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The Hillbilly Debutante Cafe
Welcome to El Dorado Springs, Missouri, population 3,021. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but it doesn't take long any time at all, really to realize there's much more than meets the eye.
That's how Molly McCarty feels, anyway. After deciding she's had enough of the big-city life as a politician's wife in Washington, Molly moves back to her hometown and buys the abandoned Serenity Farm. Molly acclimates herself to life in a small town with the help of her best friend, Jennifer Papula, who is only too happy to share the town's most recent juicy gossip.
For one thing, there's Jerry Ray Turner, the town's best mechanic, who came out of the closet as a cross-dresser. And then there's crazy old Ollie Griffin, still living inside his '69 Thunderbird and occasionally showering in the park's fountain. But the biggest uproar is Roy Bob Benson, who is trying to buy the old Hacker's Jewelry building and turn it into a 'girly' bar.
That's just the beginning of the news, and as Molly tries to help the newly formed revitalization committee think of a way to stop Roy Bob, a vandal threatens the town's sense of security. Who is doing this and why? Full of wit, intrigue, and a cast of memorable characters, The Hillbilly Debutante Cafe is sure to keep you coming back time and time again!
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That's how Molly McCarty feels, anyway. After deciding she's had enough of the big-city life as a politician's wife in Washington, Molly moves back to her hometown and buys the abandoned Serenity Farm. Molly acclimates herself to life in a small town with the help of her best friend, Jennifer Papula, who is only too happy to share the town's most recent juicy gossip.
For one thing, there's Jerry Ray Turner, the town's best mechanic, who came out of the closet as a cross-dresser. And then there's crazy old Ollie Griffin, still living inside his '69 Thunderbird and occasionally showering in the park's fountain. But the biggest uproar is Roy Bob Benson, who is trying to buy the old Hacker's Jewelry building and turn it into a 'girly' bar.
That's just the beginning of the news, and as Molly tries to help the newly formed revitalization committee think of a way to stop Roy Bob, a vandal threatens the town's sense of security. Who is doing this and why? Full of wit, intrigue, and a cast of memorable characters, The Hillbilly Debutante Cafe is sure to keep you coming back time and time again!
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208 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2012
21 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 5, 2013
When I taught college, there was a certain sort of student who had gotten A's in high school because they were polite and obedient and turned the assignments in on time. They were frustrated they got B grades from me, but the problem was, they didn't say anything at all interesting. Their style was correct but overly fond of short sentences; their ideas were quotidian and never intellectual or challenging, of the "love is what you do, not what you say" variety. I was endlessly reminded of that type of student while trying to read this novel.
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June 22, 2021Easy summer read......
I am always on the look out for easy summer read, mostly because of time constraints, so I am really pleased when that easy read makes me wonder, what are they going to get into next! This cast of characters is fun and eclectic. I hope Kathie continues their adventures, I'm ready for the followup!
I am always on the look out for easy summer read, mostly because of time constraints, so I am really pleased when that easy read makes me wonder, what are they going to get into next! This cast of characters is fun and eclectic. I hope Kathie continues their adventures, I'm ready for the followup!
September 3, 2020
Quick Read with Memorable Characters
I enjoy small town books and this was no exception. Some characters were more developed than others, but they were all colorful enough to contribute to an interesting story. Can’t wait to see more from this gifted, creative author.
I enjoy small town books and this was no exception. Some characters were more developed than others, but they were all colorful enough to contribute to an interesting story. Can’t wait to see more from this gifted, creative author.
March 11, 2020
Fun and interesting story! I read about the author and found out she lives in my town! So cool.
September 9, 2024
Fun read!
April 24, 2013
First of all, I would like to thank Tate Publishing for sending me a copy of this book for my review.
Now on to the review!
Molly McCarty has been away from her hometown of El Dorado Springs, Missouri for years, but two things about it haven’t changed: Everyone in El Dorado knows everyone else’s business, and business is...quirky. Molly’s old friend, Jerry Ray Turner, is now a cross-dresser—though he’s still the best mechanic in town, even done up in rhinestones and heels. Winthrop Worthington, the town’s (married) playboy is still making eyes at anything in a skirt (except for Jerry), and Ollie Griffin is bathing in the fountain in the park, since there’s no shower inside the 1969 Thunderbird in which he has lived since returning home from Vietnam. Still, not much can surprise Molly—unless it’s the fact that Roy Bob Benson is trying to open a strip club in the old jewelry building, or that the ghost of the teenaged girl who died at Serenity Farm (which Molly and her husband just bought) is still hanging around to do chores.
Though the cast of characters in Kathie Truitt’s second novel (click here to see my review of her debut novel, FALSE VICTIM) is a large one, each character is fully realized and utterly believable. As a native of a small town, I particularly appreciated the manner in which Truitt depicts the loyalty the townspeople feel toward each other, even though they don’t always see eye-to-eye. I also sympathized with the characters who feel as if they are constantly being scrutinized. The problems in this small town are small problems, for the most part, but because people are so connected to each other in El Dorado, everyone feels the weight of everyone else’s burdens—a beautiful idea and one that is true to country living, in my experience.
