Family dramedy told from the perspective of the 14-year-old grandson. Story takes place in a small town in Georgia in the early 1900s. I listened to the audiobook - which was well done. The story gets better as you go along - it does take a bit to get all the characters established. The story is humorous, but it is interwoven around the themes of death, mourning, and social taboos. With those topics and the memorable characters, there's enough depth to this one that I suspect I'll be chewing on some aspects for awhile. ( )

This book was very good. I would compare it to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ( )

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is a 1984 Mariner Books publication.

Occasionally, this book will pop up on my radar and I’ve always been curious about it. It sounds like a sort of like a folksy southern family drama, which is something I tend to enjoy most of the time. The book generally continues to garner positive ratings, though I had noticed a few more recent reviews mentioned some issues with race and classism in the book.

As with any book published this far back, one is faced with the possibility- if not the probability- of encountering those issues. So, I decided that now was just as good as time as any to see what has given this book the staying power it has, especially as it is the only completed novel by this author.

I ended up with some mixed feelings about the novel. I can't say I agree that it is 'timeless', due to the aforementioned issues some recent reviews mentioned. It was a conflict, that is for sure. I felt pulled in different directions while reading the book.

I can see why many people were pulled in by the drama, and the 'folksy' charm, the coming of age elements, and the shocking revelations that come late in the story. There are some hilarious moments, some poignant moments, and it is ultimately a bittersweet, coming of age tale.

But, for me, personally, it fell flat for the most part. There are some difficult passages of abuse, animal cruelty, and even some of Will's comical shenanigans seemed a little mean spirited- then after all that, the ending wasn't exactly a happy one- but there is a suggestion of hope, so while it is sad, it also points to better times ahead for all concerned.

Overall, I have satisfied my curiosity. The story wasn't exactly what I was expecting, which can be a good thing, but maybe not so much in this instance. The story moves a bit too slow, only to have several huge developments take place all in the last quarter of the book, and the ending left me feeling a bit frustrated after having held on that long. All, that said, I've waffled about the rating. I liked parts of the book, while the rest of it was just okay....

So- 2.5 stars. It didn't have enough 'folksy charm' to round it up to a three- for me, at least.

3 somewhat reluctant stars ( )

Good story of a grandson who watches his grandfather marry a "skittish" younger woman (a survivor of trauma). Very memorable. ( )

Despite all the weighty happenings and judgement this story also feels light, almost as though you were living in Cold Sassy rather than turning pages anticipating the next bit of drama. I laughed, cried and caught myself talking a bit like Grandpa a couple times;)Looking forward to the sequal. ( )