My Sweet Vidalia, by Deborah Mantella
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My Sweet Vidalia, by Deborah Mantella
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On July 4, 1955, in rural Georgia, an act of violence threatens the life of Vidalia Lee Kandal Jackson’s pre-born daughter. Despite the direst of circumstances, the spirit of the lost child refuses to leave her ill-equipped young mother's side.
For as long as she is needed―through troubled pregnancies, through poverty, through spousal abuse and agonizing betrayals―Cieli Mae, the determined spirit child, narrates their journey. Serving as a safe place and sounding board for Vidalia's innermost thoughts and confusions, lending a strength to her momma's emerging voice, Cieli Mae provides her own special brand of comfort and encouragement, all the while honoring the restrictions imposed by her otherworldly status.
Vidalia finds further support in such unlikely townsfolk and relations as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and her Wild Women of God, and, most particularly, in Ruby Pearl Banks, the kind, courageous church lady, who has suffered her own share of heartache in their small Southern town of yesteryear's prejudices and presumptions.
My Sweet Vidalia is wise and witty, outstanding for its use of vibrant, poetic language and understated Southern dialect, as well as Mantella's clear-eyed observations of race relations as human relations, a cast of unforgettable characters, an in-depth exploration of the ties that bind, and its creative perspective. My Sweet Vidalia is a rare, wonderful, and complex look at hope, strength, the unparalleled power of unconditional love, and a young mother's refusal to give up.
My Sweet Vidalia, by Deborah Mantella- Amazon Sales Rank: #1105282 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-06
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.50" h x .63" w x 5.51" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 272 pages
Review My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella is, in a word, captivating. This debut novel tells the story of Vidalia Lee Kandal, a young Georgia woman in the 1950’s, through the eyes of the spirit of her daughter, Cieli Mae. As Vidalia traverses the challenges of her life: multiple pregnancies, miscarriages, spousal abuse, and poverty, spirit child Cieli Mae is Vidalia’s invisible companion. She nudges, encourages, and guides her momma Vidalia toward becoming the woman she was meant to be. Mantella’s prose is gorgeous. Her sentences sing. With beautiful artistry she weaves a tale both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, culminating in an exciting, satisfying conclusion and an epilogue that left me in tears. This stirring novel about the transcendent bond between a mother and her daughter is not to be missed! ― Brenda Lowder "The Finer Things Blog" www.brendalowder.com
"In this debut novel, a battered wife in 1950s rural Georgia, aided by an unlikely group of loving souls, finds hidden reserves of strength and self-worth.
The spirit of Cieli Mae, Vidalia Jackson’s stillborn daughter, is the narrator of this tale; Vidalia’s husband, JB Jackson, caused her death by “pummeling” her mother. Vidalia never knows when JB will be home, but she knows that when he does arrive, she’s in for more beatings. JB uses his boyish good looks to get away with his crimes, which also include statutory rape. Vidalia keeps the existence of Cieli Mae a secret, and as the spirit grows, she becomes a witness to her mother’s inner and outer struggles. Despite many beatings, Vidalia manages to give birth to two healthy sets of twins, and she and Cieli Mae look after them with fierce loyalty. Whenever they’re threatened, Vidalia’s strength comes to the fore. She also finds support from the most unlikely places, including JB’s mother, who spends most of her time making excuses for her son but also helps her daughter-in-law regain her strength; Doc Feldman, who offers far more aid and support than required and has a secret of his own; and Ruby Pearl Banks, whose husband was murdered and lynched by local Ku Klux Klan members. Mantella draws each of these characters well, and there’s never a lack of action in the narrative. Some of the book’s colloquialisms (“At forty-some years of age, the doc turned up on the skinny side of just handsome enough”) may throw readers at the start, but they’ll grow to like them as the story goes on. Overall, this work, set in the Deep South in the 1950s and ’60s when battered wives had few rights and little recourse, shows readers how personal growth happens slowly and how strength builds when one has the help of one’s community.
An engaging story of overcoming terrible circumstances with temerity and grace."
―Kirkus ReviewsIn her memorable debut novel, My Sweet Vidalia, Deborah Mantella explores the supernatural symbiotic cord tethering mother and daughter. Set in 1955 rural Georgia, Mantella’s story has spirit-born child, Cieli Mae, narrate the turbulent life of her young mother, Vidalia Lee Kandal. Reading Mantella’s prose is a treat. Crafted sentences wring every ounce of emotion and homespun logic out of thoughts conveyed. As a Southerner, My Sweet Vidalia, transported me into a South before my existence to the life of an impoverished young woman trapped by raw domestic violence, racial strife and folks with impudent indifference to both. My mouth watered at Ruby Pearl Banks’ buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter and honey. I recoiled at prejudices so openly displayed; commonplace happenings because that’s just the way things are. Good-hearted small town comes alive in Vidalia’s benefactors such as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and the sisters of the Church of the Twelve Apostles. As Vidalia’s tale unfolds, the reader can’t help but root for her and her spirit-child guide to triumph over the lousy hand fate dealt them through the blows of her abuser, JB. My Sweet Vidalia, is a magical and gut-wrenching tale of a blossoming steel magnolia and the old infant soul who shepherds – and goads – her mama’s emergence. ― Jamie C. Miles, freelance writer"The whole book is lovely and a testament to the human spirit. On a day when you might need a lift, My Sweet Vidalia is a fitting choice." -Historical Novel SocietyAbout the Author A transplant to the South, Deborah Mantella has lived and taught in various cities in the Northeast and the Midwest. Now a resident of Georgia she lives outside Atlanta with her husband. Mantella is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club, the Authors Guild, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. This is her first novel.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Kept me cheering and fretting from start to finish By Gwen Roland Down-to-earth person that I am, the supernatural doesn't usually appeal to me as a reader, but in no time flat I accepted Cieli Mae---the spirit-child---as my witty, practical guide through this winsome tale. How could I not warm to a narrator who announces her inconvenient start toward life as "And so it came to pass that way across town, as a gaggle of her former schoolmates, survivors of Willin County High School's class of 1955, received their diplomas, my momma I-do'd and JB, well, he I-reckoned." I cheered for Cieli Mae as she tried to guide her ill-equipped, teenaged mother Vidalia through the hazards of marriage in a rural culture bound by ignorance and superstition. I fretted with her during the tense moments (and there are many) building toward a climax and resolution that are so worth the wait. I missed her when I closed the cover for the last time.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. My Sweet Vidalia was a pleasure to read By J. Moore My Sweet Vidalia was a pleasure to read. The author captured the essence of rural southern life in the 50s, both in the language, as well as the culture. This story is told from a unique perspective which at first seems "other-worldy". Yet it also feels true to life as we all have an inner voice in our lives that keeps us on course. Ultimately the story is one about mother's love, the strength of community and how each individual in a society must be guided by their internal sense of right and wrong. Looking forward from more fiction from this first time author!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Great book! By Vampire Prom Queen I loved this book! It has a really good sense of the 1950's time period. I loved the characters who were vibrant and well-drawn. I especially loved Cielie Mae who was heartbreaking and inspiring. The perspective of the narrator was so original--I just loved how I found my way into the story and into these characters' lives. A great read!
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