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Alligator Lake
As a pregnant teenager, Avery Pritchett found refuge in Colorado, but now, ten years later, her brother's wedding--and some burning questions--bring her back home to her small Southern town. But will introducing her mixed-race daughter to her independent-minded grandmother bring solace or sorrow? Will confronting her class-conscious mother allow for new beginnings or confirm old resentments? And how can she ask forgiveness of her youthful lover who has been denied his child all these years? As the summer progresses, Avery's return provokes shocking discoveries--of choices made, and secrets kept--and of deceptions that lie closer than she suspects.
389 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
20 people are currently reading
966 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Bryant
6 books100 followersLynne Bryant’s forty-plus years as a nurse and nursing academic have prepared her well for creating intimate human stories featuring the unheard voices of ordinary women. Lynne is the author of two previous novels: Catfish Alley and Alligator Lake. She and her wife share a home with their three dogs—and occasionally their three children—in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where she attempts to grow flowers that deer don’t like and writes novels featuring delightfully flawed women in all their complexities. Find Lynne online at www.lynnebryant.com.
Follow Lynne on Instagram.com/lynnebryantauthor or Facebook.com/authorlynnebryant/
Follow Lynne on Instagram.com/lynnebryantauthor or Facebook.com/authorlynnebryant/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
June 29, 2012
What an entertaing and thought provoking novel about race relations as it expands over several generations in a small Mississippi town. I love the overall story. I would say this is a must read and has bee added as one of my all time favorites.
February 5, 2023
So beautiful, and very interesting.
3.75 stars.
3.75 stars.
June 3, 2021
Boek over rassenhaat en wettelijk verbod op rassenvermenging in Mississippi door de jaren heen en over hoe weinig er veranderd is.
De hoofdpersoon gaat terug naar haar geboorteplaats om erachter te komen hoe het kan dat zij 'zwart' bloed heeft waardoor haar kind aan sikkelcelanemie lijdt. Het verhaal neemt je mee terug in de tijd en vertelt over de worsteling van jonge mensen met hun liefde voor iemand van een ander ras in een maatschappij waarin dit niet wordt getolereerd. Boeiend verhaal maar voor mij wat flauw geschreven.
De hoofdpersoon gaat terug naar haar geboorteplaats om erachter te komen hoe het kan dat zij 'zwart' bloed heeft waardoor haar kind aan sikkelcelanemie lijdt. Het verhaal neemt je mee terug in de tijd en vertelt over de worsteling van jonge mensen met hun liefde voor iemand van een ander ras in een maatschappij waarin dit niet wordt getolereerd. Boeiend verhaal maar voor mij wat flauw geschreven.
February 1, 2015
Book challenge 2015, category "A book by an author you have not read before".
Well, that wasn't exactly a difficult category, every other author I read is a new one. I'm pleased to have become acquainted with Lynne Bryant. My only regret is that I did not read this in English, because the Norwegian translation was clumsy and idiosyncratic. I had a few "wait a minute, I think she actually means..." This disturbed my fluency of reading, but I still recognized the quality of the original story.
Avery's been away from home for 10 years, have raised her bi-racial daughter in Colorado. Now her little brother Mark is getting married and she is invited to the wedding. As a matter of fact, Mark's fiancee wants both Avery and her daughter Celi as bridemaids. After much deliberation Avery decides to indeed return to her mother's crisp white Mississippi of country clubs and debutant balls. One of the reason she returns is to find out how her daughter can have sickle cell anemia, an illness which only affects blacks and must be inherited from both parents.
There are lots of family secrets to ferret out. The story braids in past and present smoothly, but because the past timeline occurs in the 1940's, 1960's and 1990's, this causes confusion at times.
The other thing that confuses my European mind is how prevalent racism still is, at least as portrayed in this book. I had several moments of shock, wondering if things could really be as bad as that in this day and age.
All in all this is a fairly typical family saga/ chick lit sort of read. Not bad as such and definitely a nice change from the rather more blood dripping genres I usually engage in.
Well, that wasn't exactly a difficult category, every other author I read is a new one. I'm pleased to have become acquainted with Lynne Bryant. My only regret is that I did not read this in English, because the Norwegian translation was clumsy and idiosyncratic. I had a few "wait a minute, I think she actually means..." This disturbed my fluency of reading, but I still recognized the quality of the original story.
