What do you think?
Rate this book
This One and Magic Life: A Novel of a Southern Family
A dark shadow envelops the grand old homestead overlooking Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, as a family gathers to mourn the untimely death of the remarkable woman who lived there. Artie world-famous artist, beloved daughter, sister and aunt, her powerful presence still felt even in death; her last request shattering convention and causing painful discord among those who loved her. Bound by blood, marriage, illicit alliances, and a terrible secret still buried, each must deal with bittersweet memories, and words left unspoken. Arties's younger brother Hektor is devastated by the death of his sister, but it is Donnie, Artie's twin, who feels he has lost a part of his soul, while his wife Mariel has lost a rival. Their daughter Dolly, who at twenty-seven is divorced form a man she still loves, is engulfed by huge sorrows of her own, and has inherited the house filled with ghosts of the past. Yet in the often mysterious land of the deep South, where love and hatred run deep and lose, and dissension often simmers just beneath the surface, Artie's passing has touched many others as well, and brings cousins, servants, and neighbors to a place where artificial boundaries vanish. And in this unforgettable almost-forbidden place of pain and love, loss and passion, each of the Sullivans will discover truths long buried in silence, in taboos, and in the heart.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 1999
50 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 12, 2012
I knew Anne George well. We were in the Alabama State Poetry Society together when she was elected Poet of the Year. I was fortunate to have some of my poetry published by her Druid Press' Oktoberfest edition.
I've sat with her in her kitchen and enjoyed her cooking. She was a wonderful woman, a gifted writer and a wonderful poet. When I posted my review of "This One And Magic Life," she said I was the only person to comment on the leitmotif of rebirth. Following is my review from several years ago.
I first became familiar with Anne's work in her poetry. For those who love her books; seek out her poetry, too. It,too, is filled with the magic of "common" things made special.
"Magic Life" is her poetry and her prose entwined. She uses the quintessential Southern gathering,the death and funeral of a relative, as her backdrop. She then opens the memories and lives of the participants, showing how past and present are bound,inextricably,together.
The characters are familiar people to many of us, especially those of us who are Southerners. We almost all have relatives that mirror the attractive as well as the unattractive attributes of the people we meet at family's gathering after Artie's Death.
I have yet to read a review that mentions what rang as such a powerful theme to me: the continuity of souls... of rebirth. Anne has subtly interwoven the idea of renewal into the story of a funeral. The only mysteries in this book are those that are deep in the hearts of all mankind. Anne presents these in an accessible manner.
She had a genius for such things.
Readers are lucky to experience the fun of her wit and sense of hilarity in the Southern Sisters novels and the deep beauty her soul in "Magic Life."
I've sat with her in her kitchen and enjoyed her cooking. She was a wonderful woman, a gifted writer and a wonderful poet. When I posted my review of "This One And Magic Life," she said I was the only person to comment on the leitmotif of rebirth. Following is my review from several years ago.
I first became familiar with Anne's work in her poetry. For those who love her books; seek out her poetry, too. It,too, is filled with the magic of "common" things made special.
"Magic Life" is her poetry and her prose entwined. She uses the quintessential Southern gathering,the death and funeral of a relative, as her backdrop. She then opens the memories and lives of the participants, showing how past and present are bound,inextricably,together.
The characters are familiar people to many of us, especially those of us who are Southerners. We almost all have relatives that mirror the attractive as well as the unattractive attributes of the people we meet at family's gathering after Artie's Death.
I have yet to read a review that mentions what rang as such a powerful theme to me: the continuity of souls... of rebirth. Anne has subtly interwoven the idea of renewal into the story of a funeral. The only mysteries in this book are those that are deep in the hearts of all mankind. Anne presents these in an accessible manner.
She had a genius for such things.
Readers are lucky to experience the fun of her wit and sense of hilarity in the Southern Sisters novels and the deep beauty her soul in "Magic Life."
August 16, 2009
Anne was a dear personal friend. She sent this book to me shortly before her death. She told me that she felt that it was her best work and referred to it as her book about forgiveness. It has been a very long time since a book has moved me so deeply. I recommend it highly. Don't expect to find the wonderful, silly Southern Sisters anywhere in these pages. DO expect to find grace in all its guises-- as beauty, as elegance and, yes, Anne, as forgiveness and redemption. It grieves me that we lost this magnificent writer before she could write more books like this one. DO read her poetry, as well.
June 21, 2016
2.5**
When Artie Sullivan’s final wishes are revealed, her deeply Catholic family members are stunned. Her twin, Donnie, and younger brother, Hektor, along with other relatives and friends are emotionally reeling, and frequently lost in reverie. They all expected she would leave her home to her niece Dolly. No real surprise there, though they can’t imagine that Dolly will want to leave her job in Atlanta to live in the large beach-front home. What they can’t understand is why Artie would ask to be cremated and her ashes scattered in Mobile Bay.
