Afternoon Readers Book Club
May 2016
Between, Georgia
Joshilyn Jackson
The discussion began with the author’s name. Was it pronounced
Josh Lynn or Jocelyn? This led to a further discussion of alternative spellings
of children’s names, Michelle with one l, Jaime pronounced with a Spanish
inflection, and other unusual names which have become more common these days.
The discussion went on about raising children and family dynamics resulting
from conflicts between biological and adoptive parents. Between, Georgia was an
extreme example of children caught in the middle of feuding families and alternative
lifestyles. Readers decided that characters were very well drawn and situations
realistic in their portrayal, especially about loving relationships and
acceptance in the community of adults with disabilities.
Readers were very concerned about one of the most
sympathetic characters in the book, Fisher and what might have happened to her
in the end. There was an unexpected catastrophe and she may have been caught up
in it. Some said that they wanted to stop reading before they found out what
they were certain was going to happen. They did finish and were able to talk
about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The discussion ended with book recommendations. Readers were
enthusiastic about what they read and how Jackson’s book made them think of favorite
southern fiction titles. High on the list was Fannie Flagg’s The All Girl Filling
Station’s Last Reunion and Baby Girl. Other choices were Necessary Lies and The
Good Father by Diane Chamberlain, The One –in- a- Million Boy by Monica Wood, The Deep End of the Ocean and A Theory of Relativity by Jacqueline
Mitchard, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Joshilyn Jackson’s Gods
in Alabama was recommended by some who had already read it and encouraged the
rest of the group to read it as well.
“Recommends it for any lover of southern lit. Talk about a
book full of quirky characters! Reading Between, Georgia made we want to hop in
my car and travel down to Georgia in search of this little town and it’s cast
of characters so I could slap a few of them and hug a few of them. I’d especially
like to hug that moody and adorable little Fisher. There were a couple little
shockers in the book, but I have to say the ending was worth it.”
A blogger.
