#juliecantrell

PERENNIALS Julie Cantrell

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️ PUBLISHER Thomas Nelson PUBLISHED November 14, 2017

A poignant and moving Southern family saga of an errant daughter that returns home again.

SUMMARY Lovey and Bitsey Sutherland were the closest of sisters when they were young and catching fireflies on the farm. But that was a long time ago and a lot has changed. At eighteen, after years of her beauty queen sister’s hostile attitude, Lovey fled the farm, leaving behind one of her favorite things, her mother’s beloved perennial garden. The sisters rarely speak to each other anymore, and now Lovey, an advertising executive in Arizona excited about closing the biggest contract of her career. But her father, Chief calls on her 45th birthday demanding that she come home three weeks early to help him prepare a memory garden for her parents 50th wedding anniversary. Upon arrival back in Oxford, Mississippi, Lovey realizes that despite the passage of time, Bitsey’s immense hostility has not changed. What was the cause of such long lasting bitterness? Can it ever be resolved? Can Lovely ever truly come home again to a place she loves?

REVIEW She had me at the fireflies! One of my favorite memories as a child was catching fireflies in a large pickle jar with holes punch into the lid, right alongside my big brother. PERENNIALS is a beautiful story about family relationships, and is stocked full of engaging characters.

Julie Cantrell writes exquisitely about family love, facing difficulties and returning to our roots. Cantrell’s writing is both descriptive and inspirational. The memory garden, where every bloom is tied to a past memory is a charming idea, complete with hydrangeas, gardenias, black-eyed-susans and a labyrinth. You can practically see the fireflies and smell the fragrances in the air at the anniversary party big reveal.

Those facing family adversity will truly appreciate this poignant story. Other books by award winning Cantrell include: The Feathered Bone (2015), When Mountains Move (2012) and Into the Free (2011).