Characters are certainly the focus of this novel, and one character really stood out to me. Oddly enough, this character is not the main character, but the narrator, whose identity is not revealed until the end of the book (a delightful, reader-hooking tactic!). I also appreciated the solid plot, which moves along at a pace appropriate to a character-driven novel.
Readers who enjoy such classics as L.M. Montgomerey’s “Anne of Green Gables” series, Jan Karon’s “Mitford” books and Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’ THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY will surely adore Kathie Truitt’s THE HILLBILLY DEBUTANTE CAFÉ, which, while being a little sassier than the aforementioned books, is quite as charming, heartwarming, and enduring.
*Please note that this is adult fiction of a very clean variety.
Now on to the review!
Molly McCarty has been away from her hometown of El Dorado Springs, Missouri for years, but two things about it haven’t changed: Everyone in El Dorado knows everyone else’s business, and business is...quirky. Molly’s old friend, Jerry Ray Turner, is now a cross-dresser—though he’s still the best mechanic in town, even done up in rhinestones and heels. Winthrop Worthington, the town’s (married) playboy is still making eyes at anything in a skirt (except for Jerry), and Ollie Griffin is bathing in the fountain in the park, since there’s no shower inside the 1969 Thunderbird in which he has lived since returning home from Vietnam. Still, not much can surprise Molly—unless it’s the fact that Roy Bob Benson is trying to open a strip club in the old jewelry building, or that the ghost of the teenaged girl who died at Serenity Farm (which Molly and her husband just bought) is still hanging around to do chores.
Though the cast of characters in Kathie Truitt’s second novel (click here to see my review of her debut novel, FALSE VICTIM) is a large one, each character is fully realized and utterly believable. As a native of a small town, I particularly appreciated the manner in which Truitt depicts the loyalty the townspeople feel toward each other, even though they don’t always see eye-to-eye. I also sympathized with the characters who feel as if they are constantly being scrutinized. The problems in this small town are small problems, for the most part, but because people are so connected to each other in El Dorado, everyone feels the weight of everyone else’s burdens—a beautiful idea and one that is true to country living, in my experience.
Characters are certainly the focus of this novel, and one character really stood out to me. Oddly enough, this character is not the main character, but the narrator, whose identity is not revealed until the end of the book (a delightful, reader-hooking tactic!). I also appreciated the solid plot, which moves along at a pace appropriate to a character-driven novel.
Readers who enjoy such classics as L.M. Montgomerey’s “Anne of Green Gables” series, Jan Karon’s “Mitford” books and Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’ THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY will surely adore Kathie Truitt’s THE HILLBILLY DEBUTANTE CAFÉ, which, while being a little sassier than the aforementioned books, is quite as charming, heartwarming, and enduring.
*Please note that this is adult fiction of a very clean variety.
November 20, 2016
It's a short book (just 200 pages),but it took me almost a week to finish it.
It's a story of a short period in the life of a small town in Missouri.We meet different people and learn their history. A bonus- there is the list of main characters and their biographies at the very beginning.
There is the rivalry between Michael and Winthrop, for example. Or Michael's "invisible" wife, Peggy, who decides to open a new leaf and have a new career.There is Molly, a State Senator's wife, tired of her life in D.C. and returning to her hometown.Some odd people, like Sugar, Ollie and Jerry Ray,are part of the town.And Molly keeps seeing a young girl at her house.
At the same time vandalism starts and nobody knows who is responsible and why it happens.
I loved the idea of Ashley (the 17 year old who died recently) watching over her home and the town itself-becoming its guardian angel.The whole story is told by Ashley,but the reader learns it only at the end.
It's a story of a short period in the life of a small town in Missouri.We meet different people and learn their history. A bonus- there is the list of main characters and their biographies at the very beginning.
There is the rivalry between Michael and Winthrop, for example. Or Michael's "invisible" wife, Peggy, who decides to open a new leaf and have a new career.There is Molly, a State Senator's wife, tired of her life in D.C. and returning to her hometown.Some odd people, like Sugar, Ollie and Jerry Ray,are part of the town.And Molly keeps seeing a young girl at her house.
At the same time vandalism starts and nobody knows who is responsible and why it happens.
I loved the idea of Ashley (the 17 year old who died recently) watching over her home and the town itself-becoming its guardian angel.The whole story is told by Ashley,but the reader learns it only at the end.
May 22, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about life in a small town. Kathie has a writing style that is easy to read and she holds your interest to the very last page. I'm looking forward now to her second book about the people and their lives in this small town.
April 13, 2012
Fun, enjoyable read.
May 16, 2012
Great book! Love Kathie's style of writing. The book brings back memories of my own home town.
June 25, 2012
Not what I expected. Very good and easy to read and get into. Great job, Kathie!
August 13, 2012
Not my style, but it was a cute book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews