2.5**

When Artie Sullivan’s final wishes are revealed, her deeply Catholic family members are stunned. Her twin, Donnie, and younger brother, Hektor, along with other relatives and friends are emotionally reeling, and frequently lost in reverie. They all expected she would leave her home to her niece Dolly. No real surprise there, though they can’t imagine that Dolly will want to leave her job in Atlanta to live in the large beach-front home. What they can’t understand is why Artie would ask to be cremated and her ashes scattered in Mobile Bay.

George has crafted some wonderful passages that lend wonderful Southern flavor to this slim novel. Her story includes humor along with grief. Family members own up to buried feelings of insecurity or jealousy. It sounds like a really good book, but somehow the whole thing just doesn’t gel. The chapters jump back and forth in time, revisiting long-dead members of the family; George then further confuses the reader by having those “ghosts” appear in various current-day scenes. There’s a hint of a long-kept secret that barely gets revealed and doesn’t really get explored. It would be fine for a beach book, but I don’t think there’s enough here for a meaningful discussion. ( )

A beautiful story about loss and life. A North Carolina family gathers to say goodbye to Artie beloved sister, aunt, sister-in-law and friend, but Artie has left the family some wishes that they are having a hard time seeing through. As each family member is dealing with memories and ghosts of the past we learn about Artie's life and the secret she shares with her brothers that shaped her life.

This was a good book very poetic, I liked the ghosts of the past coming to "pay their respects" to Artie, all the characters in this book are flawed and written with such heart that you care so much about all of them. I also felt the town and the beach itself were characters and I want to be there for a jubilee and even looked it up to see if it's an actual event where the fish/seafood beach themselves and everyone gets free food. This was a fascinating phenomena,that I would love to see.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys southern fiction.

4 Stars ( )

The renowned artist, Artie Sullivan, died when a full moon shone on Mobile Bay, while people shouted “Jubilee!” as hundreds of fish leapt onto the beach and were tossed into buckets for future feasts. Just as the Jubilee, a bizarre regional phenomenon, is full of mystery, horror, humor, and joy, so too is the story of Artie Sullivan’s family. The Sullivans' story is told from the perspectives of various friends and family members who come together in Alabama after her death. Ms. George passed away in 2001. She is best known for her poetry and her very humorous “Southern Sisters” mystery series. ( )