Avery's been away from home for 10 years, have raised her bi-racial daughter in Colorado. Now her little brother Mark is getting married and she is invited to the wedding. As a matter of fact, Mark's fiancee wants both Avery and her daughter Celi as bridemaids. After much deliberation Avery decides to indeed return to her mother's crisp white Mississippi of country clubs and debutant balls. One of the reason she returns is to find out how her daughter can have sickle cell anemia, an illness which only affects blacks and must be inherited from both parents.
There are lots of family secrets to ferret out. The story braids in past and present smoothly, but because the past timeline occurs in the 1940's, 1960's and 1990's, this causes confusion at times.
The other thing that confuses my European mind is how prevalent racism still is, at least as portrayed in this book. I had several moments of shock, wondering if things could really be as bad as that in this day and age.
All in all this is a fairly typical family saga/ chick lit sort of read. Not bad as such and definitely a nice change from the rather more blood dripping genres I usually engage in.
April 2, 2012
Lynne Bryant does it again with her brand new novel, Alligator Lake. I found myself up late finishing this page-turner. Like Catfish Alley, the book incorporates Southern roots, family secrets, generational classism and racial divides among the triumph of family love. The main character is a single white, 20-something female headed home to Mississippi after bolting to Colorado 10 years prior pregnant and disgraced. She's bringing her mixed-race daughter, whom no one back home has met, to be a flower girl in her brother's upcoming wedding. Told by three generations of females, the story develops from different angles as it weaves together classic inner conflict with raw emotional decisions -- decisions from generations past that have a profound effect on lives today. Everyone confronts something as each character deals with the racially-charged situation at hand. Bryant is not shy in handling the racism, classism, family-ism issues. But her prose lends a bit of graciousness to the landscape. It's a good read! Alligator Lake
April 14, 2012
a poignant look at three generations of woman struggling with racial prejudice in Mississippi Delta country. Avery, a young, white woman returns from Colorado to her family in Mississippi to attend the wedding of her brother and to uncover the roots of her 9-year-old daughter Ceci's Sickle Cell Anemia. Alhough Ceci's father is black, Avery's family claims to be all white. As Avery comes to term with her own past, she unknowingly causes her mother and grandmother to examine their own pasts.
This is Lynne Bryant's second book. Like her first, she closely examines the issues of race and prejudice in a fictional format, showing how healing between the races has begun and how far it still has to go in the South. she celebrates the strength of Southern women, their wisdom and friendship. Alligator Lake is an outstanding novel, as rich and fertile as the Mississippi delta where it takes place.
This is Lynne Bryant's second book. Like her first, she closely examines the issues of race and prejudice in a fictional format, showing how healing between the races has begun and how far it still has to go in the South. she celebrates the strength of Southern women, their wisdom and friendship. Alligator Lake is an outstanding novel, as rich and fertile as the Mississippi delta where it takes place.
March 1, 2012
This was a hard book for me to read. I am from the south and have traveled the world. Even though the situation isn't the same here, I know of many small towns down here that this could happen in.
It was very well written. I normally prefer a book I can just devour in a day or two. If thats what you are looking for this is not it. I would still recommend this book to others especially if you like drama. It involves family conflict, racial tension, a deadly (potentially) disease, and love.
It was very well written. I normally prefer a book I can just devour in a day or two. If thats what you are looking for this is not it. I would still recommend this book to others especially if you like drama. It involves family conflict, racial tension, a deadly (potentially) disease, and love.
December 23, 2018
En god og opplysende bok om raseskille og problematikk rundt dette på 40-70 tallet i Sørstatene i USA, sett fra de hvites ståsted. Godt å lese at flere hvite tok ansvar og var et medmenneske for de sorte. En får jo tanker til nåtidens problemer rundt innvandring og hat mot det ukjente, så godt at det alltid finnes mennesker som ser at vi er alle medmennesker.
July 21, 2012
Loved it! Reminded me of "The Help." 3 generations of women in Mississippi & their struggles with racism/integration.
July 31, 2015
Love this book! Hard to put down!
July 13, 2017
An easy read with a good story. Towards the end it was feeling just a tad long winded, but overall a decent read.
