Book Reviews

Liz Says Read This Book Next

The Lost Saints of Tennessee

Amy Franklin-Willis

Literary Fiction – Family Life Fiction

266 pages

Published February 7, 2012

Zeke Cooper, at 42, married, divorced and a father of two, must finally come to terms with the loss of his brother and his estrangement from his mother. He leaves Tennessee, hopeless and ready to disappear for the betterment of all those who know and love him. And we, as readers, love this character immediately and can feel his pain as fresh as a new cut.

Each character is unique, each sibling suffering in their own grief. The mother, Lillian, is particularly tortured and finds her past sins unforgivable. We might too when we finally learn some of the hidden secrets.

Zeke might be able to carve out a new life for himself by returning to where he was headed when his life turned away from the path he was destined to take. He can’t go back and relive those lost years but maybe he can find a new way forward. 

This book was compared to ‘The Prince of Tides’ and ‘Bastard out of Carolina’ for its descriptive southern prose. It’s a story of loss and love in a family struggling with difficult life circumstances. I agree this is from a gifted writer.

Listed on Amazon as an Editors Pick and I hope you will enjoy it too.

Liz