Hold Up The Sky
May 5, 2010
Hold Up the Sky
Author: Patricia Sprinkle
Publisher: NAL Accent Trade (Penguin)
Publication Date: March 2, 2010
ISBN: 978.0451229144
The story revolves around 4 women living outside of Atlanta, Georgia. 2 you want to hug and comfort, 1 you want to shake around a little bit to bring to her senses, and the last one is pretty much unlikable.
Mamie is the lovely, caring elderly woman that took care of Billie and Margaret when they were young girls, and now continues to take care of their father even though her health issues warrant her stopping and relaxing with what time she has left.
Mamie and Billie stayed in Solace while Margaret married young and moved to Marietta, with very few visits home. Neither daughter has a close relationship with their father, and have not even stopped by to visit since his wife, their mother, died a year ago. Which is why Mamie has not retired yet. She feels someone needs to be there for him. Esmerita showed up the day her truck broke down on it's final leg from Mexico to Dalton. While Billie works on her truck for free in her spare time, Esmerita and her husband are helping out on the farm.
Together these woman deal with special needs children, angry children, broken marriages, missing persons and ill health and poverty. At first they are completely focused on their own needs and issues and don't see the problems others are having, but they slowly learn to work and support one another and realize that acting tough, strong and alone is not always for the best.
A story that follows the very popular writing theme of women coming into their own, with their group of friends, as midlife hits - but regardless, it's still a nicely written story with characters you can invest in.
