The Right Thing

by Amy Conner

On a scorching August day in 1963, seven-year-old Annie Banks meets the girl who will become her best friend. Skinny, outspoken Starr Dukes and her wandering preacher father may not be accepted by polite society in Jackson, Mississippi, but Annie and Starr are too busy sharing secrets and playing elaborate games of Queen for a Day to care. Then, as suddenly as she appeared in Annie's life, Starr disappears.



Annie grows up to follow the path ordained for pretty, well-to-do Jackson women--marrying an ambitious lawyer, filling her days with shopping and charity work. She barely recognizes Starr when they meet twenty-seven years after that first fateful summer, but the bond formed so long ago quickly reemerges. Starr, pregnant by a powerful married man who wants her to get out of town, has nowhere to turn. And Annie, determined not to fail her friend this time, agrees to drive Starr to New Orleans to get money she's owed.



During the eventful road trip that follows, Annie will confront the gap between friendship and responsibility; between her safe, ordered existence and the dreams she's grown accustomed to denying.



Moving, witty, and beautifully told, The Right Thing is a story of love and courage, the powerful impact of friendship, and the small acts that can anchor a life--or, with a little luck, steer it in the right direction at last.



"Mix Fannie Flagg, Rebecca Wells, Kathryn Stockett, then add just a dash of Flannery O'Connor, and you'll wind up with the wholly original voice that is Amy Conner's. In this deceptively breezy novel of Southern women and the disaster and triumph of long-term friendships (not to mention racetracks and horses), Ms. Conner has staked a claim to her own Southern turf." --Bret Lott, New York Times bestselling author of Jewel



"This riveting debut novel shows how true friendship can span a social gulf and endure even across a chasm of time. The Right Thing is a page-turner that gripped me from the beginning." --Anna Jean Mayhew, author of The Dry Grass of August



"Before you read this book, make some coffee, grab the chocolate, sit down in front of the fire, and don't plan on getting up for a long, lovely time." --Cathy Lamb, author of If You Could See What I See

"Amy Connor has combined all of the right elements to make The Right Thing a fantastic read. She's written a touching story about a woman's search for herself and the endurance of a childhood friendship, outlined it in humor, and delivered it with beautiful prose. A wonderful debut!" -- Mary Simses, author of The Irresistible Blueberry Bake Shop & Café

"Told with natural Southern lyricism, and full of surprises both quirky and heartfelt, The Right Thing is a compassionate reminder about how every choice at every fork in the road has the power to change the rest of our lives-- sometimes far better than we ever could have imagined." -- Kaya McLaren, author of How I Came to Sparkle Again

Genres: Fiction, Southern, Chick Lit, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Adult, Contemporary

273 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

To see my full biography please visit my website. www.amyconnerbooks.com

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and charming southern read that manages to mix humor with poignancy which I found thoroughly captivating. Annie comes from a Southern family in Jackson, Mississippi, a family that wants to hold on to its prestige. Star and her family, whose father is a drunken preacher with a questionable past. The girls are seven when they meet and they become fast friends.

Annie spends her life trying to fit into the society she was born into, often with amusing results. The author wonderfully portrays the intensity of first friendships and the heartbreak that follows when the friend suddenly disappears. The struggle of growing up ad trying to fit in, and the lesson of learning that happiness only comes when one is true to themselves.

Thoroughly enjoyed this light read, full of manners and mishaps. Annie and Star are wonderful characters who I will remember.

[Natasha Daly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cue the heavy sigh of disappointment.
This book was chock-full of cliches. And yes, I did use a cliche there, on purpose.
Superficial and predictable as can be, I kept waiting for something more. Alas, it never came.
The characters were caricatures that just did not ring true for me and the "relationships" (or what passes for them) are as thinly constructed as tissue paper.
I feel like this was a clever story idea (what ironic twists of fate!) that didn't get fleshed out with any real substance or heart, and wasn't funny enough to be a lighthearted, snarky romp.

[Kara Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I was rather disappointed with the way this book unfolded. We are introduced to Annie Sizemore, a married Jackson, Mississippi society lady. She goes about her duties with a lacking enthusiasm, and while shopping at an exclusive department store, encounters her old childhood friend Starr Dukes, whom she has not seen in twenty seven years. A friendship that was intense and meaningful to two seven year old girls is now put to the test. Can they rectify this friendship? Annie decides that yes she can after she agrees to accompany Starr to New Orleans.
During this expedition, Annie begins to reflect on key childhood moments and memories. I enjoyed these parts of the book the most. One can sense how much little girl Annie is craving friendship and attention. The scene of The Bridge Party was hysterical~ or as Starr would say in her southern accent “huhsterical”; but there were also memories when things weren’t quite so funny in Annie’s life. The summer she spent with her Aunt Too-Tai~ was touching and heartfelt.
But it is the current day story of Annie and all the repercussions of this trip to New Orleans that I found to be predictable and mundane. A decent read but not on my recommend list.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, loved, loved THE RIGHT THING , a riveting, witty, and moving debut novel by Amy Conner!

