Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2007), Edition: 1ST, Paperback, 320 pages
Description
Nonny Frett understands the meaning of "between a rock and a hard place." She's got two mothers, "one deaf-blind and the other four baby steps from flat crazy." She's got two men: her husband, easing out the back door; and her best friend, laying siege to her heart in her front yard. She has a job that holds her in the city, and she's addicted to a little girl stuck deep in the country. And she has two families: the Fretts, who stole her and raised her right; and the Crabtrees, who lost her and won't forget how they were done wrong. In Between, Georgia, population 90, a feud that began the night Nonny was born is escalating, and a random act of violence is about to ignite a stash of family secrets. This might be just what the town needs, if only Nonny wasn't sitting in the middle of it.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Between, Georgia tells the story of Nonny, from her birth in Bernice Frett's entryway, through her quiet upbringing by two spinster sisters, one deaf and the other subject to crippling bouts of anxiety, and her attempts to divorce her feckless husband, who is still trying to get his band some
Joshilyn Jackson's books are marketed as pleasant women's fiction, but to consider them as such is to ignore her biting wit and deep understanding of what it means to be a Southerner. These are strong women, molded into steel, but with that thin coating of perfect manners to hide the sting of their words. There are people getting by on cheap booze and disability checks who have as much kindness in them as the woman who is raising her granddaughter to be quietly terrified that her friend who goes to the Methodist church is going to hell. All that in a charmingly-told story of eccentric people in a small town. Jackson writes with both love and a clear eye.
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traction. Nonny is also the center of unrest in her small town. Born to a frightened, teenage member of the shiftless and criminal Crabtree family, but raised by the prominent Baptist Frett family, Nonny's existence heightens the tension between them.Joshilyn Jackson's books are marketed as pleasant women's fiction, but to consider them as such is to ignore her biting wit and deep understanding of what it means to be a Southerner. These are strong women, molded into steel, but with that thin coating of perfect manners to hide the sting of their words. There are people getting by on cheap booze and disability checks who have as much kindness in them as the woman who is raising her granddaughter to be quietly terrified that her friend who goes to the Methodist church is going to hell. All that in a charmingly-told story of eccentric people in a small town. Jackson writes with both love and a clear eye.
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LibraryThing member SugarCreekRanch
I've loved all of Joshilyn Jackson's books, but thought this one was just okay. This is the story of Nonny Frett, who is dealing with a half-wanted divorce and difficulties with her family back in her small-town Georgia home. Nonny was raised by a deaf mother (who has since gone blind) and two
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aunts. Nonny's adoption has been just one of the issues in a family feud with the neighboring Crabtrees. The supporting characters are wonderful -- some endearing, some downright crazy, some both. But I never really connected with Nonny, and I didn't find the storyline as compelling as other Jackson novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member BeckyJG
Feuds have fascinated humanity for as long as history has been recorded. From the ancient Greeks through the Bible and on to The Godfather, it's all about honor--personal, familial, professional--and protecting that honor. Daytime soap operas and Friday Night Smackdowns are full of juicy, delicious
In Between, Georgia, which could be called Gothic Lite, the feuding families are the Fretts and the Crabtrees. One family is upstanding, upright, and uptight, the other peopled by flaming tempered ne'er do wells. Both, though, are quirky and eccentric enough to embarrass or frustrate even the most loving, loyal, and family-oriented of offspring.
Nonny Frett, who narrates Between, Georgia, has the dubious luck to be the offspring of both these families. She's a Crabtree by birth, the daughter of fifteen year old Hazel, but has called Stacia Frett "mama" since she was born. When Hazel Crabtree knocks hysterically on Bernese Frett's door in the middle of the night, in labor, the book is truly off and running, and we know exactly what the story will be like. No please, no thank you, just "Get it out of me" and "Don't tell my mama" and "I hate you." Bernese Frett, the oldest of the three Frett sisters and an RN (and ever the pragmatist) delivers the baby. Her sister Stacia, deaf since birth and slowly going blind from a congenital disease, falls immediately in love with the baby and adopts her.