June 14, 2017
Bryant blended the 3 narrators and different decades seamlessly. Even though I figured out where it was going, the tension mounted like a balloon ready to pop. I find it odd the local library put an "African American" sticker on the side. All 3 narrators were white. It dealt with their background stories in race relations and mixed children but I've read lots of other books of that nature and never saw such a sticker. It almost seems too PC. Many people will love this story and I see no need to classify it other than thought provoking fiction.
June 24, 2017
Avery is white and Aaron is black. They live in Mississippi during the 1990's. When Avery gets pregnant at the age of seventeen she leaves Mississippi rather than deal with the repercussions of having a mixed race child. Ten years later she returns for her brother's wedding with her daughter. This novel deals with the prejudice that still exists in the 2000's. The novel also goes back and time to show how little has changed with their prejudices, regardless of the facade that people put on their faces.
September 5, 2022
It took me a while to get in the flow of the book, but then I couldn't put it down. In the first chapters the writer is too eager to make a point, to explain the situation. I like to be subtly drawn to conclusions, not to much slammed in my face.
That being said, the rest of the book took me to places I didn't know still exist. I loved the story of the three women from their point of view. It's very well written and I definetely will read her other books.
That being said, the rest of the book took me to places I didn't know still exist. I loved the story of the three women from their point of view. It's very well written and I definetely will read her other books.
December 5, 2018
Didn't want to put this one down... Which is why I am at work with bags under my eyes and extra coffee. It is sad to know that his book is set recent times and the struggles for some are so prominent in their lives. I can't imagine.
June 2, 2018
Another excellent, insightful book on Southern race relations, love and families. I didn’t want it to end.
July 16, 2018
Excellent book set in the south about race, relationships, and coming to grips with our past.
January 30, 2019
Very compelling story. Usually I have various books started and placed strategically around my home. This one followed me everywhere.
December 15, 2020
Didn’t want this book to end.
August 16, 2025
Boeiend verhaal over zwart en wit in de Zuidelijke staat Mississippi over verschillende generaties. Maar iets te veel kartonnen karakters en iets te veel toevalligheden. Prima vakantielectuur.
September 20, 2020
Toen ik achterflap las twijfelde ik of dit boek iets voor me was, althans qua schrijfstijl. Het verhaal op zich, een moeder die binnen de familielijn gaat uitzoeken waarom haar dochter ziek is, vind ik boeiend genoeg om aan te beginnen. Echter ineens na ongeveer 150 bladzijden te hebben gelezen kon ik het niet langer opbrengen om verder te lezen over zwemmen in een meer, het uitzoeken van een japon, het plukken van bessen met oma, koffiedrinken met de vriendin van die en die, het eerste balfeest daar en daar, de winkelstraat die er na tien jaar nog hetzelfde uitzag.....Ik mis diepgang en vaart in dit verhaal. Niet aan mij besteed maar ik kan me voorstellen dat andere lezers het wel een lezenswaardig boek vinden.
May 7, 2012
Posted on Romancing the Book blog
Reviewed by~April
Review Copy Provided by~the Publisher
Lynne Bryant does an incredible job bringing to life the past and present for three generations of women, all so very different, yet so similar. Her ability to project the mother/daughter relationships within these women is mesmerizing and touches the reader’s heart immediately.
Alligator Lake is the story of Avery, her Mother Marion and her Grandmother Will. Alternating each woman’s past and present, the story develops in a unique and excellent way that allows the reader to get to know each character and discover why they are the way they are.
Avery moved away from her home in Mississippi at the tender age of eighteen – pregnant and alone. Moving to Colorado to live with her loving and patient Aunt Lizzy, Avery spends the next ten years creating a life, secluded from her family back home, with her young daughter, Celi. That time of seclusion comes to an end with one phone call from her brother, requesting Avery and her daughter to come back home and take part in his wedding. It is with great trepidation that Avery and Celi travel back home without a clue as to what kind reception they will receive.
Grandmother Will is a wonderful, tender and non-judgmental person. She has remained in contact with Avery and welcomes her and her great-granddaughter with wide open arms. It is through telling Avery stories of her past that new discoveries and secrets come to light. Will has always been an advocate for the black people and has had a great hatred for the segregation and discrimination they have suffered. She even taught many of the black workers how to read.
