Search - Sweetgrass

I admit, I bought this book for its absolutely gorgeous cover. Little did I know, there was a heartfelt family saga inside, just waiting to be read.

There have only been a few books I've read over the last couple of years that had such great characters with integrity and reality. I loved "meeting" each one of them, and I will carry them with me long after I lend this book to a friend.

The illness that befell Preston was very sad, but it lent such warmth and hope to the story. Morgan was a story within himself, as was Mary June. The novel reveals that although families aren't perfect, family members are the reeds that are lives woven together like one, great, big, wonderful sweetgrass basket. My face got all wet with tears while reading this one, so if you're the least bit tenderhearted, make sure you have something to mop your face with if you read this novel! :)

A book the Carolina LowCountry. Informative and interesting with a really good story. 4-stars.

Good book that places emphasis on the need to protect the wonders of nature and family farms that existed through generations from the bulldozers and concrete sprawl of our modern day.

good southern writer

Read this for a "Sweet" theme in my online book club, The Reading Cove. What a deliciously textured Lowcountry family saga! I really enjoyed this story. It's really Mary June Blakely's story, and character study, only richly layered with the family history, relationships and fight to hold on to their heritage.

I loved her relationship with Nona and her family and the details of their complex history. Loved learning about the preservation of coastal land space, the weaving of the sweetgrass baskets and how important a livelihood it is. Brillantly told story!

Though I did feel it became just a tad long-winded by the end (could've been about 50 pages shorter), I was swept up by the setting, people, struggles, etc. of the story and truly savored it at times. Highly recommended!

Another excellent book by Mary Alice Monroe. An easy read of family,romance and the low country of SC with a side of conservation thrown in. Always worth the read!