Thirty years later, Nonny's living in Athens, Georgia, working as an interpreter for the deaf and divorcing her musician husband. She's been pulled in all directions for most of her life by love of her true family, the Fretts and the desire of her birth family to pull her into their fold. Over the course of one weekend the action escalates, as Bernese Frett and Ona Crabtree kick the feud into frighteningly high gear.
Although there's drunken violence, dead animals, and a horrible fire, Between, Georgia is a romantic comedy at heart. The characters are extreme but believable. Nonny's suitors are both gorgeous and hot and flawed, and the reader truly understands why she's having so much trouble taking the final step with her horn-dog of a husband. Both the Fretts and the Crabtrees are interesting and, in some (little) way sympathetic.
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feuds. Just as nineteenth century readers avidly followed newspaper coverage of the Hatfield-McCoy saga, so contemporary readers follow feuding hip hop stars and teen celebrities. And how about those Hatfields and McCoys? We can thank them, in large part, for that staple of American culture, the Southern Gothic. In Between, Georgia, which could be called Gothic Lite, the feuding families are the Fretts and the Crabtrees. One family is upstanding, upright, and uptight, the other peopled by flaming tempered ne'er do wells. Both, though, are quirky and eccentric enough to embarrass or frustrate even the most loving, loyal, and family-oriented of offspring.
Nonny Frett, who narrates Between, Georgia, has the dubious luck to be the offspring of both these families. She's a Crabtree by birth, the daughter of fifteen year old Hazel, but has called Stacia Frett "mama" since she was born. When Hazel Crabtree knocks hysterically on Bernese Frett's door in the middle of the night, in labor, the book is truly off and running, and we know exactly what the story will be like. No please, no thank you, just "Get it out of me" and "Don't tell my mama" and "I hate you." Bernese Frett, the oldest of the three Frett sisters and an RN (and ever the pragmatist) delivers the baby. Her sister Stacia, deaf since birth and slowly going blind from a congenital disease, falls immediately in love with the baby and adopts her.
Thirty years later, Nonny's living in Athens, Georgia, working as an interpreter for the deaf and divorcing her musician husband. She's been pulled in all directions for most of her life by love of her true family, the Fretts and the desire of her birth family to pull her into their fold. Over the course of one weekend the action escalates, as Bernese Frett and Ona Crabtree kick the feud into frighteningly high gear.
Although there's drunken violence, dead animals, and a horrible fire, Between, Georgia is a romantic comedy at heart. The characters are extreme but believable. Nonny's suitors are both gorgeous and hot and flawed, and the reader truly understands why she's having so much trouble taking the final step with her horn-dog of a husband. Both the Fretts and the Crabtrees are interesting and, in some (little) way sympathetic.
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LibraryThing member SusGob711
I read this because I loved her first book, Gods in Alabama. While this book was difficult for me to get into at first, I felt Jackson penned a strong finish for this story of family feuds and complicated lovers. It took me awhile to finish this book but once I finally reached the climax, the wait
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was worth it. Show Less
LibraryThing member hezann73
Nonny was born in the middle of a family feud. She is biologically a Crabtree, but was adopted and raised a Frett. Too bad the families have hated each other for years and Nonny is constantly in the middle. As Nonny's divorce approaches,things back home take a turn for the worse and Nonny is pulled
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in all directions trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Show Less
LibraryThing member superblondgirl
I love Southern fiction - the overwrought, weird characters, the feuds, the accents you can imagine, the hot weather and bougainvillea dripping off the page... This was a great example of the genre.
LibraryThing member Vidalia
Just plain fun. Improbable, but still believable, plot line. Loved the small town setting with its eccentrics and strong willed southern women. I'm happy to have discovered Jackson's quirky story.