Marion, however, detested her mother’s love and care for the blacks and grew up feeling embarrassed by her mother. Marion wanted nothing more than to fit in with the high society white people. This, in turn, made Marion push her daughter Avery into white society and try to turn her into a proper young lady. Little did anyone know that Avery was seeing Aaron, her grandmother Will’s best friend’s grandson. It is with him she becomes pregnant. The horror? Aaron is not white; therefor Avery will be giving birth to a mixed race child, which is a disgrace where they live. So instead of living with her Mother’s anger and insistence of aborting the child, Avery leaves.
It is when Celi goes to the doctor very sick, that the discovery is made that she has Sickle-Cell disease – something that effects a child when both the mother and father carry this trait – a trait within the black race. How did Avery come to carry this trait and what secrets are buried in her family’s past? She hopes to uncover these answers while back for her brother’s wedding.
Alligator Lake is a wonderful and heart touching story that will engulf the reader from the beginning to the end. I truly loved Ms. Bryant’s ability to segue seamlessly into each woman’s past and present in alternating chapters. I also loved the way the author enables each character to grow as the story progresses. I have to be honest in my surprise at how the black people were treated and how the white people looked down upon them even in the year 1991 and 2001. I had no idea that such racism was so strong. During the early years, yes, however not in the more current years. This greatly disturbed me. Also, Marion’s stark dislike, disdain and racism angered me.
As the story goes on, however, answers are discovered and the ability of one little girl to make burned bridges whole again is inspiring. Alligator Lake is a story of acceptance, love and working through difficulties. It is a story of new beginnings. This is the first book that I have read by Lynne Bryant and I truly cannot wait to read other works by her. Her writing style reminded me a bit of Lisa Wingate. Ms. Bryant also has a wondrous way of bringing the surroundings to life – allowing the reader to visualize and feel as though they are right there with the characters. Alligator Lake is a story that will drag you in emotionally and will not release you until the final page is read. For anyone looking for a story of family dynamics, love, twists, inspiration and hope, this is the perfect book!
Favorite Quote: I took my dress off the hook. I still thought it looked like an upside-down snow cone before the syrup, but it was the best Miss Esther could do considering what she had to work with – me. I stuffed the dress into its bag and threw my tote over my shoulder. It was filled with the push-up bra Mother had made me buy, the silly shoes, panty hose, and of course the white gloves.
Reviewed by~April
Review Copy Provided by~the Publisher
Lynne Bryant does an incredible job bringing to life the past and present for three generations of women, all so very different, yet so similar. Her ability to project the mother/daughter relationships within these women is mesmerizing and touches the reader’s heart immediately.
Alligator Lake is the story of Avery, her Mother Marion and her Grandmother Will. Alternating each woman’s past and present, the story develops in a unique and excellent way that allows the reader to get to know each character and discover why they are the way they are.
Avery moved away from her home in Mississippi at the tender age of eighteen – pregnant and alone. Moving to Colorado to live with her loving and patient Aunt Lizzy, Avery spends the next ten years creating a life, secluded from her family back home, with her young daughter, Celi. That time of seclusion comes to an end with one phone call from her brother, requesting Avery and her daughter to come back home and take part in his wedding. It is with great trepidation that Avery and Celi travel back home without a clue as to what kind reception they will receive.
Grandmother Will is a wonderful, tender and non-judgmental person. She has remained in contact with Avery and welcomes her and her great-granddaughter with wide open arms. It is through telling Avery stories of her past that new discoveries and secrets come to light. Will has always been an advocate for the black people and has had a great hatred for the segregation and discrimination they have suffered. She even taught many of the black workers how to read.
Marion, however, detested her mother’s love and care for the blacks and grew up feeling embarrassed by her mother. Marion wanted nothing more than to fit in with the high society white people. This, in turn, made Marion push her daughter Avery into white society and try to turn her into a proper young lady. Little did anyone know that Avery was seeing Aaron, her grandmother Will’s best friend’s grandson. It is with him she becomes pregnant. The horror? Aaron is not white; therefor Avery will be giving birth to a mixed race child, which is a disgrace where they live. So instead of living with her Mother’s anger and insistence of aborting the child, Avery leaves.
