BOOK REVIEW: GODS IN ALABAMA BY JOSHILYN JACKSON

 Hello dear readers! Today I'm back with another book review.  This was my first novel by Joshilyn Jackson. Gods in Alabama was her debut novel, I believe. It's always fun to discover a new author. Let's start with the positives and work our way from there. What I liked the most about this novel is how it is focused on female relationships. On the surface, it might look like a love story mixed up with a murder mystery but at its core, it is something else. The novel follows a story of Arlene, who escaped the South never to come back. Arlene (who now goes by the name Lena) talks regularly on the phone with her aunt but refuses to visit her family in the South. Arlene was practically raised by her aunt because her mother was incapable of taking care of her. The relationship between the protagonist Arlene and her first cousin, the girls being as close as sisters, was quite touching. Moreover, the relationship between the protagonist Arlene and her aunt (who is in a way her adoptive mother) was  quite interesting and intense. I liked how the novel focused on the female characters, even if there was some place left for their character development.  Gods in Alabama might be a bit clumsy in the way it handled some things, but on overall it was a good read. 

My review will be accompanied with some appropriately 'girly' photographs. I took these photographs about a week or so ago, when I finished this interesting novel. Besides this book review, I will also show you two outfits featuring vintage dresses I inherited and a bouquet of flowers. My husband bought me this bouquet of flowers for his birthday. Isn't that so sweet? A typical Leo, he is. Always generous. I though this floral bouquet matched the cover of the book quite nicely not to mention my vintage dresses.  You never know where you will find inspiration for your next outfit. 






The plot of the novel is simple enough. Arlene has got a secret. That is what kept her away from the South. She has made a promise to God to stay away from men and live according to her faith. In return, God should help her keep her secret. Arlene is in serious relationship with a very patient (and a bit too perfect to be convincing) tax layer. Somehow he puts up with her wanting to remain celibate until marriage, but he draws the line when she refuses to take him to meet her family.  This is what is said on the book itself and it is a pretty good introduction to this novel: "For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. "


I have a soft spot for Southern American writers so I figured I should give this one a go.  As I explained Jackson is new to me. I don't regret picking up this novel. Even if Jackson is no Faulkner, her writing engaged me. Indeed, Jackson's writing is quite energetic and dynamic. The beginning of the novel is quite intense and dramatic.  Maybe a little bit too melodramatic for my taste, but there is a healthy dose of humour that makes it easier to swallow.  

I mean the opening paragraph to this novel is pretty hilarious: “There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus.” The writer then goes on to point out the protagonist left one of them behind. That got me interested soon enough. Bonus points to me for instantly figuring out what god the protagonist Arlene/ Lena left behind. Instantly, I felt drawn into this story. I cannot say that the entire novel was as powerful as the beginning pages, but some parts of it were quite impressive. I only wish it was a  more balanced or ambitious piece of writing.


This writer has got spirit, I give her that. However, at times this novel feels like a strange mix of chic lit, murder mystery and family drama. It is too melodramatic to be taken seriously even when it covers some difficult topics such as: abuse, drinking, violence, depression, loneliness, bullying, self-harming and racism. Maybe it is all a bit too much for one book? I mean there really is a lot put into this novel. Fortunately, there were some funny moments along the way to ease the reading. Not enough to completely forgive the slow, predictable (and yet unconvincing) plot development and a generally stereotyped portrayal of South, though. Nevertheless, there is enough spirit and humour in this novel to make it an enjoyable read. 

Despite some plot holes and general silliness, I found Gods in Alabama to be an interesting read. This is Joshilyn Jackson's first novel I believe and it shows. The ending doesn't really make sense, the characters are not as well developed as I would like and the dialogues don't sound natural. However, within its pages, there is a nervous kind of energy that captivates the reader- at least that is what I felt. Moreover, I simply loved how at its core this novel is more focused on a relationship between Arlene/Lena and her aunt (who basically raised her) then on any romantic relationship. Yes, there is a romantic relationship but it is not what drives the plot. I thought that was quite a fresh take on things. To conclude, this novel didn't really lived up to its potential, but it left me wanting more. I do want to read more Joshilyn Jackson!







