Books Tasted - Everything bookly (and a few other things)

I had never read any Lee Smith before, although she appears to be a prolific writer. But after finishing On Agate Hill, I will definitely be picking up more of her books!

This book sucked me in and I barely came up for air. It's one of those books that compelled me to read it at every possible moment - while brushing my teeth, waiting 2 minutes for the microwave to ding, as a passenger in the car. It's the story of Molly Petree, a young girl during the US Reconstruction living in North Carolina, and it spans her life from the age of 13 until her death at the age of 64. It's a frame narrative told through her diary, letters, court records, and newspaper clippings. I didn't really understand the point of the frame narrative - I have spent a little time trying to figure out the point of Tuscany Miller, our narrator, but haven't come up with much. I think Smith just threw that in there so she could get away with her storytelling method of different written accounts. That aside, the rest of the story is pretty captivating.

The book is broken into sections which align, for the most part, with where Molly lives at the time. The first part, told through Molly's diary entries, is the most entertaining and fascinating to me. Smith gives Molly a witty and involving writing style, and I enjoyed reading the story most when it was told from Molly's perspective.

The book is an involving novel that also gives you a lot of insight into the life of a young Southern lady during Reconstruction. If you like historical fiction and romantic tales, I highly recommend On Agate Hill.