It is when Celi goes to the doctor very sick, that the discovery is made that she has Sickle-Cell disease – something that effects a child when both the mother and father carry this trait – a trait within the black race. How did Avery come to carry this trait and what secrets are buried in her family’s past? She hopes to uncover these answers while back for her brother’s wedding.
Alligator Lake is a wonderful and heart touching story that will engulf the reader from the beginning to the end. I truly loved Ms. Bryant’s ability to segue seamlessly into each woman’s past and present in alternating chapters. I also loved the way the author enables each character to grow as the story progresses. I have to be honest in my surprise at how the black people were treated and how the white people looked down upon them even in the year 1991 and 2001. I had no idea that such racism was so strong. During the early years, yes, however not in the more current years. This greatly disturbed me. Also, Marion’s stark dislike, disdain and racism angered me.
As the story goes on, however, answers are discovered and the ability of one little girl to make burned bridges whole again is inspiring. Alligator Lake is a story of acceptance, love and working through difficulties. It is a story of new beginnings. This is the first book that I have read by Lynne Bryant and I truly cannot wait to read other works by her. Her writing style reminded me a bit of Lisa Wingate. Ms. Bryant also has a wondrous way of bringing the surroundings to life – allowing the reader to visualize and feel as though they are right there with the characters. Alligator Lake is a story that will drag you in emotionally and will not release you until the final page is read. For anyone looking for a story of family dynamics, love, twists, inspiration and hope, this is the perfect book!
Favorite Quote: I took my dress off the hook. I still thought it looked like an upside-down snow cone before the syrup, but it was the best Miss Esther could do considering what she had to work with – me. I stuffed the dress into its bag and threw my tote over my shoulder. It was filled with the push-up bra Mother had made me buy, the silly shoes, panty hose, and of course the white gloves.
March 18, 2017
Great story about the deep south and racial tensions within a family. Well written, easy to read, and a would say at times a page turner that I couldn't put down.
June 14, 2023
I liked this one a lot and wavered between a 4 & 5 star review. I loved that it was about mother/daughter relationships (I have 3 daughters). Each relationship is so different no matter how a mother raises her children, all relationships take different turns. What was difficult for me to read was all of the racism that takes place in the little town in Mississippi. I know racism has always existed and sadly most likely always will to some degree, I still hate reading about it. I don't care what race is being the racist person, it is always wrong...period! I did feel like the author was repetitive in ways she didn't need to be about the downfall of American society.
March 12, 2012
I won an advanced copy of this book through the FirstReads program. Avery left her hometown in rural Mississippi ten years ago after discovering she was pregnant; she's had little contact with any of her family since, knowing that many of them (along with many of the town's residents) would not be accepting of her half-black daughter. Though race is still a major factor in her hometown, she's returned to attend her brother's wedding, bringing her daughter to meet her family for the first time. There, Avery and her mom struggle to understand one another, and Avery pushes for family history from her grandmother.
The story has three narrators: Avery, Marion (Avery's mom), and Willadean (Avery's grandmother). The revolving viewpoint keeps the reader in the know and makes each character more sympathetic than they might have been had the story only been told through Avery's eyes. The story jumps around in time, with the majority of it set in the "present" (2001) but filled with flashbacks to Willadean's childhood, Marion's childhood, and even tales from Avery's own experiences growing up there. Because I was given glimpses of everyone's early lives, it was easy to understand why they turned out the way they did. For example, growing up, Marion saw her own mother shunned by society because she helped teach blacks to pass literacy tests, so it was understandable that all Marion ever wanted was to fit in and that she'd do anything to make this happen. Although Marion could be considered the "villain" in the family, the author did an amazing job giving her depth and making her character sympathetic. I really enjoyed the way the characters' histories and choices affected their lives, and thus the book, overall. On occasion, I felt that characters overanalyzed their choices - each narrative was filled with this - but I did like seeing their internal growth.
The author did a wonderful job describing the town itself. I could feel the humid air and visualize the way the city and its residents had looked throughout the years. It did take me a few chapters to truly get into the story, as the descriptions almost overwhelmed me at the beginning, especially since I had yet to understand or care about the characters. However, I am very glad I pressed on because once the story picked up, I was hooked. Parts of it almost reminded me of a continuation of The Help, as both were set in the same sort of place; although they were very different stories overall, having read The Help gave me a good basis for the atmosphere when this story began in Willadean's eyes.