George has crafted some wonderful passages that lend wonderful Southern flavor to this slim novel. Her story includes humor along with grief. Family members own up to buried feelings of insecurity or jealousy. It sounds like a really good book, but somehow the whole thing just doesn’t gel. The chapters jump back and forth in time, revisiting long-dead members of the family; George then further confuses the reader by having those “ghosts” appear in various current-day scenes. There’s a hint of a long-kept secret that barely gets revealed and doesn’t really get explored. It would be fine for a beach book, but I don’t think there’s enough here for a meaningful discussion.
When Artie Sullivan’s final wishes are revealed, her deeply Catholic family members are stunned. Her twin, Donnie, and younger brother, Hektor, along with other relatives and friends are emotionally reeling, and frequently lost in reverie. They all expected she would leave her home to her niece Dolly. No real surprise there, though they can’t imagine that Dolly will want to leave her job in Atlanta to live in the large beach-front home. What they can’t understand is why Artie would ask to be cremated and her ashes scattered in Mobile Bay.
George has crafted some wonderful passages that lend wonderful Southern flavor to this slim novel. Her story includes humor along with grief. Family members own up to buried feelings of insecurity or jealousy. It sounds like a really good book, but somehow the whole thing just doesn’t gel. The chapters jump back and forth in time, revisiting long-dead members of the family; George then further confuses the reader by having those “ghosts” appear in various current-day scenes. There’s a hint of a long-kept secret that barely gets revealed and doesn’t really get explored. It would be fine for a beach book, but I don’t think there’s enough here for a meaningful discussion.
July 18, 2011
What a little gem of a book this is. The story drew me in from the first page and I wish this story never ended. On top of that it’s wonderfully written. What touched me so much is that I could feel that real sense of connection between the siblings, Artie, Donnie (twins) and Hektor, and the rest of the family. It couldn’t have felt more real. I felt drawn into these family dynamics; the shared memories, the childhood secrets. This author has such amazing talent into bringing southern voices, southern scenery to life and to endear us to her characters even while exposing their flaws, insecurities, and guilt.
I enjoyed every word of this book. To me, this story is also a heart-warming message of hope and forgiveness. Warmth, sensitivity, elegance are all words I'd attribute to this read. I felt uplifted when I finished it.
I will certainly reread this one and recommend it to my friends.
I couldn't agree more with a reviewer who somewhere wrote:
“I have yet to read a review that mentions what rang as such a powerful theme to me: the continuity of souls... a theme of rebirth. Anne has subtly interwoven the idea of renewal into the story of a funeral”.
I enjoyed every word of this book. To me, this story is also a heart-warming message of hope and forgiveness. Warmth, sensitivity, elegance are all words I'd attribute to this read. I felt uplifted when I finished it.
I will certainly reread this one and recommend it to my friends.
I couldn't agree more with a reviewer who somewhere wrote:
“I have yet to read a review that mentions what rang as such a powerful theme to me: the continuity of souls... a theme of rebirth. Anne has subtly interwoven the idea of renewal into the story of a funeral”.
January 3, 2009
I was quite surprised how often this novel really touched a cord while I was reading it. Very different from her light "Southern Sisters" mysteries. The characters were well drawn with depth and color, and the intricacies of family life well intimated. At one point George alludes to the fact that we never really completely know another person, even one we're incredibly close to, and that sometimes, we don't even know ourselves. I really appreciated the relationships between siblings, parents/children and the glimpses into married life. Plus the use of flashbacks and of ghosts or spirits was well done.
But one of my favorite things was Donny remembering the dog days of August in his childhood and how he would wait for Hector to fall asleep in the room that the brothers shared so that he could turn the oscillating fan from movement to blow only on him. I wonder how many other siblings did that, and how many folks, when reading that, wondered if their sibling did that to them.....
But one of my favorite things was Donny remembering the dog days of August in his childhood and how he would wait for Hector to fall asleep in the room that the brothers shared so that he could turn the oscillating fan from movement to blow only on him. I wonder how many other siblings did that, and how many folks, when reading that, wondered if their sibling did that to them.....
June 27, 2011
I enjoyed this book very much it is about a Southern family preparing for their sister's, Artie's funeral. She requests a cremation and no funeral but her devoutly Catholic family decides to have a funeral and cremate her. They bury an empty coffin, while her brothers and her neices scatter her ashes in Mobile Bay.