I mentioned that I enjoy literature of the American South. By that I primarily mean writers like William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. I reviewed some of them in the past. 
ORPHEUS DESCENDING BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
THE TIMELESS WORLD OF A PLAY (A QUOTE) BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

When it comes to more contemporary readers, I feel I can recommend The Help by Kathryn Sockett. 

If you would like to read more of female authors, here is my list with 30 recommendations!





OUTFIT DETAILS

OUTFIT #1:

THE PINK DRESS- VINTAGE (worn here) + links bellow

THE WHITE SHIRT- OLD (a part of my old flight attendant uniform)

 ORANGE HEELS- OLD (not branded)




OUTFIT #2

THE RED DRESS- VINTAGE (with my DIY touched- I hand painted it and sewed the crystals myself)- worn here

THE ORANGE HEELS- OLD (not branded)- here & here





Thank you for reading and stopping by. Have a lovely day!

Comments

  1. J.P. Alexander21 August 2021 at 17:54

    No he leído nada de esa autora, pero me parece interesante. Lo tendré en cuenta . Me gustan tus zapatos y el vestido rosa.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ananka21 August 2021 at 18:43

    Sounds a good read and love love love these 2 outfits :-D

    ReplyDelete
  3. ellie22 August 2021 at 05:33

    Such lovely outfits. Amazing stilletos! Oh, some southern writers are better than others and when it comes to Southern women writers (America) they are usually over the top and practically trailer trash in some cases. Some of their southern ways can go a long way. Thanks so much for your review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split22 August 2021 at 09:35

      The ones I read were mostly really good. This one was nice but maybe a bit tacky (not trashy, though).

      Delete
  4. Caitlin'nMegan22 August 2021 at 05:35

    Oh, it does sound like a fun read! Lovely dresses too! Really, some lovely photos of your artwork as well as the book. Such a treat! Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ivana Split22 August 2021 at 06:39

    Thanks Elena.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Polyester Princess23 August 2021 at 10:33

    This novel certainly appeals to me, so thank you for the introduction.
    I used to read Southern American literature almost exclusively for a couple of years in my twenties.
    As for your outfits, they are both delightful, but the red dress especially so! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 August 2021 at 06:04

      Thank you, I love this red dress. I don't wear it as much as I should.

      Delete
  7. Sheila23 August 2021 at 14:38

    I love books that focus on female relationships - and what a great opening line!

    Gorgeous flowers - they go so well with your lovely outfits, Ivana. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 August 2021 at 06:04

      The opening line is hilarious- and it really makes sense it the context of the novel.

      Delete
  8. Vix24 August 2021 at 10:52

    Two fabulous frocks, you look fantastic!
    Thank you for the in depth review, as a rampant atheist I'm afraid I'd see the word God and have to leave the book on the shelf! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 August 2021 at 06:05

      It's not a very religious book, but since the murder mystery is a bit weak I'm not sure you'd like it.

      Delete

Post a Comment

All your comments mean a lot to me, even the criticism. Naravno da mi puno znači što ste uzeli vrijeme da nešto napišete, pa makar to bila i kritika. Per me le vostre parole sono sempre preziose anche quando si tratta di critiche.