LibraryThing member leadmomma
This is a compelling story about an interesting family in the South. I enjoyed how the characters opened up to us throughout the story. It was hard to put down once I got to a certain point in the book & I found myself staying up later & later to finish up.
LibraryThing member thairishgrl
A long standing family feud is fueled by the adoption of an illegitimate child from one family by the other. The story takes place when the child, Nonny, is an adult and in the midst of ending her marriage. Nonny also struggles to calm the feud between the two families who fight for her love.
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Nonny's birth family is a wild, law breaking, alcoholic clan fueled by loss and revenge. Nonny's adoptive family consists of three sisters, one of whom is a blind and deaf artist. The sisters motivations are fueled by structure and self righteousness. The author explores the choices people make out of loyalty and love. Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliophile26
This is a complicated story; let me see if I can summarize it. Nonny's mother was an unwed teenager and comes to the home of a retired nurse while in labor. The nurse's two sisters, one who has mental problems and the other who is deaf and will eventually go blind, decide to take the baby and raise
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her. When Nonny's biological grandmother finds out, a brutal family feud is started. Most of the story takes place while Nonny is an adult who has to try to keep the women in her two families from killing each other. A weird premise, but an interesting read. Show Less
LibraryThing member readingrat
I read Joshilyn Jackson's Gods in Alabama last year and enjoyed it, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. I wasn't disappointed. I'd have to say I liked this even better than Gods because this one really reaches out and touches your heart. It's funny and heartfelt and all about
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families (the love and the feuds) and small town life. Show Less
LibraryThing member lostcheerio
Excellent. Made me cry. Some of the oddest characters, and some of the strangest scenes, but it all seems so familiar, and completely real.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Interesting novel about a sort of Hatfields and McCoys in a Georgia town. Stacia's being deaf and blind, but a sharp cookie really was a nice element, as was her interdependence yet independence with her meek twin sister. I grew up with a deaf mother who refused to learn ASL, so that piece was all
Apparently Between, GA is a real place, though the author hasn't been, and she moved it to a different portion of the state. Poetic license and all, I suppose. I'd kind of like to read a novel set in a small town in the south that isn't full of crazies, though. Maybe next time.
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new to me, and interesting. What a cast of characters populate this book, though!Apparently Between, GA is a real place, though the author hasn't been, and she moved it to a different portion of the state. Poetic license and all, I suppose. I'd kind of like to read a novel set in a small town in the south that isn't full of crazies, though. Maybe next time.
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LibraryThing member snat
An enjoyable, but overall predictable, quick read. I always enjoy Joshilyn Jackson's books, especially this one's take on the rivalries that crop up between Southern families that are only exacerbated by life in a small town. There are some humorous moments, a few twists, and likable characters.
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Particularly inventive was Jackson's use of a main character, Nonny, who literally finds herself "between" the Fretts and the Crabtrees (the ersatz Hatfields and McCoys of the story), as well as the character of Stacia, who raises Nonny as her own. Stacia, who suffers from Usher's Syndrome, was born deaf and progressively loses her eyesight, but that doesn't stop her from being outspoken and independent, as well as an artist and a caring mother. Liked it, but did not love it. Show Less
LibraryThing member edenkal
This was a good read. A heart warming story about a girl whose adoptive mother was def and blind, but still loved her better than anyone in her real family could. After I read this book I had to read all of Joshilyn Jacksons books. She's definitely one of my favorite writers now.
LibraryThing member scrappycat
When 15 year old Hazel Crabtree shows up at the Frett's house asking for help, they had no idea that she was pregnant. She gives birth to a baby girl, who is immediately claimed and adopted by Sacia Frett.
The only problem with this is the long standing feud between the Fretts and Crabtrees (think
Nonny Frett grows up walking the line between the two families: the wild, rough Crabtrees and the gentile Fretts.
A very enjoyable story, sweet, and light.
The only problem with this is the long standing feud between the Fretts and Crabtrees (think
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Hatfield and McCoys). Nonny Frett grows up walking the line between the two families: the wild, rough Crabtrees and the gentile Fretts.
