The Prudent Mariner by Leslie Walker Williams
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
Pub. Date: October 2008
ISBN-13: 9781572336414
Prizes: The Peter Taylor Prize & The Hackney Literary Award
336pp

Here is the blurb from B&N:

“In 1913, a young white girl in coastal Georgia fabricates a romance between her elder sister and an African American laborer, inadvertently leading to the man’s lynching. A crowd gathers and a photographer records the event on picture postcards. In one of these, the young girl stands smiling beside the hanged man.

More than fifty years later, nine-year-old Riddley Cross discovers these postcards amid her late grandfather’s belongings. As she tries to make sense of why the postcards are in her family’s possession, and why the photographed girl seems so familiar, Riddley becomes haunted by apparitions and dreams of lynchings. The postcards force her to question what she has been taught about the world, the South, and her family – and what she has not. The mysteries of the lynching postcards start to unravel after her widowed grandmother, Adele, moves in with the family.”

My thoughts:

I love this book! Ms. William’s writing is clear and concise. The story is simple, but well told and very easy to follow. The pacing of the novel is perfect as well. I didn’t notice any slow spots and I am surprised at how quickly the main plot points were presented. I love to pick up a book and know within the first 10 pages if it is something I am going to like and that is how it was with this book.

The main character, Riddley, reminded me very much of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird which has always been one of my favorite novels. At 9-years of age, Riddley has the innocence of a child yet is an old soul at heart. She “gets” things and how the world works. She’s smart and inquisitive but knows what to share and when. Not something your average 9-year-old can do. Then there’s Carver, her grown-up friend who is quirky and odd to everyone around her, but only until you get to know her. Riddley’s grandmother, Adele, is losing her battle with Alzheimer’s disease but is still able to maintain a bond with her grand-daughter through their time spent together. The relationships are strongly written and will touch the heart.

I often ask myself what makes a book a classic and I would have to say it’s a mix of strong characters, a well-told story and one that can survive the trends. To me, this book falls into this category and it’s her first novel which is amazing to me! I would love to share the copy I have with all of you but it’s staying on my shelf.

Author’s Bio:

Leslie Walker Williams was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Iowa Review, The Madison Review, Harvard Review, and American Fiction. Her collection, Taxidermy, was a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award. The Prudent Mariner, her first novel, was awarded the Peter Taylor Prize for the Novel, and the Morris Hackney Literary Award for the Novel.

For more information on Leslie Walker Williams, click here to visit her website.