I am a Billy Coffey fan. I've been following his blog for several years and was thrilled when his first novel, Snow Day was released. As you can imagine, I was very flattered when asked to review the new book, When Mockingbirds Sing. I received my advance copy just in time to take it with me on a vacation trip to Florida and had a very relaxing, enjoyable time reading it on the beach.
I love a good story - and Billy Coffey is a great storyteller. This new novel takes us to the fictional town of Mattingly, VA and introduces us to small town Southern life with all its charm and characters. Rather than give a synopsis of the story (you can find that on Amazon) and spoil the joy of discovery, I'll just share my impressions.
Billy perfectly captures the atmosphere and attitude of a small Southern town and then begins to unfold a tale of wonder and faith. Just a couple of pages in, I came across this line from Barney, one of the main characters, "You're nice to say that, Miss Ellen, though I know it ain't true. That's one of them kindly lies that you won't get sent to hell for the tellin.'" At that point, I realized I wouldn't be able to tear through the book at my usual breakneck speed, but would need to take my time and savor each well-turned phrase.
After reading a few chapters, I began to feel like I could drive to Mattingly and strike up a conversation with any of the characters - Mr. Coffey had given such insight into each personality, it was as if they were already friends. I love how Billy takes trials and joys from his own life and weaves them into the story to give that genuine, heartfelt sorrow and rejoicing that makes reading this book so rewarding. You'll carry the questions asked, examples to avoid or follow and lessons learned with you long after you finish reading the book.
You might find yourself adopting the attitude of a favorite personality from the book, Billy has a way of bringing them to life and making their foibles endearing (or annoying). There is joy and sadness, fear and wonder, but most of all - faith. None of the answers come easy, but you will not regret the ride. This is by far the best book I have read this year. 5 stars out of 5 - Highly recommended!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
I'm not finished yet, but am loving it so far. ANd the line you quoted, was already one of KY favorites as well.
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ReplyDeleteGreat review, Jim. Barney could have become cartoonish in the hands of a less capable writer, but instead he was endearing and, like the rest of his characters, so very relatable.
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