I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

" Hazel had always said, 'Don't give up before the miracle happens.' And if this wasn't a miracle, Maggie didn't know what was." from the novel, page 310

I have read several of Fannie Flagg's novels over the years and have enjoyed them all. This one is no exception. There is a lot to like about I Still Dream About You, including its combination of humor, mystery and charming characters. One of my favorite minor characters, Hazel, though dead 5 years at the start of the novel, struck me as someone I'd love to know in real life.

The main character, Maggie, would seem to have the perfect life but she feels very inadequate, to the point where she has given up on life. Strangely, the day before finishing the novel, I began to understand Maggie much more after seeing a podcast lecture presented by Brene` Brown, a sociologist. Ms. Brown was talking about her research into human feelings of self-worth and the lack of it. She found that people who felt worthy generally had the following characteristics in common: courage, compassion, connection (to others) and vulnerability. I found myself thinking of Maggie and saw her as an example of someone who had a poor sense of self-worth. She did seem to have friends and genuinely cared for them but she just couldn't forgive herself for mistakes in the past and accept her own imperfections, thus she was failing miserably in the vulnerability department.

The setting of Birmingham, Alabama, made the story even more personal for me, since my high school years were spent in North Alabama and many landmarks and historical and cultural references were quite familiar.

I loved the interweaving of the history of the Crocker family and the "dream house" into the timeline of Maggie's life, with its many flashbacks and an intriguing mystery to wonder about. I'd rate the novel a 4 plus!

Gypped by Carol Higgins Clark

I practically inhaled this one---a very fast-paced mystery! I read it in a couple of days and it may be forgotten almost as quickly.  A literature professor once said that good literature teaches life lessons. Nothing like that here---just an entertaining read!  It would certainly not be a good choice for our Page Turners group; not much "meat" to discuss.

The novel is one in a series involving private investigator, Regan Reilly.  Interestingly all have one word past tense titles similar to this one---Mobbed, Wrecked, Cursed, Zapped, and so on.  I've probably read at least a couple though I really couldn't say which.  In Gypped, Regan is visiting Los Angeles with her husband when she runs into Zelda, a former friend, and she very quickly becomes involved in some mysterious events in Zelda's life, even putting herself in harm's way.

Gypped is not memorable, just enjoyable. I give it a 3.

A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama

"Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend."
                                        -Mao Tse-Tung, China, 1956

This quote was seemingly the cause of a lot of trouble for political dissidents, including the family featured in this novel. Near the beginning, the father, Sheng, is accused of writing a letter of criticism to the government, arrested and sent far away to a labor camp for "reeducation." The plot involves how his wife, son and father deal with this trauma over a period of several months. There are a few other nonfamily characters who are affected, as well. Ms. Tsukiyama does a fine job of developing her very likeable characters. I found myself wanting to read on because I cared about them and wanted them to find happiness. One of the minor characters says toward the end of the book, "Sometimes the best lessons are in the journey, regardless of the outcome." Very profound, I think.

This is a new author for me and I will definitely read more of her work. A Hundred Flowers was a delightful novel, set in a time and place unfamiliar to me so it was a learning experience, too. I would rate the novel a 4.