Popular posts from this blog

The heart of a woman (an outfit post and a book recommendation / Srce žene (odjevna objava i preporuka knjige)

Image
  The Heart of a Woman   is a memoir by Maya Angelou. The events she describes in this book take place between 1957 and 1962 and in that sense this book is a continuation of her previous memoirs.  I do admire her courage when it comes to blending literature with autobiography. It is not an easy task and only a few have really gotten away with it. To narrate one's life, any period of it, in such an intimate way demands great courage, but turning that narration into a literature takes a kind of discipline and self restraint only great writers have, thought people generally don't realize how hard writing on this level really is. Years ago, I found a quote by Maya that really moved me but instead of looking her up immediately, I decided to wait. My intuition told me that a book by her will arrive at the perfect moment. Having read doctor Martin Luther King's autobiography earlier this year put many events in context. However, this memoir is much more than a sum of events, it i
Read more

PLUS 30 WAYS TO WEAR A BABY BLUE DRESS AND LEOPARD HEELS (OUTFIT POST, MOSTAR)

Image
 Hello! In this post, I'll share a sustainable baby blue and leopard spring styling. A pale blue might not be the first choice with leopard, but why not? For me leopard print is sort of a classic. I actually love to pair it with all kinds of colours, from more vibrant ones to pales ones. In the past, I paired it with cobalt blue . I definitely do not feel that leopard should be worn only with neutral colours. I mean I paired leopard with white, grey and black clothing items often enough, but I love to pair it with something that pops, be it a coloured or pattern item. I do love patterns. So, it's not surprising that I love to mix patterns.  Back to my baby blue & leopard outfit. I wore it for an outing and I really enjoyed it. The best about is that it is sustainable. What do I mean by sustainable? Well,  I mean that I not only shopped my closet, but wore most of these items more than thirty times. Mostar is so beautiful in Spring, isn't it? I love strolling the city an
Read more

Sights to see, places to visit / Znamenitosti za vidjeti, mjesta za posjetiti -----Goranci

Image
My Sights to see, places to visit feature would surely be missing something if I didn't include this little village Goranci in the list of places to visit. This charming little village is situated in the vicinity of Mostar.  I love to go there to espace the city heat.  If you are into cycling, you'd be happy to hear that you can rent a bike for free. You just need to leave your ID in the restaurant Goranci and you can take the bike. There is a wonderful cycling and pedestrian walk so be sure to check it out. As of recently, there is also a beautiful park at your disposal. This park is growing daily as new things are added to it(toys for kids and that sorts of stuff). If you look closely, you'll be able to see that some decorative trees are still being planted at the enterance to this park.  You can read some of my previous posts about this village here , here and here . Moja rubrika Znamenitosti za vidjeti, Mjesta za posjetiti ne bih bila potpuna bez Goranaca, malog
Read more

THE ISLAND OF THE MISSING TREES BY ELIF SHAFAK (BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

Image
Today I shall review The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. I was actually gifted this book. What a wonderful present it proved to be! Published in 2021, this postmodern  novel  follows two  story lines and uses framed narration.  The Island of Missing Trees  tells the life story of a Greek Turkish couple and their adolescent daughter.  This novel examines and explores a number of topics such as identity, migration, immigrant life, war trauma, memory, love and family. It's an ambitious novel that examines serious topics with due respect and sensitivity . I read it months ago, but I remember it vividly. Honestly, I cried a lot while reading this novel. It really moved me greatly. In fact, that is probably why it took me this long to finish this book review. I needed to emotionally process the story.   The Island of Missing Trees is   set in London and Cyprus. The narration isn't chronological .  The story jumps back and forth, following two main timelines, one set in moder
Read more

Fashion Illustration Friday: Inspired by Colours of Autum

Image
Time for another Fashion Illustration Friday talk. We'll talk autumn and share some new autumn inspired fashion illustrations & outfits. Autumn is a season with one of the most beautiful colour palettes. Just think about all those gorgeous gold and red leaves! Even the fruits of Autumn are visually stunning, for example the delicious and juicy fruits such as pomegranates and grapes. With so much to appeal to our senses, it's hard not to be appreciative of autumn. It is a stunning season indeed, so small wonder I was inspired to create some fashion art. Scroll down to see and read more.  AUTUMN COLOUR COMBOS TO CONSIDER Besides enjoying the colours of autumn, I sure love wearing colour in autumn, and that's what I'll write about today. Whether we're talking about accessories or clothes, a bit of colour can take us a long way. Here are some illustrated & photographed colour combos to consider. RED AND GREEN  Is it too early to start reaching fo
Read more

