I learned a very good lesson from my father when he lost his sight and became an audio listener of books. I would ask him, "Dad, what are you reading?" he would often shrug as if he didn't know. I would then say, "What's it about?" and he would often reply, "Well, I don't know." To this, exasperated, I would say, "Is it good?" and he would always answer, "Why, yes. All books are good." What my dad was trying to tell me was simple, don't judge a book by its cover (or backflap).

I have once again become a voracious reader, listening and reading an average of two books per week as well as reading all day for my job. I have long since stopped reading backflaps or snippets from promoters, there's no time to cull through the one million plus titles published each year (true!). So, I just pick a book because it's next in line on a shelf, or in the queue of the Audible lineup, or I found it in a stack from the local thrift store. And, like my father, I am hard pressed to find a book where I don't learn something (even if it's meaningless), or don't enjoy some part of it. Books are good.

That all being said, and back to the book at hand, Perennials - I had no idea when I picked it up that it was published by a Christian house. I likely wouldn't have taken it on had I known, I would have judge the book before I picked it up. To my good fortune, I didn't know this until after I had finished listening (I did audio for this book).

What a wonderful, moral-rich, non-preachy, feel-good, tapped several of the big societal issues (adultery, death, divorce, pride, bullying, regret, work vs. family; you get the point), without ever once making me squirm with too much religious overtones, or want to run off to confess my improprieties. As a flower child at heart, I loved the continual nuances of people and growth compared to good soil and water, seasons, and blooms. This book was beautifully done.

Without a foul word one, a raunchy or explicit scene moving beyond butterflies or hand holding, I was intrigued, captivated, and anxious to read more. I strongly recommend Perennials on a day when you need a lift, need to know you are not alone in your struggles, and don't want to hear morality shoved down your throat.

Well done, Julie Cantrell! ( )

Self-exiled daughter of the South returns home to Mississippi at the behest of her parents and has to deal with painful memories, guilt, and her sister's hostility. There's drama and flowers and sweet tea and trauma, and a whole lot of name-dropping of Mississippi writers like Faulkner and Welty, along with shallow ruminations on their work. Faulkner and Welty would, no doubt, be turning over in their graves if Cantrell were representative of the state's crop of contemporary writers. Poorly written, with two dimensional characters, a bunch of God-talk and woo-woo quasi-spiritual bunk, I basically ended up hate-listening to this. The audio narrator did the book no favors with some really terrible accents and weird inflections.

2.5 stars

ETA: According to some other LT reviews, this is classified as "Christian fiction." Had I known that, I never would have picked it up :-P Buyer (borrower) beware, I guess... ( )

I like this story of the trials of a family. I think we all can relate at some point. I did not enjoy the god aspect that came at the end. Wm Faulkner was large part of the story. I learned a little.... ( )

The cover is beautiful. The story wants to be deep but the character's behavior and thoughts seem shallow and unrealistic. It's basically about a modern-day Cinderella emotionally abused by her older sister to such a degree that she left her beloved hometown Oxford, MS to pursue a seemingly successful but actually miserable life. Then after many years of trying to convince the modern Cinderella to come home, finally Cinderella's parents succeed. (Why did they fail for so many years?) Then Cinderella have a girlish crush on the fiancee she dumped 20 years ago before leaving home. (But surely people change over 20 years? How can romance just pick up like that, like nothing has happened?) Then she's abused by her evil sister again. Then everything resolves, Cinderella finds her true home is still Oxford, MS, and declare mutual love with the former fiancee. Evil sister repents. Happy ending for all. I think I would enjoy this book more if the main protagonists were in their 20s, or early 30s, rather than in their 40s, because the way they behave strongly reminds me of YA books. Except these protagonists love Oxford, MS, and are really into gardening and party decor. ( )

** spoiler alert ** I was intrigued at first by the story of the protagonist and what made her leave home years ago, and how cruel her sister could be. Midway through I started to notice multiple preachy sentiments and according-to-the-bible lessons, but given that the setting is in Mississippi, I figured it’s just your average southern Baptist family. Come to find out this book is classified as “Christian fiction”. As an avid reader I try not to judge books by their categories, but the messages imparted from the parents especially became too overbearing and sentimental, so sweet my teeth hurt. This would also explain such chaste moments between the protagonist and her former boyfriend, and absolutely no cursing (her sister deserved to be called a bitch) I ended up flipping through to see the long awaited conclusion between the sisters and was disappointed as well; the older sister never really seemed to apologize for her acts of cruelty and just passed it off as being jealous. And the protagonist seemed to accept it as such, because Jesus.

I also have to laugh at some of the other reviews mad that this is classified as “Christian fiction” but then GASP!-dares to mention lessons from Buddhism and the healing powers of yoga. Way to to be tolerant of other religions and viewpoints. Let’s not be more upset at the cheating spouses or the way the older sister treated her younger sister.

I also felt like I was watching one of those insufferable hallmark channel movies with this plot, the wayward daughter returns home to small town life and everyone begs her to stay; she resists at first but then sees the charm of her town and falls back in love with her high school sweetheart, deciding this is where she belonged the entire time. Coming from a small town & now living in the big city I am aware of these attitudes but it’s only in these types of movies and books this actually happens. Yes, the protagonist wasn’t all that happy in her job, but she did seem to enjoy her life in the big city and made such a fuss that she had to return home. I would have enjoyed it more if she reconciled with her sister, then she and the bf or just her go back to Phoenix, which is more realistic. ( )