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The Curing Season
It's 1948 on a tobacco farm in southern Virginia and a poor farm girl hopes to break away from an abusive father by finding a suitor to rescue her. But for Cora Slaughter, a slight deformity forces her to live in the shadow of her sister Sibby, who basks in the attention of all the local boys. Tormented by the thought that she will grow up to be a spinster, and teased by her schoolmates, Cora takes refuge in the books that her teacher lends her. But life takes a dramatic turn when Cora meets a dark, handsome stranger who comes to town looking for work. What she doesn't realize is that the life she is escaping is ideal compared to the hell she is about to enter.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Leslie Wells
4 books28 followersLeslie Wells has edited forty-eight New York Times bestsellers in her over thirty-year career, including thirteen number one New York Times bestsellers. She has worked with numerous internationally known authors, musicians, actors, actresses, television and radio personalities, athletes, and coaches. She lives on Long Island, New York.
More about me:
Growing up in my small town in Virginia, I always had my nose stuck in a book. I devoured everything on my parents’ bookshelves and pillaged our local library. In college, I double majored in English and Music (classical, piano). When I was a senior, my advisor suggested I apply to graduate school in New York City, and then afterwards, maybe I could think about going into book publishing.
Publishing! The minute he said that, it was as if a light bulb exploded over my head. My Master’s at Columbia only took a year, and then I landed my first job as an editorial assistant. The hours were long, you had to do all the editing on nights and weekends, and the pay was abysmal—but I was getting paid to read! Eventually I became a Senior Editor, and later, an Executive Editor. I worked at three publishing houses over two decades, after which I started my own business. Editing is my day job, and I still love it.
I began writing Come Dancing in 2009, on the thirtieth anniversary of my arrival in Manhattan. I wanted to describe what it was like in the years 1979-1981, when the city was still rough along the edges. And when nightclubs like the Palladium, the Roxy, Danceteria, and the Mudd Club attracted a huge mix of people from many different strata of society.
Back then, you could go out dancing and run into just about anyone: actors, politicians, rock musicians. Celebrities weren’t surrounded by bodyguards; the assumption was that if you were allowed into a club, you were cool. No one was going to harass anybody; after all, this was downtown. And there were no cell phones back then. People didn’t walk around with a camera in their pockets 24/7—so if you were famous, you didn’t have to worry about being photographed every time you turned around. That made for a much more open atmosphere, where regular people rubbed shoulders with the glitterati as everyone cut loose on the dance floor.
I also wanted to write about book publishing before the advent of e-readers and computers, when we were all lugging home 400-page manuscripts every night. As with the music biz, the changes have been seismic. Over the years, many people have asked me what editorial meetings are really like—so I’ve included some of those in my novel.
I hope you’ll enjoy Come Dancing!
Thank you,
Leslie
More about me:
Growing up in my small town in Virginia, I always had my nose stuck in a book. I devoured everything on my parents’ bookshelves and pillaged our local library. In college, I double majored in English and Music (classical, piano). When I was a senior, my advisor suggested I apply to graduate school in New York City, and then afterwards, maybe I could think about going into book publishing.
Publishing! The minute he said that, it was as if a light bulb exploded over my head. My Master’s at Columbia only took a year, and then I landed my first job as an editorial assistant. The hours were long, you had to do all the editing on nights and weekends, and the pay was abysmal—but I was getting paid to read! Eventually I became a Senior Editor, and later, an Executive Editor. I worked at three publishing houses over two decades, after which I started my own business. Editing is my day job, and I still love it.
I began writing Come Dancing in 2009, on the thirtieth anniversary of my arrival in Manhattan. I wanted to describe what it was like in the years 1979-1981, when the city was still rough along the edges. And when nightclubs like the Palladium, the Roxy, Danceteria, and the Mudd Club attracted a huge mix of people from many different strata of society.
Back then, you could go out dancing and run into just about anyone: actors, politicians, rock musicians. Celebrities weren’t surrounded by bodyguards; the assumption was that if you were allowed into a club, you were cool. No one was going to harass anybody; after all, this was downtown. And there were no cell phones back then. People didn’t walk around with a camera in their pockets 24/7—so if you were famous, you didn’t have to worry about being photographed every time you turned around. That made for a much more open atmosphere, where regular people rubbed shoulders with the glitterati as everyone cut loose on the dance floor.
I also wanted to write about book publishing before the advent of e-readers and computers, when we were all lugging home 400-page manuscripts every night. As with the music biz, the changes have been seismic. Over the years, many people have asked me what editorial meetings are really like—so I’ve included some of those in my novel.
I hope you’ll enjoy Come Dancing!
Thank you,
Leslie
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 9, 2009
This book was heartbreaking and shocking at times, but I could not put it down. I kept wanting to see how Cora came through everything she had to endure. I love reading about this time period, people who struggled.
February 14, 2015
Wow, talk about domestic abuse and what women put up with years ago and what a love of a child can make you do. Very good book.
