The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin
Here’s the blurb from the publisher:
In the turbulent southern summer of 1963, Millwood’s white population steers clear of “Shake Rag,” the black section of town. Young Florence Forrest is one of the few who crosses the line. The daughter of a burial insurance salesman with dark secrets and the town’s “cake lady,” whose backcountry bootleg runs lead further and further away from a brutal marriage, Florence attaches herself to her grandparents’ longtime maid, Zenie Johnson. Named for Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, Zenie treats the unwanted girl as just another chore, while telling her stories of the legendary queen’s courage and cunning.
The more time Florence spends in Shake Rag, the more she recognizes how completely race divides her town, and her story, far from ordinary, bears witness to the truth and brutality of her times—a truth brought to a shattering conclusion when Zenie’s vibrant college-student niece, Eva Greene, arrives that fateful Mississippi summer.
Minrose Gwin’s The Queen of Palmyra is an unforgettable evocation of a time and a place in America—a nuanced, gripping story of race and identity.
I plan to review this one closer to its release date (April 27, 2010) but I just finished it and I just had to post something about it…right now. A lot of you have heard about this book already but if you haven’t, I wanted to make sure you knew something about it because you’ll want to run out and get a copy of it as soon as it comes out.
I am enjoying Spring Break with my family and have spent the week with some wonderful books, this being one of them. I love it when a book leaves you with a good feeling inside. Anyway, I’ll post the review in a couple of weeks but for now, put it on your list. Yes, the list that is about a mile long already.
Book Chatter 
Sounds wonderful! Is it sort of The Help -ish?
It does have a bit of the same elements as The Help, but it’s different in feel.
This book is right up my alley…I love books like this. I can’t wait for your full review. Thanks for the rec Ti!
I can’t wait to read it!
I just checked your blog for the first time in awhile and it was like 4 posts in a row about books I really want to read. (The Passage, Lost Summer of LMA, Beatrice and Virgil). I have this one on my list for this month as well. 🙂
This sounds really great! Must put it on my list 🙂
Sounds like a good one Ti…I will be anxiously awaiting your review!
It looks and sounds good!
This does sound good; thanks for blogging about it!
I just read this last week as well — I’m not too sure about the ending but the rest of it was very powerful.
It sounds wonderful. Waiting for the review with abated breath.
I am glad you are enjoying spring break, Lisa. My boss was out for a couple of weeks enjoying the start of spring so I got to fill in for her. Not much of a break from me, I’m afraid. LOL
This book does sound really good. I can’t wait to read your review of it.
I don’t know where my head is, Ti. I know your Ti and not Lisa. So sorry. It’s late, I was up extra early. Forgive me?
ooooh! i’m so excited. i’m reviewing this one as well and just picked it up the other day. i’m dying to know what’s in her dad’s box…
enjoy!
It’s already on the list but now I’m really looking forward to getting to it!
i ve this as well ,looking forward to reading it ,hopefully i ll get a proper insight into the era ,as she lived it