Book #9: Little Altars Everywhere

Book #9
Title: Little Altars Everywhere
Author: Rebecca Wells
Pages: 200
Grade: A
Buyability: 7/10
Status: Borrowed

This isn't *really* my kind of book - it reminded me eerily of something like Margaret Laurence's "A Bird In The House", given it is a collection of interwoven short stories told from the perspectives of different members of a small-town Louisiana family, most notably from the character of Siddalee. So how did it get an A? Well there wasn't anything I didn't like about it. I found the prose easy to get through and imaginative. The stories for the most part were captivating and enchanting. The characters were well developed and familiar despite our polar opposite lives. The plot moved enough from section to section to keep me interested. I can't justfiy giving it a lower grade just because it's not my preferred style (ie: novel over short stories) or preferred subject matter (ie: modern day as opposed to the past).

The stories revolve around two points in the character's lives - their childhoods in the 1960's and their relatively young adulthood in the early 1990's. Vivi is their eccentric, perhaps dangerously so, mother who also features in the ya ya sisterhood book I'm assuming. Interestingly enough this book was written before (and publicized after) the ya ya sisterhood - yet there are frequent mentions of the ya ya's and some dark secret they share and so on...so I'm guessing that book was simultaneously in the works as this one. Big Shep is Vivi's husband, a working class man who makes a few poor choices that make him forget how to love. Their children include the eldest daughter Siddalee, who is probably the most identifiable as the main character in the book. Sidda goes through several phases of independence/autonomy and relying on her family for guidance. Her younger brother Lil Shep doesn't feature much in the book other than his desire to be freed from the nasty secrets his family is keeping. I can't remember the next siblings name, I think it's Lulu, stars in my favourite story in the book about petty thieves and liars. Finally there is Baylor, the youngest, who lives in a dream both as a child and an adult.

Overall I can't say I recommend or don't recommend this book. I enjoyed it yes, but I wasn't floored to be gushing about it. A nice read for winter days.