The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove
Nov 25, 2011
The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove
Author: Susan Gregg Gilmore
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Crown (August 17, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307395030
ISBN-13: 978-0307395030
Bezellia is a lovely girl. Mazelle and Nathanial are the kind and gentle help that support and love her. Bezellia's parents? Well, I feel they're rather worthless. All that she knows, feels and understands regarding humanity and humility came from those employed by her parents, certainly not from her parents themselves.
This is the story of Bezellia's life from a young teenager to the burgeoning years of adulthood. She is from a well-known family with a strong ancestral line. Unfortunately not as glamorous as it sounds when you take into account her parent's overwhelming need to keep appearances......at all costs. Those costs are mainly to Bezellia and her sister.
Behind closed doors her father is distant, in fact almost never home.. and appears to possibly have another hidden life that would do nothing but bring the family shame. Her mother is a social climbing monster with strong tendencies toward alcoholism. These tendencies cause her to be sent away frequently for "rest". Her younger sister seemingly refuses to advance mentally past the age of 7.
Bezellia has all of this stress laying on her young shoulders, along with normal teenage yearnings and adoration. Unfortunately these yearnings and longings are aimed right at Nathanial's very handsome son, Samual. Samual is unfortunately the wrong color for Bezellia to be yearning after and everyone but Bezellia herself seems to agree on this little fact.
This is a coming of age story set in Nashville in the 60s. Throw in race issues, Vietnam, puberty, infidelity and alcoholism and you have a book that keeps you involved and entangled in the lives you come to know and care about.
Click HERE to listen to Susan discussing her books at Books on the Nightstand.
Also available: a trailer for Susan's first book, "Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen". Look for the Dew review for this book on December 12th!
