Book Review - Under the Bayou Moon by Valerie Fraser Luesse

 

Ellie Fields wants more out of life than what her Alabama home is willing to offer. She decides to accept a teaching job in a tiny town of Bernadette, Louisiana deep in bayou country.  The inhabitants are suspicious of outsiders because their language and culture are being threatened. However, Ellie ends up teaching the people and help them feel appreciated. She struggles to deal with opposition from the school board and the politician with ulterior motives while keeping the trust of the bayou people.

As Ellie learns to live in the bayou country, she crosses path with a lonely Cajun fisherman, Raphe, who she finds intriguing. He introduces her into the rich tapestry of Cajun culture including, showing her the legendary white alligator. As Raphe and Ellie begin to trust each other, their is a huge bounty being offered for the elusive gator that will test their love for each other.

I enjoyed reading this book and found Ellie to be a delightful character. I thought the scenes with the trio (Ellie, Raphe, and Heywood) to be my favorite. I appreciated and loved the rich details that the author gave but, felt like some of the story line lacked depth. For example, a character goes missing and we are lead to believe that he might be doing something but, then we find out what happened to him in passing.  I wonder if its because the author had too many plot lines and she wasn't sure how to tie them all in together as some plot lines were solved "off screen" with a few sentence to wrap it up. Overall,  it was a great book and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Book Review - Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse

Photo Credit - Amazon

When America entered World War II, the small town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama grew overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in the factories. Dolly Chandler's family is going through a hard time and decides to turn her family home into a boardinghouse to accommodate the worker boom. Each one of Dolly's boarders is bringing a bit of the past with them along with their hopes for the future.

A couple from the Midwest who is going through a tough time in their marriage, a pair of married unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, and a young veteran who is struggling to heal from the war. They each are hoping that they can heal at Dolly's house and find their back in the real world.  However, the house has a past that it's waiting to reveal to the boarders.

When an accident occurs and threatens Dolly's livelihood, she has to rely on her band of friends for help. Will the group of friends be able to solve the mystery of the missing young bride and pirate?

I thought the novel was a fun read. The novel was told from two different perspectives of a young woman in a failing marriage and a veteran returning from the war.  I found the middle of the novel to move a bit slow but, I did enjoy all the characters. I found the ending bittersweet and it felt like I was saying goodbye to a good friend when I finished reading the book. I am looking forward to reading more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**