If you are a fan of authors, Susan Rebecca White, Fannie Flagg, Mary Kay Andrews, Kathryn Stockett, Joshilyn Jackson, Claire Cook, or Nicholas Sparks, you will adore Amy Conner’s warmhearted, funny, insightful, and brilliantly crafted writing style of Southern women. She is in a class all her own---definitely knows the Bible belt South, with “right on dialects”, accents, politics, cruel judgments, and pretentious quirky ways.

I was traveling when I started THE RIGHT THING, and could not wait for time alone, to dive back into this engaging and heartwarming story of two small BFFs from both sides of the track (poor and rich).

I escaped to the park for on a beautiful spring day, overlooking a duck pond and enjoyed a glider all to myself for hours until the last page, capturing every word – smiling throughout while cheering on these lovable women, hoping for a happy ending for these two gals. What a ride since seven years old and Barbie dolls with funky clothes. I especially loved Annie’s mother - my favorite character. . ah you will love her- what a dynamic mother-daughter moment.

Set in Jackson, MS set in 1963 in the deep south, Annie Banks (grew up in a wealthy home with a doctor father, a snooty mean grandmother, an eccentric great aunt, and her only salvation – a compassionate mom, with a real heart, a humble beginning, and a cool housekeeper). When Annie meets her BFF at seven years old – Starr Dukes (daughter of a not so honest poor philandering preacher, left without a mother), she has found her best friend for life.

The Queen for a Day, The Barbie doll clothes and the fun banter of comments were absolutely hilarious, and the dog – wow, what an imagination and storyteller!

Annie and Starr come inseparable with a strong friendship, until the pressure from family tear them apart, and then one day Starr (this gal is full of one liners), is gone from her shabby rental house, as her preacher dad picks up to move to another town (guess he has stolen more money again from the offering plate or slept with one of the married church members).

Annie is forced to follow the path of the well to do southern women – wearing the right clothes, driving the BMW, minks, jewelry, shoes, entertaining, marrying an ambitious lawyer, a size zero and no eating real food, filling her days with shopping, charity work, dreaming with endless failing EPTs and pretending to fit in to be the responsible women and live up to the life carved out for her.

The story moves back and forth from present day, high school, college, to present day in Jackson, as years later after Annie is married to her high school sweetheart and successful lawyer, in an unsatisfying marriage and no hopes of ever getting pregnant and having a family of her own.

One day, Annie (mid thirties) boutique shopping for a cocktail dress, preparing for yet another evening out with her husband’s law friends, where she has to pretend to fit in to this lifestyle and dinner with Judge Shapley (the big name in town), when a voice from her past walks in the boutique (none other than Starr), now pregnant and being dumped by Bobby Shapley (Judge’s son- wealthy and married to Julie – the girls nightmare from elementary school).

Down on her luck, kicked out of her condo, and no charge accounts, or car, Starr turns to her long lost friend Annie to drive her to New Orleans on the day before Thanksgiving, to get her money (from her friend a bet she won betting on horses, and holding for her). Of course, Annie is caught between helping her friend and risking her marriage, as no one befriends an outcast and other woman of the Shapleys.

The outlandish scheme Annie puts together for this road trip escape to New Orleans was the funniest ever, you will laugh out loud! However, at the time, Annie was unaware exactly what this trip would bring, as fate steps in and how it would transform her life. From pot brownies, race horses, a dog on an elevator they take hostage, and guy turned to a woman, stranded, to chance meetings, and a special man - one wild road trip and a big surprise ending to seal both girl’s destiny!

As Annie discovers what life is like to be true to oneself, instead of living a life through someone else’s eyes, she finds her happiness. As these two girls from both sides of the track, find they are more alike than they imagined. A story of friendship, a bond standing the test of time, love, and responsibility and one which will warm your heart filled with mischief and humor to the end (hoping for a sequel as would love to see more of these characters)! I am so in this age bracket, so could relate to this era.

From romantic New Orleans to the political southern Jackson, MS, Amy Conner’s THE RIGHT THING, truly a winner out of the gate, moving and witty -- will keep you turning to discover the fate of these two special friends. I highly recommend to anyone loving southern women’s fiction, and so look forward to following this talented author.

