Sophia's Reviews > Famous in a Small Town
Famous in a Small Town
by
by
Having read a couple winter samples of this author’s amazing ability to make one love a season and a place as well as care about his characters, I was glad to dive into Famous in a Small Town set in the summer and once again showing small town Michigan at its best.
Famous in a Small Town introduces two main protagonists. One, a forty-year old St. Louis school administrator whose boyfriend of decades makes it clear that he’s self-centered and likes the status quo while she was hoping for something deeper and meaningful. Time to take a road trip with her ‘ride or die’ bestie and they land in the northwest region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in a small town for the summer in time for all things cherry including an old general store. Our other heroine is an eighty year old woman running the small town store alone, but ready to find the exact person she dreamed of as a child who will take over the Jackson women’s legacy- the historical Very Cherry family store.
At first, Becky isn’t sure what to make of Mary and the rest of the inhabitants of Good Hart, Michigan. She just wanted to regroup and figure her life out somewhere different, but she finds herself settling in and getting cozy. Mary is a lonely old woman whose son lives away and she has no one who can help during the tourist season. She sees in Becky her dream coming true, as wacky as it seems. Her claim to fame was spitting a cherry the furthest decades before. But, slowly these women and Becky’s bud Q find something special in Good Hart and each other. And, of course, the cherry on top is the smidge of romance, too.
Feel good and nostalgia, Michigan summer, cherries, small town, a little magic and Viola Shipman has done it again. I miss a place I’ve never been (though I know the region well and can vouch for all the cherry fun) and want to know the people and town of Good Hart. This story doesn’t get dramatic or intense, but shows the connections of friendship and Becky’s journey to self which includes old Mary. This is perfect for a lazy summer afternoon read at the beach, at the lake, or in the favorite comfy reading chair.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on July 30th.
Famous in a Small Town introduces two main protagonists. One, a forty-year old St. Louis school administrator whose boyfriend of decades makes it clear that he’s self-centered and likes the status quo while she was hoping for something deeper and meaningful. Time to take a road trip with her ‘ride or die’ bestie and they land in the northwest region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula in a small town for the summer in time for all things cherry including an old general store. Our other heroine is an eighty year old woman running the small town store alone, but ready to find the exact person she dreamed of as a child who will take over the Jackson women’s legacy- the historical Very Cherry family store.
At first, Becky isn’t sure what to make of Mary and the rest of the inhabitants of Good Hart, Michigan. She just wanted to regroup and figure her life out somewhere different, but she finds herself settling in and getting cozy. Mary is a lonely old woman whose son lives away and she has no one who can help during the tourist season. She sees in Becky her dream coming true, as wacky as it seems. Her claim to fame was spitting a cherry the furthest decades before. But, slowly these women and Becky’s bud Q find something special in Good Hart and each other. And, of course, the cherry on top is the smidge of romance, too.
Feel good and nostalgia, Michigan summer, cherries, small town, a little magic and Viola Shipman has done it again. I miss a place I’ve never been (though I know the region well and can vouch for all the cherry fun) and want to know the people and town of Good Hart. This story doesn’t get dramatic or intense, but shows the connections of friendship and Becky’s journey to self which includes old Mary. This is perfect for a lazy summer afternoon read at the beach, at the lake, or in the favorite comfy reading chair.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on July 30th.
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Reading Progress
June 11, 2023
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Started Reading
June 14, 2023
– Shelved
June 14, 2023
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Finished Reading