Where the Woodbine Twines: A Novel

by Sherry Austin

A woman is confronted with an enigmatic figure from her past in this Southern Gothic thriller of unresolved friendship and unsettling memories. The coincidental sighting of someone resembling a long-lost childhood acquaintance sets off a flood of memories about their strange experience. She hopes she'll at last find the answer to the question that has stuck with her all the years Whatever became of the unforgettable Catherine Wiley? Set against the live-oak splendor of the South Carolina low country and the dark glamour of Myrtle Beach in the 1950s, this tale of nostalgia, fear, and hope twists like a leaf in the wind.

170 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2006

Reviews

[WitchyFingers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am unsure what to say about this book. It moved slowly, but did have some of the atmospheric Southern gothic-ness that I like. It really lifted off in the last 15 or 20 pages, but left me feeling confused and unsettled.

[Jessie Banach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read by, I think, a self published author. The story takes place in Myrtle Beach in the 50s, and the author seemed to capture that perfectly. I only have two real problems (nit picky I know) with the story; one the main character and her mother are from another state and move to Myrtle Beach, yet her mother does things that's pretty much solely done in SC (if you asked someone from Alabama what a Hummingbird cake or beannie wafers are, they're look at you like your nuts. I tried it.) The other problem is that the story is told by an adult remembering something that happened to her as a young teenager, but at times it sounds like a child is talking and others the adult. There is no consistency in it.

As for the "mystery" in this book, it was very transparent after the first few chapters and, once my suspicions were confirmed, I really cared nothing for the rest of the story. The characters were flat and neither likeable or unlikeable. As it was, the imagery was very good, very detailed; but the dialog and character development was paper thin. I'm happy to have read this book, but I'm just as happy never to read it again.

[Tom Hooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman is confronted with an enigmatic figure from her past in this Southern Gothic thriller of unresolved friendship and unsettling memories. The coincidental sighting of someone resembling a long-lost childhood acquaintance sets off a flood of memories about their strange experience. She hopes she'll at last find the answer to the question that has stuck with her all the years since: Whatever became of the unforgettable Catherine Wiley? Set against the live-oak splendor of the South Carolina low country and the dark glamour of Myrtle Beach in the 1950s, this tale of nostalgia, fear, and hope twists like a leaf in the wind

[David Wernsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book overall from a relatively unknown local author.