A very enjoyable story, sweet, and light.
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LibraryThing member BAP1012
Good for a vacation book. The characters are interesting but the plot didn't seem to thrive easily.
LibraryThing member revslick
A nice tale of feudin', fightin', and a fussin' with a little Southern charm for redemption thrown in as well. Oh, the narrator from the Audible download is perfect.
LibraryThing member bookaholicmom
This is the first time I have read a book by Joshilyn Jackson. I love Southern Fiction and with all the great reviews on Backseat Saints, Joshilyn Jackson's newest book, I decided I needed to give her books a try. I am so glad I did! Right off the bat the first chapter had me cracking up. I could
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feel the chaos in the room as Hazel Crabtree, Nonny's birth mother, was giving birth on the Frett's floor. All of the characters in this book were quirky and flawed! The feud between the Fretts and the Crabtrees puts the Hatfields and McCoys to shame and Nonny is caught right in the middle of it. Nonny has been raised by Stacia Frett who laid claim to here as soon as she was born. Ona Crabtree finds out three years later that Nonny is actually her granddaughter and won't give up on being part of Nonny's life. Nonny does her best to keep the peace between the two families but like everything else in her life it all falls to pieces. At times I felt very frustrated for Nonny being pulled both ways by both families. I had this picture in my mind of her arms stretched out and each family pulling her arms to their side. If you like quirky, flawed characters this is a great book to read! I am now the newest Joshilyn Jackson fan and will be reading all her books! She did a fabulous job tackling difficult subjects with a bit of humor and Southern hospitality thrown in! I loved it! Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwormteri
I can't put my finger on what I love so much about this woman's books, but I do....I adore them. The characters are all so flawed and lovable. They are crazy and remind me of...well...me. Her families ring so true. I read gods in Alabama first, and thought that it was one of the best books that I
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had ever read. While this one isn't quite as good as gods in Alabama, it is still wonderful. Show Less
LibraryThing member macou33
Good southern fiction with some interesting twists.
LibraryThing member lahochstetler
This is my second Joshilyn Jackson book, and I think I liked this one better than Gods in Alabama, though this does suffer from some of the same problems. The novel tells the story of Nonny Frett, trying to manage her unconventional family, and her looming, but uncertain, divorce. All of this
The plot of this book moves along at a good pace, and the story is full of colorful characters. The similarities to Gods in Alabama are striking: the unique maternal situation, the overbearing aunt, and the troubled romantic relationship are all here.
My main issue with the book was the ending: it was a bit too neat, and definitely a let-down. I'm not sorry that I invested the time reading this book, but I was disappointed at the end.
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happens against the background of the tiny and colorful southern town of Between. The plot of this book moves along at a good pace, and the story is full of colorful characters. The similarities to Gods in Alabama are striking: the unique maternal situation, the overbearing aunt, and the troubled romantic relationship are all here.
My main issue with the book was the ending: it was a bit too neat, and definitely a let-down. I'm not sorry that I invested the time reading this book, but I was disappointed at the end.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Between, Georgia is another delightful book by Joshilyn Jackson, whose quirky characters - as fiercely devoted to family and church as to hypocrisy and judgmentalism - come to raucous, passionate, humorous life under her deft authorial hand.
“Between” is the small-town home of two families, the
Stacia, deaf and later blind because of Usher’s Syndrome, was the primary parent to Nonny. Stacia’s twin, Genny, who was too nervous to be without Stacia, lived with them and acted as Stacia’s eyes and ears for the outside world. And close by them was the third sister, the sanctimonious Bernese, the only one of the three who married.
Nonny learned to sign at her mother’s knee, and later became an interpreter for ASL (American Sign Language) when she moved to Athens, Georgia with her husband Jonno. Jonno, a guy too cute for his own good, liked to spread his love around, especially because Nonny went back to Between so often. Even when, after ten years, Nonny filed for divorce, Jonno would come back and make love to Nonny, knowing she had a hard time (like all the other women) saying no to him.
