J. Nicole Jones

Jones grew up as the only daughter in a family of men. She had 3 brothers, her father had many brothers, and his father had many brothers. The Jones family is known in Myrtle Beach, SC, for owning and running many restaurants, bars, and motels--for catering to the tourist trade. They have money. Or, her abusive grandfather had money, which he funneled into his businesses and then hired family to manage them. Jones grew up in and around restaurants, but usually her family did not have money. Her youngest brother's difficult birth and a serious car accident left her parents saddled with debt. Her father's constant dream of being a Nashville songwriter (and since he did get a Grammy nomination, he was not a failure), which so often came up against the realities of money and work and family. Her maternal grandfather bailed her parents out of a foreclosure at least once. He was always available when they needed him, but pride kept that from happening too often.

In this memoir, this is what she discusses--growing up of money but with none. Her parents' and youngest brother's medical issues due to the birth and the accident. Her paternal grandfather was a mean man who beat and insulted his wife and played favorites among his many sons and grandsons. Her wonderful Nana put up with this man for decades, but gave Nicole her love for stories and reading.

The Low Country itself is a character here--hurricanes, ghosts, pirates, stories, tourists and the tourist trade, beauty pageants.
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I thought this was interesting, but could not relate to most of it--not the large family, not the important family, not the nasty grandfather or the beauty pageants or the tourists or the weather. I think there is very much an audience out there that will LOVE this book, I'm just not part of it.… (mehr)