The charagters are very good. There are many flashbacks that tell the story of the Sullivan family, Thomas, a professor of Classical Languages and Alabama transplant, Sarah, a native, his beautiful wife who has mental problems as she grows older and their 3 children, Adonis (Donnie) and his twin Artemus (Artie) and younger brother, Hecktor. Through these flashbacks we meet the family growning up, and later on in life.
The writing is very good with very descriptive passages about the climate and sights around the Sullivan homestead. The family's tragedies are revealed and the reader meets a host of strange and funny characters.
The charagters are very good. There are many flashbacks that tell the story of the Sullivan family, Thomas, a professor of Classical Languages and Alabama transplant, Sarah, a native, his beautiful wife who has mental problems as she grows older and their 3 children, Adonis (Donnie) and his twin Artemus (Artie) and younger brother, Hecktor. Through these flashbacks we meet the family growning up, and later on in life.
The writing is very good with very descriptive passages about the climate and sights around the Sullivan homestead. The family's tragedies are revealed and the reader meets a host of strange and funny characters.
February 20, 2012
A beautiful story about loss and life. A North Carolina family gathers to say goodbye to Artie beloved sister, aunt, sister-in-law and friend, but Artie has left the family some wishes that they are having a hard time seeing through. As each family member is dealing with memories and ghosts of the past we learn about Artie's life and the secret she shares with her brothers that shaped her life.
This was a good book very poetic, I liked the ghosts of the past coming to "pay their respects" to Artie, all the characters in this book are flawed and written with such heart that you care so much about all of them. I also felt the town and the beach itself were characters and I want to be there for a jubilee and even looked it up to see if it's an actual event where the fish/seafood beach themselves and everyone gets free food. This was a fascinating phenomena,that I would love to see.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys southern fiction.
4 Stars
This was a good book very poetic, I liked the ghosts of the past coming to "pay their respects" to Artie, all the characters in this book are flawed and written with such heart that you care so much about all of them. I also felt the town and the beach itself were characters and I want to be there for a jubilee and even looked it up to see if it's an actual event where the fish/seafood beach themselves and everyone gets free food. This was a fascinating phenomena,that I would love to see.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys southern fiction.
4 Stars
July 13, 2008
A southern family gathers at the old homestead on Mobile Bay to mourn the passing of a sister and aunt. The family is disfunctional (which family isn't?) and they struggle with carrying out the deceased's last wish. This book is a bit mystical, a bit quirky, and made very good reading.
I grew up less than an hour from Mobile Bay, so I know the "feel" of this book. Any southerner probably would. This book was not at all what I epected, yet it left me feeling charmed. If you liked The Secret Life of Bees, you'd probably like this book.
I grew up less than an hour from Mobile Bay, so I know the "feel" of this book. Any southerner probably would. This book was not at all what I epected, yet it left me feeling charmed. If you liked The Secret Life of Bees, you'd probably like this book.
January 26, 2012
This author was recommended to me by several friends. Not knowing this was not part of her mystery series, I grabbed this one in the library because it was her first book. After reading 1/3 of it and realizing there was no mystery to be had, I chose to finish it to find the 'big secret'!! When it was finally disclosed it appeared in such a way that it wasn't very important. In fact finishing it 3 hours ago, I've already forgotten what it was!!!! I'll try her mysteries.
June 29, 2010
Ann George was an author with an amazing range. I laughed out loud throughout the entire Southern Sister Mysteries series (still among my favorite reads) ... and found a different side of her ability to create memorable characters in this charming story. A sweetly satisfying summer read that I just pulled out and read again because I enjoyed it so much years ago.
February 9, 2013
I loved every character in this story. The writing was stellar; I envisioned every scene and felt like I was living next door to the family right on the Bay. Definitely will check out what else this writer has written.
April 26, 2015
This was one of the strangest things I've ever read, and that's saying something. This family was unlike any Southern family I've ever met. It was an okay story, but I wouldn't recommend it.
August 10, 2018
I think I have determined - not with much help from Goodreads - that Anne George, author of the Southern Sisters series that I love so much, and Anne Carroll George, author of this very different book, are one and the same. This must have been one of her last books, published just a short time before her death.
Other than taking place in Alabama and having well defined and interesting characters, this novel is very different than the much more fun Southern Sisters books. This is a fairly serious study of a Southern family. We hear the stories of the different members of this family from different points of view. At times it is in first person and past tense. At other times it is in third person and present tense. The characters and setting are both very well drawn.
This book is really not about plot, although there are interesting incidents to consider. It's very much about family and faith. A very important question comes up in the course of this story that I will ask my lawyer about. Must a family follow through with the wishes of the deceased in the matter of the disposition of your body? Do they have the right to conduct religious rituals in your name if you don't want them to? I see the first as a legal question that should be answered. I'm not so sure about the second.
