Gone Crazy In Alabama

Gone Crazy In Alabama

After days of rain the sun broke through in good old Penobscot
County. This meant I could finally keep the windows open and commence
one of my least favorite yearly chores-flea proofing the house for
Joey cat's health and comfort. It was about all I could cram into one
day. Joey, of course, was in a cool bathroom with fresh food and
water. After spending hours exposed to the fumes I owed it to myself
to take a book to my swing and suck up some of that fresh outside air.
One of the big time pleasures of being an avid reader is
renewing the acquaintance of favorite characters in hot off the press
new books. Have you noticed that, unlike those in movies, book
sequels rarely have that watered down quality? In Rita Williams-
Garcia's Gone Crazy in Alabama (set in the sixties) we learn the
latest adventures of that sister trinity: Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern.
The feisty protagonists of One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven
are in for quite the experience. They're leaving their dad and his
pregnant wife in New York to visit relatives in Alabama, the heart of
the deep South. Their grandmother and her mother (helped by a
neighbor who is trying zealously to woo the younger woman through home
and yard improvements) now have indoor plumbing. No more visits to
the outhouse! But the tempo and life style are light years away from
that of their Brooklyn home.
The sisters encounter a very strange situation. Thanks to
events that happened decades ago their grandmother and her sister do
not visit or speak to each other even they reside within walking
distance. At their age if they don't mend their feud it may become
too late. What will it take to get these stubborn women to let down
their defenses?
Something very powerful and unexpected, swooping right down out
of the blue. That's all I'm going to say. You have to read the book
to learn the answer.
On a personal note, precious Joey cat turned 12 on Monday. He has
fully put his weight back on. To look at him you'd never guess how
recently he underwent major surgery. He is about as happy as a tuxedo
cat can be.
A great big shout out goes out to the folks at Joey's medical home,
Veazie Vet, who have done so much to get him to this birthday and to
their colleagues around the world who provide competent and loving
care for our treasured companions.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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