Natchez, Mississippi, in 1933 is a place suspended in time. The silver and china is still dented and cracked from Yankee invaders. And the houses have names...and memories. Nora Bondurant is running away--from her husband's death, from his secrets, and from the ghosts that dog her every step. When she receives a telegram informing her that she has an inheritance, Nora suddenly has somewhere to run to: a house named Avoca in Natchez, Mississippi. Now, she's learning that the lure of Natchez runs deep, and that, along with Avoca, she's inherited a mystery. Nora's aunt Amalia Bondurant was killed in a murder/suicide, and the locals are saying nothing more--except in hushed, honeyed tones. As Nora becomes more and more enmeshed in the community and in her family's history, she learns surprising things about the life and death of her aunt: kinship isn't always what it seems, loyalty can be as fierce as blood relations, and every day we are given new mercies to heal the pain of loss and love.
The year is 1933 and Nora has just learned the she has inherited an estate from a relative she never knew had existed. She travels from Denver to Mississippi and encounters southern hospitality along with racism, and class prejudice. She discovers that her aunt's death, and indeed her own family history raises questions that aren't easily answered. She also tries to come to term with her own recent history (a painful divorce) Crumbling plantation houses, colourful characters and lots of secrets make this novel a great read.
When in 1933 Nora Bondurant inherits a house from an aunt she never knew she had, she knows that it is time to confront the family her late father never spoke about. What she discovers in Natchez, Mississippi, is a town that is living in the past and covering secrets at every turn. For them Nora is a conundrum: a Yankee woman that is related to one of the oldest and most respected in the county. But even that will not open every door for her when she starts asking questions. Nora, however, has some secrets of her own that she isn''t willing to confront. A real page turner, this novel will bring Nora and her family new mercies.
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Add a CommentThe book was okay – but not one of my favorites.
The year is 1933 and Nora has just learned the she has inherited an estate from a relative she never knew had existed. She travels from Denver to Mississippi and encounters southern hospitality along with racism, and class prejudice. She discovers that her aunt's death, and indeed her own family history raises questions that aren't easily answered. She also tries to come to term with her own recent history (a painful divorce) Crumbling plantation houses, colourful characters and lots of secrets make this novel a great read.
When in 1933 Nora Bondurant inherits a house from an aunt she never knew she had, she knows that it is time to confront the family her late father never spoke about. What she discovers in Natchez, Mississippi, is a town that is living in the past and covering secrets at every turn. For them Nora is a conundrum: a Yankee woman that is related to one of the oldest and most respected in the county. But even that will not open every door for her when she starts asking questions. Nora, however, has some secrets of her own that she isn''t willing to confront. A real page turner, this novel will bring Nora and her family new mercies.