Goodreads: Rosa Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy - one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Roses's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first. Hot-blooded Rosa Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate - death by marriage - and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.
Kritters Thoughts: Wow, what a book! I definitely took a few days to fully digest this book. Full of very serious issues - parental abuse, spousal abuse and more.
A story about a young woman in a horrible relationship who finds herself on a quest to find herself, her past and her future. I couldn't believe the adventures she had been through, she was one tough chick. I am still processing the book and am excited to say I have talked my book club into putting it on the list for the next year, so I will be rereading it in May.
I loved how her life parralleled her mom's life and the ending which I cannot spoil just took me for a spin. A powerful story about how a child's upbringing affects them for the REST of their lives. And also how we as children usually repeat our parents mistakes.
I would recommend this book to all of my female friends, especially those who have both strong and interesting relationships with their mothers. Definitely a must read, especially when you are ready for a thick one!
Rating:
absolutely loved it and want a sequel
Pages: 336
Cover Challenge Jan-March: Repetition
I loved this one on audio as well. The author took a very serious topic and created a fantastic tale giving the reader (or listener) a lot to think about. I loved that the author was the narrator. I think that it really added to the story.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the audiobook too. It was such a great story!
ReplyDeleteHave you read Gods in Alabama? It's set in the same Alabama town and has some of the same characters in it and it is wonderful!
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