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The Same Sweet Girls
Books: Travel: Birmingham: Item 5
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The Same Sweet Girlsby Cassandra King
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful: A TOUCHING STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, February 2, 2005 Reviewer:Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - The word "girls" is often used as an euphemism, and it is again in Cassandra King's touching second novel. The girls are six women who have been friends since college. To celebrate this bond they meet twice a year to fill each other in on what has gone on in their lives and enjoy each others' company. This story is told by three of the women whose voices are adroitly captured by actress Patricia Kalember. A veteran of stage, screen and television, Ms. Kalember inhabits the personas of a rambunctious, fun loving gal, a rather proper governor's wife, and an avant garde artist. She does all of this with grace and charm. Ms. King is an author of considerable talent as she has the ability to both move and amuse with a turn of her pen. Many will remember with pleasure "The Sunday Wife," in which it was discovered that she had the ability to evoke Southern scenes as skillfully as her husband, author Pat Conroy. The girls in Ms. King's latest novel are now reaching 50 and coming to terms with many of the decisions they have made in life. The first lady of Alabama, Julia Stovall, has joined her husband at the pinnacle of their state's political life, yet she has obligations that either bore or weary her and her husband's bodyguard may be irresistible. Lanier Sanders is separated from her husband. Evidently, temptation was too difficult to resist. And, Corrine Cooper, while she has attained success as an artist is plagued by depression and an ex-husband who seeks to keep her from her son. While these problems are challenging, they become almost inconsequential when one of the group faces what for all of us would be the most difficult crisis of all. How they band together at such a time is warm reminder of the value of true friendship. - Gail Cooke
From Publishers Weekly
For 30 years, six Southern college friends—the Same Sweet Girls—have been gathering for a biannual reunion. As King's wry, touching novel begins, the girls are nearing 50 and coming to terms with the life decisions they've made. Corrine Cooper gains renown as a folk artist, but battles clinical depression with the help of a manipulative psychiatrist who later becomes her husband; Lanier Brewer is separated after a brief, ill-advised fling; exotic Astor Deveaux, a former Broadway dancer, flirts wildly with men but remains with her husband, a famous painter 33 years her senior; Julia Dupont is trapped in a passionless marriage and an overscheduled life as Alabama's first lady; Byrd and Rosanelle round out the group. When one of the SSGs becomes terminally ill, the remaining friends are spurred to resolve their own problems before she dies. Corinne, Julia and Lanier rotate as first-person narrators, but King (The Sunday Wife) does little to distinguish their voices, and the parade of characters and stories can be hard to follow at first. Once the names fall into place, however, the story's gentle Southern humor and warmth shine. It isn't all iced tea and tomato pie—King tackles some troubling issues—but the characters are true to life, and readers will sympathize with their struggles.
Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From AudioFile
Patricia Kalember masterfully narrates this story of college pals who remain lifelong friends. She portrays each of the women, who voice alternating chapters, with gentle Georgia and Alabama accents, and perfectly characterizes "Miss Cotton" with an exaggerated drawl. As they help each other through abusive marriages, divorces, and illnesses, Kalember portrays their sorrows with touching emotion. She easily transitions to a lighter tone as the group reenacts its delightfully silly queen contest. She gives special attention to the author's directives, applying appropriately condescending airs to a couple of "holier than thou" characters and actually yawning on cue. Listeners will enjoy Kalember's strong performance as they applaud the growth and strength of the Same Sweet Girls. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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