May 30, 2020
I bought the Kindle version of this book and began reading wondering why I had bought it in the first place. I never answered that question. However, as I started reading the book I found it easy to read; moved along nicely; and lead me on to want to know what finally happened. As I read more and more I was reminded of a statement by the late Nancy Wilson. She said, "I used to be a good woman. The naive stupid kind." When I finished it became clear that this book is a message about the abuse women suffer. It is painful in some parts.
The book not only highlights the ignorance and abuses that women suffer; but the ignorance and social pressures men suffer that tells them they should be in control of women.
The book not only highlights the ignorance and abuses that women suffer; but the ignorance and social pressures men suffer that tells them they should be in control of women.
June 13, 2019
1 of my favorite books. And most disturbing and memorable. The ladies in my family discuss the book regularly.
July 13, 2020
Most of this dark story is difficult to read, but by the time I realized it, I was captivated by Cora and her little boy Joshua and I had to finish.
August 1, 2017
I read this years ago when I was probably around 18. I'm 33 now and just gave it another read. I'm not even sure I finished it the first time because I didn't recognize or remember anything after the first few chapters.
I'm surprised by the negative reviews and the visceral reaction readers have had to this book. I really enjoyed it. The writing style made me appreciate the things the character had despite all she lacked. The descriptions were very tactile and tangible - for example the descriptions of food, cloth, the smell of her son, and the feel of his hair. I've been in abusive situations and I related to finding the simple pleasures in life, even among difficult circumstances.
I suppose I never let controversial topics turn me away from a book if the writing is good. I felt the same way about American Psycho, which is hard to read at times, but still expertly written.
Give this book a try and keep an open mind. I enjoyed it. And if you like it, try Rose Madder by Stephen King or Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews. :)
I'm surprised by the negative reviews and the visceral reaction readers have had to this book. I really enjoyed it. The writing style made me appreciate the things the character had despite all she lacked. The descriptions were very tactile and tangible - for example the descriptions of food, cloth, the smell of her son, and the feel of his hair. I've been in abusive situations and I related to finding the simple pleasures in life, even among difficult circumstances.
I suppose I never let controversial topics turn me away from a book if the writing is good. I felt the same way about American Psycho, which is hard to read at times, but still expertly written.
Give this book a try and keep an open mind. I enjoyed it. And if you like it, try Rose Madder by Stephen King or Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews. :)
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April 29, 2024This will be one of the only times I can't rate a book a star rating. It is an incredibly hard read, because of the subject matter and also because some of the abuse is graphic. However, the author is a very good writer and the words flow very easily.
However, this book is very disturbing. Most of it is domestic abuse, more twisted than you can even imagine. It's one of those books that you just couldn't stop reading but you wish that you would have. It will probably live in my memory for a while.
Do I recommend this book? I don't know. This is a reality of some women, so I do think it is important to voice that. But it is just so hard to read about.
However, this book is very disturbing. Most of it is domestic abuse, more twisted than you can even imagine. It's one of those books that you just couldn't stop reading but you wish that you would have. It will probably live in my memory for a while.
Do I recommend this book? I don't know. This is a reality of some women, so I do think it is important to voice that. But it is just so hard to read about.
January 12, 2013
This story was amazing. It was very hard to put down, and equally hard to pick back up once you did put it down.
It depicts the graphic assaults, over several years, on a disabled woman, by a nice-appearing man, and her struggle to come to grips with why this is happening, and her realization that she needs to escape, if not for her sake, then the sake of the son she has borne to this monster.
It is not a good story, but it is a story that needs to be told. People like the main character have been blackballed, ostracized, and shamed for too long.
It depicts the graphic assaults, over several years, on a disabled woman, by a nice-appearing man, and her struggle to come to grips with why this is happening, and her realization that she needs to escape, if not for her sake, then the sake of the son she has borne to this monster.
It is not a good story, but it is a story that needs to be told. People like the main character have been blackballed, ostracized, and shamed for too long.
October 29, 2009
Blech. The story itself would be interesting in the hands of another author. I've read books that had graphic, disgusting parts and kept reading them because the rest of the book was so compelling. This book had plenty of horrible disgusting things, without any reason to read past them. Cora is almost interesting, but all the characters are so bland that I didn't feel the need to find out what happened to them.
February 12, 2016
Horrific abuse. She had such a loose upbringing that after spending one night with a man she felt she couldn't go home. What a shame. If she'd only felt that she could have been forgiven for this infraction her whole life would have been different. To me, that's the moment of truth...she didn't have a strong enough connection to her parents and upbringing that she thought she had to stick with this lunatic and couldn't reach out for help.
August 10, 2016
A wonderfully written story, with great flow and emotion. Do be forewarned though that quite a few parts of this book depicted graphic scenes which are disturbing. Not recommended for the younger crowed.
May 13, 2008
A very sad, but well written, story about a poor girl in the south. Gives hope to all women in abusive relationships.
June 16, 2008
Rough reading...
July 9, 2008
This is the WORST book I read ever, its BAD, I tore it up and trashed it.
October 11, 2010
Very difficult to read. The premise of the book was interesting as was the setting but the details were a bit too graphic for my taste.
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February 5, 2011own
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews