Blakely family have lived in the Sweetgrass estate in the South Carolina low country on the Atlantic coast. As snowbirds pour into the south to find their retirement havens, the property taxes have rapidly risen making Preston, the patriarch, lost for alternatives. He calls his estranged prodigal son, Jordan, home from Montana the night he suffers a massive stroke. With Mama June at his side, the family, with all its secrets, tragedies, and long hurt feelings, must alter the way it copes. OMGoodness! Are family secrets a southern specialty? Whatever the answer, the cadence and gentleness of spirit reinforces for me why I spend my retirement here in the south. Pass me some sweet iced tea as I reach for another good read; hopefully I will miss the new characters as much as I will miss the Blakelys!
—Rita