The Magic of Nature Park Hutovo Blato: Must See Places in Herzegovina

Image
I've been living as an expat in Bosnia and Herzegovina for almost a decade now. During this rather long period of time, I've discovered many wonderful places that I learned to treasure and appreciate. I wrote about most of them here in this little place I can my own. Still, some places are more special than others. It is hard to say why. Some reasons remain mysterious of the heart. Maybe life is more interesting that way. We don't always have to know everything. Sometimes we fall in love with places just the way we fall in love with people. All I can say is that Hutovo Blato is one of those special places. I've fallen in love with it during my first visit. Maybe it's the sea child in me that's feeling (and missing) the Adriatic? After all, the Adriatic is not far from here. That's what I felt on my first visit: a fascination with how familiar this place felt. Since then, I've been a pretty regular visitor. In many ways this nature park feels absol
Read more

Island Hvar inspired this necklace (outfit post)/ Otok Hvar je nadahnuće za ovu ogrlicu (odjevna kombinacija)

Image
If you spent each day on a different Croatian island, it would take you three years to visit them all, as there are more than a 1, 200 islands in Croatia. I visted only one Croatian island this Summer and I'm currently trying to work out in my head how many of them I have visited in my lifetime. Alas, only a handful of them. So many Croatian islands to visit, so little time!   Standing on my grandmother's terrace, I realize the root of my fascination with rocks. Not the precious or expenssive kind but rocks dig from earth so full of them that farming was almost impossible, rocks that build houses and fences, rocks that are testiment to a remarbakle strenght of people who populated and surrowed on islands lacking natural water resources or fertile land, defying thirst,  hunger, pirates and numerous enemy invasions.  I feel at home in both Split and Mostar but when I get off  the ferry and step onto island Hvar, I step into a magical world. It took me a while to define t
Read more

Not that pink dress again (outfit post) Ne ponovo ta roza haljina ( odjevna objava)

Image
Outfit details: headpin/ ukosnica: DIY/ ručni rad dress/ haljina: vintage, inherited from my mother / nasljeđena od majke bag/ torba: hand made by my late grandomother/ ručni rad pokojne bake scarf worn as belt/  Rubac nošen kao remen : Avon shoes/cipele: Peko Yes, I'm wearing this vintage pink dress once again! This time with a scarf worn as belt. Like that was not colourful enough, there is also this wonderful folklore Croatian bag. I decided to wear my new Peko shoes because I wanted to check whether they can be worn without tights (as one does in Summer)....and I'm happy to announce they've passed the test! I plan to wear them this Summer. That's going to be all, folks. I won't write much today, because yesterday I attended a wedding...and if you don't understand why I'm so tired, you probably never attendad a Slavic wedding....and no, this was not my wedding outfit. I'll show you that some other time. Da, p
Read more

Lake Mostar (revisited) / Mostarsko jezero (ponovni posjet).

Image
It is an interesting feeling to get to wear one's own painting. As I repeated many times, I quite enjoy painting with textile paints. You can see some of my previous posts on this subject here , here ,  here and  here  (just in case you're looking for some inspiration). The location where the photographs were taken is Lake Mostar.  I visited it earlier this Summer ( here  and here ) and I found it to be an absolutely beautiful and very calming place. In my effort to  make the most of the last days of Summer, I decided to revisted it....and it was a good call. I had felt blissfully happy while I was there.  Zanimljiv je osjećaj nositi svoje slike. Kao što sam puno puta ponovila, jako uživam slikati s tekstilnim bojama. Možete vidjeti neke od mojih prijašnjih objava na ovu temu ovdje , ovdje , ovdje i ovdje ( u slučaju da ste u potrazi za inspiracijom). Mjesto gdje su fotografije snimljene je jezero Mostar. Posjetila sam ga ranije ovog ljeta ( ovdje i ovdje ) i doživjela ga
Read more