Southern Lit., Pick of the Week: Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

It has taken me a few days to write about my latest read, Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress. Not because I hated it, because I didn’t. Nor has it taken me a bit because I loved it, because I didn’t. I love books, I love words and I love the stories they bring together so I struggle when I don’t get really attached to a book. Georgia Bottoms was a book I was eagerly anticipating getting lost in, and being sad when it ended because I had become so in love with the characters. But, when I finished it…it was done. That was it. It was a cute, light read that I was able to finish in an afternoon.

“Georgia Bottoms is known in her small community of Six Points, Alabama, as a beautiful, well-to-do, and devoutly Baptist Southern belle. Nobody realizes that the family fortune has long since disappeared, and a determinedly single woman like Georgia needs an alternative, and discreet, means of income. In Georgia's case it is six well-heeled lovers-one for each day of the week. But when the married preacher who has been calling decides to confess their affair in front of the whole congregation, Georgia must take drastic measures to stop him.”

I have often heard people refer to certain books as if they had been written to be movies. Well, as I have rolled this one around in my mind, I would have to say that about Georgia Bottoms. I can completely see it as a movie and think many of the scenes would come off very comical in that medium, more so than in print. I just wish that there had been a bit more depth in between the covers…and then I could have laughed out loud at some of the twists and turns that the story ran through.

All in all, it is a good little book to stick in your beach tote and head to Spring Break. You will enjoy the lead character, Georgia’s, mother (called “Little Mama”) who seems to be dying to burst forth every time she creeps on a page. Little Mama’s strong case of racism mixed with dementia bring the best laughs of this book. I would love to have gotten to know Little Mama a bit more. I will be interested in reading more of author Mark Childress works (curious enough to go back and read some of his earlier works such as Crazy in Alabama and One Mississippi) and seeing how reflective this newest release is of his previous writings.

This post was written as a member of Southern Mommas Writers

Please Check out the Southern Sisterhood at Southern Mommas

(and you don't have to be a Momma!)