From the Heart
Sweet tea, a gentle breeze blowing as I sit on our back porch and a novel that grips my heart. Summer has arrived on Twelfth Street.
A few weeks ago an advanced copy of “The Myth of Perpetual Summer” was delivered to me by the author, Susan Zinn Crandall. Susan and I have been friends since kindergarten in Mrs. Oliver’s class at Conner School in 1961.
I have read every one of her books. All 12 of them. This is my favorite.
When you become so engrossed in the lives of the characters of a book that you lose all track of time and find yourself turning pages long after your bedtime. When you can’t wait to get to the end of some 300+ pages but dread letting go of the story. When you finish the book while sitting on the bleachers at your granddaughter’s softball game. Then you know you have been caught up in a great story.
The strong southern grandmother, the family with mental health issues, the brother accused of murder and the struggle to find acceptance in southern society … they all were captured and made real in the words of Susan Crandall. Her words may be written in black and white but there is so much color to the story.
“The Myth of Perpetual Summer” will be released on Tuesday, June 19. Copies will be available at her book launch from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Forest Park Inn in Noblesville.
Susan has a gift for words that take you into the lives of her characters. After reading “The Myth of Perpetual Summer,” my husband said she brings real depth to her characters.
Coming of age in the South. Being a part of a family that beckons the whispers of the small town folk. Taking on adult responsibility when a young girl should enjoy just being a kid. Having a mother who wants to save the world yet while trying to do so, loses her family.
Tallulah James is from a small town in Mississippi. She moves to California but after several years feels compelled to go back home to deal with both betrayal and murder in her family. Upon her return she discovers some family secrets that have been tucked behind closed doors for years.
If you loved reading “The Help,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you will enjoy “The Myth of Perpetual Summer.”
Just know that you will be caught up in the family secrets and complications surrounding Tallulah and her family.
And now after writing this column … I think I need to read Susan’s latest novel again. Yes, it’s that good.
So grab a glass of sweet tea and get ready to enjoy the hot summer on the porch with a great novel. You won’t be disappointed.
Susan, my dear forever friend, you rock as a writer!