Judith D. Collins Must Read Books

TOP 30 BEST BOOKS OF 2014

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time is Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and I pretty much expected this book to be similar, and though there were some similarities (mostly in that it is a story of friendship between two young girls) it ended up being very different and not exactly what I expected - but make no mistake, it was very good nonetheless. It is a story of friendship that is told by going back and forth between the present and the past. The thing I liked best about this book is the way the author was able to truly capture the way little girls minds work - I saw so much of myself as a child in both Starr and Annie. Personally, I am a very visual reader, meaning that when I read a good story, I like to be able to really visualize the characters and be able to 'see' what is happening in the book (if that makes sense!) and since most of the stories of the girls' childhoods were set in the 60's, the characters described in the story reminded me very much of the ones in the movie 'The Help' (though the stories are in no way the same)making it very easy to lose yourself in what life was like back then. I absolutely loved the way the characters evolved and thought this was so well written. Thank you Amy Conner for providing such an excellent example of what life used to be like and for sparking old memories of thoughts and shenanigans that I used to get into myself as a young girl :)

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, this review is written from my moral convictions and my literary point of view. I live in Mississippi, I'm in a book club so this book was chosen for a Mississippi contemporary author book.

Secondly, I don't claim to be a professional book reviewer. I simply review books through my experience as the reader.

I had high hopes for this book. The cover looks is inviting giving the book a sense of innocence that one can find here in Mississippi. The title The Right Thing is also a reflection of the theme throughout the story. This is where my moral conviction influences my review. Annie is telling her story, vacillating from her childhood to present day. Throughout her childhood and present day adulthood, Annie finds herself with the daily struggle of doing "the right thing". Measured by the convictions in which I hold my own standards, there are only a few circumstances that I believe were actually the right thing to do. One being that Annie welcomes and befriends the little girl, Starr, who is the daughter of wandering preacher. Due to Starr's circumstances, she's always labeled the "white trash" of the community while Annie lives amongst the high socialites of the community. In the world of both classes, it's taboo for them to interact. But Annie does the right thing and befriends Starr seeing passed the social class taboos and in spite of the ridicule it brings her from family and friends. Annie also learns that sometimes choosing the right thing doesn't always result in the most rewarding consequences. Annie's desire to do the right thing is certainly honoring but some of her choices aren't morally right. This is what I don't like about the story. In a culture that embraces "the right thing" equates to whatever makes you happy, I can't truthfully enjoy or condone the way this author allows Annie to finally obtain the ultimate "right thing" for her life. Annie makes a conscience decision to do the right thing for herself because she feels she has always done the right thing for everyone else. The moral of the story, which is ultimately the ending, is that whatever makes us happy is the right thing and this is something I just can't support if it was the author's intent to justify Annie's choice in the end thus justifying such decisions made by all humans.

Now from a literary point of view. This is Amy's debut novel. I did not enjoy the writing as it's not well written. The book drowns in clichés. There are too many and many of them do not make sense to me. The analogies she uses to try to make the reader understand her statement didn't do the writing any favors. As for the character development, I don't think Du (Duane) Annie's husband's character is developed enough to warrant the ending of why Annie makes the choice she does.

When reading books, I try to resonate with something in the story. I did find one aspect of Annie's life that resonated with me. Living the socialite life because it's expected or because it's the class you were born into it doesn't guarantee happiness. In fact, it can result in a life of superficial friendships and constant acting. Annie comes to realize this as an adult. And while her desire to no longer live this type of lifestyle that isn't the problem, it's the solution she chooses to get out of it just isn't "the right thing".

For the sensitive reader: you will find strong language throughout the book. There are elements of infidelity, mild racial issues (part of the story takes place during the 60s), transgender, mild religious mockery.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, which turned out to be nothing like the book I was expecting. Annie and Starr were best friends for a short period of time when they were seven, and meet up again after nearly 30 years of separation. I was expecting something a little like Beaches or a Kristen Hannah read, but this book was much more upbeat, quirky and lively, very much a feel good read. I loved the history of Annie and Starr as children. I could just picture them playing Queen For A Day with their Barbies. The author really brought to life the early 1960s and it was just wonderful reading, with all its detail.

Meeting Starr again now is going to change Annie’s life forever, although she doesn’t yet know it. It turns into something of a mini road trip read, one which is really fun to read about but at the same time, the whole book has a deeper level to it. It tells the story of two generations of women from the deep south and how they are almost programmed into behaving in a way that “polite society” will approve of. Annie is from a rich background and Starr is from the “wrong side of the tracks” and we see how any friendship between them would be frowned upon both as children and now as adults.

The story is all told from the perspective of Annie and I really loved her voice. She is funny, witty, yet has real issues that she needs to come to terms with. She doesn’t realise just how much of a mess she is for a long while. On the one hand she can be very snooty, always conscious of how her actions will be viewed, yet deep down she has the urge which she cannot ignore to do the right thing by her oldest friend, Starr.