This is definitely not a book pushed forward with a strong plot; rather, the characters and family histories/relationships moved the action forward. I enjoyed the family stories and seeing how each generation differed and struggled to reconcile with each other. The best parts of the book were about the family relationships. Some of the other plot points - old friendships or relationships, for example - were touched upon but not fully resolved by the end, which is perhaps lifelike but also left me wanting more, even though these subplots were rather small overall. I wish the book had ended on a more conclusive note; it ended on a hopeful tone, but it also left the reader to imagine what would happen after the last page. I think this ending worked for the book because of everything that had already happened, leaving me with clues to imagine the future for the characters, but it wasn't nearly as conclusive as I generally like endings to be.
Overall, I found this to be a very easy read, once I got past the first few chapters, and parts of the book were so interesting and thought-provoking that I expect they'll stay with me for a long time. This is definitely not a book for everyone because of the slow pace and topics covered, but I really liked it and am glad I read it.
The story has three narrators: Avery, Marion (Avery's mom), and Willadean (Avery's grandmother). The revolving viewpoint keeps the reader in the know and makes each character more sympathetic than they might have been had the story only been told through Avery's eyes. The story jumps around in time, with the majority of it set in the "present" (2001) but filled with flashbacks to Willadean's childhood, Marion's childhood, and even tales from Avery's own experiences growing up there. Because I was given glimpses of everyone's early lives, it was easy to understand why they turned out the way they did. For example, growing up, Marion saw her own mother shunned by society because she helped teach blacks to pass literacy tests, so it was understandable that all Marion ever wanted was to fit in and that she'd do anything to make this happen. Although Marion could be considered the "villain" in the family, the author did an amazing job giving her depth and making her character sympathetic. I really enjoyed the way the characters' histories and choices affected their lives, and thus the book, overall. On occasion, I felt that characters overanalyzed their choices - each narrative was filled with this - but I did like seeing their internal growth.
The author did a wonderful job describing the town itself. I could feel the humid air and visualize the way the city and its residents had looked throughout the years. It did take me a few chapters to truly get into the story, as the descriptions almost overwhelmed me at the beginning, especially since I had yet to understand or care about the characters. However, I am very glad I pressed on because once the story picked up, I was hooked. Parts of it almost reminded me of a continuation of The Help, as both were set in the same sort of place; although they were very different stories overall, having read The Help gave me a good basis for the atmosphere when this story began in Willadean's eyes.
This is definitely not a book pushed forward with a strong plot; rather, the characters and family histories/relationships moved the action forward. I enjoyed the family stories and seeing how each generation differed and struggled to reconcile with each other. The best parts of the book were about the family relationships. Some of the other plot points - old friendships or relationships, for example - were touched upon but not fully resolved by the end, which is perhaps lifelike but also left me wanting more, even though these subplots were rather small overall. I wish the book had ended on a more conclusive note; it ended on a hopeful tone, but it also left the reader to imagine what would happen after the last page. I think this ending worked for the book because of everything that had already happened, leaving me with clues to imagine the future for the characters, but it wasn't nearly as conclusive as I generally like endings to be.
Overall, I found this to be a very easy read, once I got past the first few chapters, and parts of the book were so interesting and thought-provoking that I expect they'll stay with me for a long time. This is definitely not a book for everyone because of the slow pace and topics covered, but I really liked it and am glad I read it.
July 11, 2024
LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Read it many years ago and left such an impression on me
March 21, 2012
Alligator Lake is an enjoyable story about life and race in a small Mississippi town, as told by three generations of white women: Avery, the single mother of a mixed-race daughter who left home after getting pregnant and has come back for the first time in ten years; Marion, Avery's mother who is struggling to reconcile the return of her daughter and granddaughter with her views on the importance of being white; and Will, Marion's mother and a civil rights activist who tends to socialize with the "wrong" people.
The story deals with each woman's struggles with both personal issues and outside influences, and one thing that the book does really well is to show how past experiences have shaped these women through use of flashbacks. While the obvious thing would be to paint Marion as the villain, the author doesn't take the easy way out - instead we get to see why her views on the importance of race have become so different from her mother's and daughter's.
