This is not my general fair but was a treat none the less. Florida Grace Shepard looks back over her life without prejudice and tells the tale of growing up the daughter of a serpent handling preacher in North Carolina in the 60's. It's really beautifully told and would not let me go until I got to the end. ( )

Not one of my favorite Lee Smith novels, but it is still good. This one is set pretty much in my backyard, and that's always pretty cool to read about. It's the story of Grace, the daughter of a traveling, snake-handling preacher. It's also the story of the family's fall from grace and Grace's attempt to find redemption after that. I would recommend Fair and Tender Ladies to someone who wants to see what Lee Smith is all about, but this is a decent story for anyone who is already a fan. ( )

This is Lee Smith at her best. Through the voice of Florida Grace Shepherd we relive her poverty stricken 1950s childhood in Scrabble Creek, North Carolina and later follow her through adolescence and her adult life. The brilliance of this story is in the childhood Grace describes as a daughter to a serpent-handling, evangelistic preacher. Though Grace is known to have her doubts, she loves her mother and father dearly and clings to the memories of the years she lived in a borrowed house on the side of a mountain with brothers and sisters she adores. Her southern dialect gives an honest voice to a child struggling to understand her situation which makes her so different from the lives she sees around her, but also allows her the beauty of a simple time and place. As Grace develops into a young lady and tragedy strikes her family, the story changes dramatically in the years she spends with her father on the road and the final betrayal by him. Grace redefines herself several times before embracing her childhood and returning to her roots. ( )

Not impressed with this one. I can, however, see how some people would like it. The roots of Florida Grace captivated me, but the older she got, the more I disliked the story & the less compassion I felt for her. By the time Randy Newhouse showed up, I was bored. Needless to say, I don't think I will be picking up any more Lee Smith books in the future. ( )