Back in Between, Nonny has two other pulls on her heart: Fisher is the five-year-old grandchild of Bernese, who is raising Fisher because her teenaged mother (Bernese's daughter) doesn't want her. Fisher loves Nonny fervently, and Nonny loves her. And Henry Crabtree, a neighbor and owner of the town bookstore, thinks he and Nonny could be something more than friends.
Evaluation: The plot may sound complicated, but I haven’t touched on much of it at all! And yet it all falls in place readily as the comedy-drama unfolds. The town and the characters in it are so colorful and so complex, it’s a joy to read their story. They all have secrets, and in fact, if you’ve already read Gods in Alabama, you’ll feel a bit of déjà vu. I didn’t care: I loved similar characters once; why wouldn’t I love them twice? And this book has a significant difference: you get to see how a strong and loving bond works when one of the parties is blind and deaf, and the other is neither. It’s a revelation and a pleasure.
“Between” is the small-town home of two families, the
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Fretts and the Crabtrees, who have an ongoing feud with vicious and tragic potential, and Nonny Frett is at the center of it. Nonny, now thirty, was born to teenager Hazel Crabtree who didn’t want her, and so she was raised by Stacia Frett, who did. Hard feelings between the two clans have simmered ever since. Stacia, deaf and later blind because of Usher’s Syndrome, was the primary parent to Nonny. Stacia’s twin, Genny, who was too nervous to be without Stacia, lived with them and acted as Stacia’s eyes and ears for the outside world. And close by them was the third sister, the sanctimonious Bernese, the only one of the three who married.
Nonny learned to sign at her mother’s knee, and later became an interpreter for ASL (American Sign Language) when she moved to Athens, Georgia with her husband Jonno. Jonno, a guy too cute for his own good, liked to spread his love around, especially because Nonny went back to Between so often. Even when, after ten years, Nonny filed for divorce, Jonno would come back and make love to Nonny, knowing she had a hard time (like all the other women) saying no to him.
Back in Between, Nonny has two other pulls on her heart: Fisher is the five-year-old grandchild of Bernese, who is raising Fisher because her teenaged mother (Bernese's daughter) doesn't want her. Fisher loves Nonny fervently, and Nonny loves her. And Henry Crabtree, a neighbor and owner of the town bookstore, thinks he and Nonny could be something more than friends.
Evaluation: The plot may sound complicated, but I haven’t touched on much of it at all! And yet it all falls in place readily as the comedy-drama unfolds. The town and the characters in it are so colorful and so complex, it’s a joy to read their story. They all have secrets, and in fact, if you’ve already read Gods in Alabama, you’ll feel a bit of déjà vu. I didn’t care: I loved similar characters once; why wouldn’t I love them twice? And this book has a significant difference: you get to see how a strong and loving bond works when one of the parties is blind and deaf, and the other is neither. It’s a revelation and a pleasure.
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LibraryThing member amwhitsett
If it is possible for Joshily Jackson to have topped gods in Alabama, she's done it with Between, Georgia. I can't imagine how a writer could actually make me root for kissing cousins, but Jackson actually did it! Nonnie Frett is a sort of rubberband between the two families that frame this story,
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much as the reader is, pulled toward the affluent Fretts, and in the opposite direction to the down n' dirty redneck Crabtrees. Emotional equilibrium between the two families is achieved through Jackson's clear and empathic writing. Stacia Frett may be one of the strongest and memorable characters I've read in a long while. If Jackson continues to one-up herself with every subsequent book (and she will) there's no end in sight for this author. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer person. Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllis01
Disappointing second effort. First half of the book spends too much time developing characters, second half rushes through the plot. Would have benefited from at least one more rewrite.
Subjects
Original publication date
2006-07-03
Physical description
320 p.; 5.55 inches
ISBN
0446699454 / 9780446699457