Aside from keeping the characters from being one-dimensional, the author also did a great job of creating an image of southern culture. I found myself, like Avery's daughter Celi, wondering what tomato gravy tastes like or how an earworm looks (although I could go without seeing one of those, actually). Like the characters, the town of Greendale cannot be described simply as "that racist place". Yes, there are major race issues that are the main focus of the story, but there is some good too.
Overall, I think what makes this a good book is that the author is able to capture the emotions of the characters so well. It is a very character-driven and setting-driven story, and even though there isn't much action or surprises, the story doesn't need these to keep us reading. The only (minor) complaint I have is the conclusion - plotwise it was fine, but for some reason it read a little bit too much like the conclusion to a writing assignment or something. Maybe it was too much like the final "summary and future ideas" paragraph of a paper? Anyway, this in no way takes away from the story, which I was very satisfied with. Thank you, Goodreads giveaways and Lynne Bryant!
The story deals with each woman's struggles with both personal issues and outside influences, and one thing that the book does really well is to show how past experiences have shaped these women through use of flashbacks. While the obvious thing would be to paint Marion as the villain, the author doesn't take the easy way out - instead we get to see why her views on the importance of race have become so different from her mother's and daughter's.
Aside from keeping the characters from being one-dimensional, the author also did a great job of creating an image of southern culture. I found myself, like Avery's daughter Celi, wondering what tomato gravy tastes like or how an earworm looks (although I could go without seeing one of those, actually). Like the characters, the town of Greendale cannot be described simply as "that racist place". Yes, there are major race issues that are the main focus of the story, but there is some good too.
Overall, I think what makes this a good book is that the author is able to capture the emotions of the characters so well. It is a very character-driven and setting-driven story, and even though there isn't much action or surprises, the story doesn't need these to keep us reading. The only (minor) complaint I have is the conclusion - plotwise it was fine, but for some reason it read a little bit too much like the conclusion to a writing assignment or something. Maybe it was too much like the final "summary and future ideas" paragraph of a paper? Anyway, this in no way takes away from the story, which I was very satisfied with. Thank you, Goodreads giveaways and Lynne Bryant!
April 11, 2012
Also this review was submitted to Southern Literary Review.
Alligator Lake by Lynne Bryant
Lynne Bryant continues the conversation of racial tensions and prejudices in the Deep South from her first novel, Catfish Alley, with Alligator Lake. Alligator Lake dives into the legacy of the complex racial relations between the white and black populations in this southern Mississippi town. Alligator Lake is a passionate story of four generations of women as they struggle with race, prejudice, love and forgiveness.
Alligator Lake picks up the life of Avery Pickett ten years after she has left Mississippi, to put her love affair with a black man behind her, as she starts a new life in Colorado. Celi, Avery’s mixed raced daughter from this love affair, suffers from sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is inherited when both parents carry the gene. Avery returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding and hopes of discovering where the sickle cell gene is hidden in her family tree.
Avery must face her past, present and future as she returns to face a family she has stayed away from for ten years. Her daughter, Celi, meets a family she hasn’t known and faces prejudice she never faced in Colorado. Avery’s mother has to face her own prejudices to accept the grand-daughter she has never met. The stories unfold of secrets, heart break and misunderstandings in each generation in their own words, as the reader keeps turning the page to learn more.
The secrets families keep to protect others come to the surface during the weeks leading up to Avery’s brother’s wedding. Can the importance of pedigree and social standing in the community by Avery’s mother, handle the discoveries and the life-choices made in the past by others. Avery sums up the power of Alligator Lake when she gazes into the water and the life within. “We can’t change the past, but we can add to the story.”
Alligator Lake by Lynne Bryant
Lynne Bryant continues the conversation of racial tensions and prejudices in the Deep South from her first novel, Catfish Alley, with Alligator Lake. Alligator Lake dives into the legacy of the complex racial relations between the white and black populations in this southern Mississippi town. Alligator Lake is a passionate story of four generations of women as they struggle with race, prejudice, love and forgiveness.
Alligator Lake picks up the life of Avery Pickett ten years after she has left Mississippi, to put her love affair with a black man behind her, as she starts a new life in Colorado. Celi, Avery’s mixed raced daughter from this love affair, suffers from sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is inherited when both parents carry the gene. Avery returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding and hopes of discovering where the sickle cell gene is hidden in her family tree.