Other than taking place in Alabama and having well defined and interesting characters, this novel is very different than the much more fun Southern Sisters books. This is a fairly serious study of a Southern family. We hear the stories of the different members of this family from different points of view. At times it is in first person and past tense. At other times it is in third person and present tense. The characters and setting are both very well drawn.
This book is really not about plot, although there are interesting incidents to consider. It's very much about family and faith. A very important question comes up in the course of this story that I will ask my lawyer about. Must a family follow through with the wishes of the deceased in the matter of the disposition of your body? Do they have the right to conduct religious rituals in your name if you don't want them to? I see the first as a legal question that should be answered. I'm not so sure about the second.
April 7, 2024
This is the book written in 1999 by the author of the Southern Sister Mysteries. Sadly, Anne George died suddenly after heart surgery in 2001. While I'm thankful she wrote 8 of the Southern Sister Mysteries, I am so sad she did not live longer to write more.
This book is a more serious, less humorous story. But a very poignant story about an Alabama family and how they deal with the death of one of their core family members. Having lived this story (dealing with the death of much loved family members) the situations are very familiar. The reflection of times past, the remembrance of shared experiences, the sorrow at the loss, figuring out a way forward. All while living in a time of great grief and looking to the future to wonder what will happen.
I was struck particularly by the specific world in Mobile, Alabama that Anne George makes to come alive. She was a very gifted author.
This book is a more serious, less humorous story. But a very poignant story about an Alabama family and how they deal with the death of one of their core family members. Having lived this story (dealing with the death of much loved family members) the situations are very familiar. The reflection of times past, the remembrance of shared experiences, the sorrow at the loss, figuring out a way forward. All while living in a time of great grief and looking to the future to wonder what will happen.
I was struck particularly by the specific world in Mobile, Alabama that Anne George makes to come alive. She was a very gifted author.
October 8, 2019
The Sullivan family members return to their rural Alabama town for the funeral of their sister. The sister has set things up to bring deep secrets to light when her family is assembled. Will the exposing of long buried secrets, particularly the big one be cathartic or incendiary? The narrative voice shifts from chapter to chapter building to the climax. I remember it as a good story with a fine ending.
October 29, 2023
A friend from Alabama recommended I check out this author. One thing I liked was that this doesn’t provide a resolution to everything. You still have questions in the end. It is a little more challenging since it is told from multiple points of view. You have to pay attention to chapter titles. That said, I could not put it down and largely read it in a single session. It’s a little elevated for a beach read and is easy reading like one.
February 6, 2021
I stumbled across this gem of a book in a Habitat for Humanity Home store freebie bin. What a find! The author weaves a tale about a family and complicated relationships explored in the aftermath of the death of a sibling. The story setting is the Mobile Bay area of Alabama and introduces the reader to some natural phenomena of which most are not aware.
January 20, 2024
I really wanted to like the book and I tried to finish it…but I just can’t. I keep having to go back and listen to a chapter again because I’m lost figuring out what happen happened. I did like the audio readers voice. I got exactly half way through and returned it. But I will look for some more of George’s work and try them.
April 1, 2024
I discovered a real treasure last week as I browsed the racks or stacks at the Winona, Miss., library: Anne Carroll George's "This One and Magic Life". Wow. I had to find out if by some chance, this writer were still living -- flesh and blood, I mean, not of the spirit -- she died in 2001. I'd like to read more of her "mysteries". What a change of pace.
November 5, 2024
This was odd and filled with southern eccentricities. Family is the prevalent theme and even extends to the great beyond. The book was a little disjointed and flitted from one character to the next and from present to past, so that the reader has trouble distinguishing who is who and what is going on. I'm not sure that some of the questions that came to mind were ever answered.
December 30, 2019
I like the way family members now and past mingle in this sweet story. Families are messy and generations are connected — this is a compelling way to present that reality. A quick and satisfying read!
April 5, 2020
I got caught up in most of the book, except for “the terrible secret” part. It didn’t align with the plot or the characters. I still thought it was well written, the description of the scenery felt immediate.
May 16, 2017
Thought this was a beautifully written simple story
March 4, 2018
I wish there had been a little more detailed explanation of the plot, but I loved the scenery descriptions and the characters.
January 30, 2019
I enjoyed Anne George's Southern Sisters' mysteries series. This did not seem as well written.
August 5, 2019
What a sweet little book! It's very southern and makes me feel nostalgic.
September 12, 2019
Wow!! This book really puts into perspective of what life's all about. And dying. More books by this author!!
May 22, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book about family but there were a lot of dark twists and turns and I didn’t care for the mystical parts.
February 28, 2025
4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 24, 2025
Deeply rich character development in a compelling story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews