Gumbeaux
by
Kimberly Vargas
This is a coming
of age story for heiress Mary Veronica Fait. The dazzle that drew me in was the
diary format and time period beginning in the 1980's. Mary plays the submissive role of hostess and quiet partner in
her family’s business. She’s hardly content and longs to be free from her oppressive
and abusive surroundings. She hopes she will be allowed to go away to college,
but her uncle squashes that idea. Cunningly Mary sends a letter to an art
college located in Louisiana under a fictitious name; she is granted a
scholarship and begins her adventure.
I liked this book
in the beginning, but by the end I was rather disappointed in the character.
She starts off strong and blazing her own trail and then lets others bog her
down much like her uncle. It was fun reading the diary entries. It felt like I
was a secret intruder peering over the shoulder of someone with a completely
different life.
I would recommend
this book as a good weekend read. It’s well-written and a bit meaty.
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| Kimberly Vargas |
Thank you very much for the review, Christine. I'd welcome any additional feedback or suggestions you have.
ReplyDeleteYou're more than welcome.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the diary entries. Kimberly truly captured the mind of a teenage girl on the brink of woman hood, along with her angst countered with a carefree zest for life. And it made me long for Louisiana.
ReplyDeleteI've never been, but it's like a siren call to me as well.
ReplyDelete