Avery must face her past, present and future as she returns to face a family she has stayed away from for ten years. Her daughter, Celi, meets a family she hasn’t known and faces prejudice she never faced in Colorado. Avery’s mother has to face her own prejudices to accept the grand-daughter she has never met. The stories unfold of secrets, heart break and misunderstandings in each generation in their own words, as the reader keeps turning the page to learn more.
The secrets families keep to protect others come to the surface during the weeks leading up to Avery’s brother’s wedding. Can the importance of pedigree and social standing in the community by Avery’s mother, handle the discoveries and the life-choices made in the past by others. Avery sums up the power of Alligator Lake when she gazes into the water and the life within. “We can’t change the past, but we can add to the story.”
May 29, 2012
Ten years ago Avery Pritchett fled Mississippi brokenhearted and pregnant. Now her brother wants her to return for his wedding but Avery isn’t sure she’s ready to face the inevitable questions about her mixed-race daughter or the memories of that horrible night years ago when she nearly ruined the life of the man she loved. But Avery’s daughter is sick with a genetic disease and Avery has questions for her family about their own racial background that Avery knows they won’t want to answer.
Alligator Lake is a compelling story about a young woman’s search for redemption in a Mississippi town that does not easily forgive those who violate the social codes of class and race. There is so much to like in this novel that is part The Help and part Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Bryant grounds her tale in familiar historical events including the establishment of the White Citizens’ Council in 1955 and the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith in 1962. But Mississippi’s troubled history is more than a backdrop in this story. Bryant does not take the easy route of writing only main characters who protest Mississippi’s strict social code. Some of her characters support segregation. By putting readers inside the heads of these characters, Bryant exposes how racism relies on class struggle and the role white-on-white intimidation plays in maintaining the Southern social system.
Alligator Lake is a compelling story about a young woman’s search for redemption in a Mississippi town that does not easily forgive those who violate the social codes of class and race. There is so much to like in this novel that is part The Help and part Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Bryant grounds her tale in familiar historical events including the establishment of the White Citizens’ Council in 1955 and the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith in 1962. But Mississippi’s troubled history is more than a backdrop in this story. Bryant does not take the easy route of writing only main characters who protest Mississippi’s strict social code. Some of her characters support segregation. By putting readers inside the heads of these characters, Bryant exposes how racism relies on class struggle and the role white-on-white intimidation plays in maintaining the Southern social system.
November 23, 2013
Alligator Lake, by Lynne Bryant, is a great book, examining racial relations and prejudices in the deep south. The book provides personal stories of four generations of females, both white and black. Perspectives are given from various points in time between the 1940s and the year 2000' providing strong perspectives on race in the deep south during various time periods.
Avery Pritchett is a young, caucasian single mother who returns home to the Mississippi Delta with her mixed race daughter to attend her brother's wedding. Unknown to the rest of Avery's "white" family is that Avery's daughter has sickle cell anemia, meaning that Avery passed the genetic trait along to her daughter. Through out the book, Avery's extended family examines their past and present views on race through their personal experiences. Not only does the book deal with relationships between races, but also with familial relations, especially that of 3 generations of women: Avery, her class conscious mother, and her "eccentric" grandmother.
I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Bryant deals with the topic in open, honest ways. The characters, while not always likable, are very believable. the book started out a bit slowly for me, but I eventually had a hard time putting it down.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but I look forward to reading more.
Avery Pritchett is a young, caucasian single mother who returns home to the Mississippi Delta with her mixed race daughter to attend her brother's wedding. Unknown to the rest of Avery's "white" family is that Avery's daughter has sickle cell anemia, meaning that Avery passed the genetic trait along to her daughter. Through out the book, Avery's extended family examines their past and present views on race through their personal experiences. Not only does the book deal with relationships between races, but also with familial relations, especially that of 3 generations of women: Avery, her class conscious mother, and her "eccentric" grandmother.
I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Bryant deals with the topic in open, honest ways. The characters, while not always likable, are very believable. the book started out a bit slowly for me, but I eventually had a hard time putting it down.
This is the first book I've read by this author, but I look forward to reading more.
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