How Do You Do, Mrs. Wiley?

by Missi Magalis

Through the years a lot of people have whispered, poor Grace, but I have a different outlook, one worth leaving behind. When I’m gone my ashes will drowse peacefully in my urn, and my spirit will rest easy because I wrote the story of my life the way I want it remembered—the story that shows I was never poor Grace. Sure, I’ve seen heartache, I’ve felt heartbreak, but I’ve been blessed more often than I’ve had to stitch up grieving wounds. I’ve laughed more than a billion times, heehawed so long my sides are still aching. I’ve loved so hard my insides feel like strawberry jelly. Why strawberry? Because it’s red like when blood and air greet one another. And I’ve had adventure. God, have I held adventure in my hands and squeezed all the life out of it, or is it the other way around? Perhaps I’ve held life in my hands and squeezed the adventure out of it. Whichever way is right, if there is a right way, I’ve lived a life for which a queen would gladly trade her kingdom. And, yes, the queen would even want to live my life on the day I killed Louis Windle.

Genres: Fiction

565 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2013

About the author

I've been writing for years; my reason for doing so—to tell a story that no one else can tell and to help others have something or someone with which to relate. I self published a young adult fantasy, Ashmikisle Out of the Ashes, before finding my niche in southern fiction.

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, I am not good with writing ( which is why I am a reader instead) but I am loving this book so far. I think I am reading it slower than I normally do because I don't want it to end. The main character of this book is Grace who goes to live with her grandmother (Nanny) after a tragic incident involving her mother. Nanny is a strong-willed, lovable and completely smooth woman who can deliver punishments in more creative ways than I can imagine. The books follows Grace and her two best friends - Sadie and Ollie- as they experience unfortunate first "love" , secrets of a best friend that can be a matter of life and death , random mischief mostly surrounding Ollie as a pre-teen , and other random life adventures. It reminds me a bit of "Fried Green Tomatoes " in the southern style, friendships and life's ups and downs. It has made me laugh out loud and recount some of my own troubles in life. I am so glad I won this book because I can tell it's going to be a favorite of mine. The writing is wonderful , I feel I know these characters in "real life" and I know i'm going to miss them when I'm finished.

[Leisha Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely amazed by this book and instantly fell in love with the characters. Nanny might be one of the most iconic characters I have ever encountered. This piece of southern fiction was written so fluidly that you can see it playing out like a movie in your head as you read. The setting reminds me of "To Kill A Mockingbird", with it's small town charm, epochal characters and slight sense of mystery as the main character comes of age. I had a hard time putting this book down because you constantly want to know what happens next in Grace Wiley's life. There are moments of serious trials, followed by a hilarious scenario that will have you laughing. I spent the last 3 chapters switching between biting my nails and then laughing hysterically. This is the perfect book to curl up on the couch with and dive into this holiday season!

[Josette · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a cleverly placed murder confession in the first two sentences, this book pulls in the reader and never lets go. As narrator, Grace is immediately intriguing. I wanted to know what would make her kill someone--even if it was her worst enemy--and once the story starts moving, I wanted to know more about her.

The characters are fun, with Grace at the helm of a story that's actually titled for her grandmother, Gwen "Nanny" Wiley. Despite the first couple lines and the dark tone of many of the events that follow around Grace, the story is written with a lightheartedness that probably will remind a lot of readers what it was like to be 5 or 6 or any of the other ages Grace shows us from her life.

In chapter one, we meet Grace as herself instead of just the narrator. She moves in with her grandmother after tragically losing her parents. It was a little creepy reading about Grace as a child, knowing she grows up to eventually kill someone, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story and it didn't make me like her any less. If anything, it intrigued me even more. The book covers 20 years of her life, and through it all, no matter what was happening, I just kept wondering when that moment would come when we would meet the person she was going to kill.

Although Grace narrates, I think Nanny is the best character in the book. She's feisty and funny, but she also has a vicious streak, and even though I might not agree with her all the time, I like that she never wavers from her true self.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Do You Do, Mrs. Wiley? hooked me in right from the start! It's one of the best books I have ever read. If you have marked it as "to-read" you need to purchase it and read it! If you haven't marked it as "to-read" you need to do so, then, you need to buy it and read it! IT IS SO GOOD!!! It's one of those books where after you have finished reading it, you'll miss the characters! If you want a book that is a good read, this is the right one to choose! Once you start reading it, you always want to know what is going to happen next! This is a book that will suck you in to where you won't want to stop reading it until the end, and even then, you'll want more! I highly suggest this book to anyone!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Do You Do, Mrs. Wiley? is a wonderful work of fiction. It has everything a reader wants in a story. The characters are real and strong, the diction is spot on, and the story has ups and downs that will make you stay up until one in the morning reading even though you have to wake up for work at six. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. When I finished, I put the book on the shelf in my house where Kingsolver, Picoult, Austen, and Rowling sit. Ms. Magalis has an incredibly bright future in the literary world; it would be best for you to jump on the bandwagon early.

[Kristen Pesta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was personally not a fan of this book. While Grace's story was interesting- the dialogue felt extremely forced and the plot seemed a little bit all over the place.