I really enjoyed this read, and would definitely read more by this author.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book although enjoyable was a surface read. Almost elementary. To be honest I was hoping for more in the friends relationship and less of the main character finding herself. This book is advertised as someone doing the right thing for an old friend but it didn't develop for me. There could have been more. The deep friendship these women began at 7 years old did not gel or even seem compelling enough to lead to the rest of the story. It was a quick read and seemed a quick write. Tied up in a nice little bow without much character development of any other character save the voice of the book. I gave it 3 stars because it was fun to read, quick and a little interesting but, the one revelation that made me go "wow!" Stopped at that revelation. I just wish there was more depth.

[Seana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend this book. It was ok, nothing more. There was no depth and it just felt contrived. I get what the author was trying to do but I don't feel like she succeeded. As a reader, I never felt the supposed bond between Starr and Annie and because of this, nothing really worked. Also, the whole southern society stuff was ridiculous and annoying. Not for me, that's for sure. The most interesting storyline was Annie's mother and the most likeable character was Aunt Too Tai, both were barely touched on in the book. And the pure cheesiness of the one liners from Ted after the truck encounter were cringeworthy. It had potential to be a great story of friendship but instead it took the easy highway to chick lit stupidity with a southern tilt.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I looked back on the books I have rated this year, I noticed I have given some pretty low ratings on a lot of the books. Unfortunately, this will be yet another low rating. I hated this book. I wish I could have given it a negative star. The characters were so boring, the story line was boring, the book was boring. And I hated that it black maids and they talked uneducated still in this day and age; as if a black maid can't be intelligent. At one point one of the characters used the 'n' word and it was as if he said kittens. I really really really really hated this book. :(

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a first book, I suppose this one is okay. I didn't really care for either of the main characters. I found Annie's selfishness to be annoying and the "fire" really made me mad. I don't smoke but after reading about Annie's "diet" of coffee and cigarettes, I was tempted to give that a try. The business about Buddy or Bette was just ridiculous. Send me your next book for review before you publish it.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some if the most exquisite, moving, lyrical writing!!!!

[Suezq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable read which almost seemed like t was written by two different authors at times. I loved the parts when Starr and Annie were children, especially the Queen for a Day incident. LOL

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Southern style writing, Southern style reading, Southern style accent that comes out in this book.
There is a certain "something" that takes you to a place in your mind with the Southern accent, don't ask me why, but it does.

This book had plenty of times where I was laughing out loud.

Annie the young 7 year old girl comes from a wealthy well to do home. Her Mother is well respected in the womens society until a day comes along when her society snobby friends are just the other side of the fence from Annie playing with her Barbie doll along with her new BFF Starr.

Starr comes from a very different background, her Father is a religious man heavily involved in the church......but he's a bit of a crook and they have to move.....often. The 'well to do' call them 'travellers' due to their antics, and on the social scale, they are well down at the bottom of people to stay clear of.

Starr had introduced Annie to a TV programme certain people can be named Queen for the day. The sadder the story, the harder the story, the anguish of a story, the more chances of winning.

So going back to the garden fence and the little girls playing with their Barbie dolls, they were re enacting a scene from the programme but Annie was using the names of her Mothers friends. It was hilarious when one of the women overheard herself being described in a not so tasteful way. Mimic is not what you do to upper snobs.

Of course, gossip ensued and Annie's Mother was snubbed, hence Starr was not accepted as a suitable friend.

We go ahead in time now, Starr is gone, and many many years go by until they meet up again. A lot of things unfold. About the past, AND about the present.

Doing the right thing can mean two different things, depending on how you look at it right?
Doing the right thing for YOU because you believe its the correct thing to do OR doing what is right because its right for the other person so you are doing it right for them.

This was a very enjoyable, thought provoking, humours in parts read.


*I would like to thank Kensington Books via Net Galley for providing me with a copy for my review and unbiased thoughts*

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many of us, do "the right thing" is a mantra that has been a part of our lives since childhood and Annie Banks is no exception. Annie finds herself struggling between what is "right" for her and what is "right" for her according to others, and no matter what choices are made, others are always affected by these choices. For every action there is a reaction....and a consequence. For years, Annie has lived her life according to the southern expectations set forth by Jackson, Mississippi society, but a chance encounter with her childhood friend, Starr, suddenly makes Annie realize that being herself is the best decision she can possibly make. The Right Thing is a story of friendship, love, coming of age, and self-reflection, as well as consequences. The story navigates between 1963 and 1990 with ease and grace that allows the reader to be swept away between the pages filled with southern charm, wit, and of course, southern dialect that only true southern writer can capture. A wonderful debut novel from a very talented and gifted storyteller that I hope to read more from in the near future. The Right Thing would make an excellent reading group choice and comes complete with discussion questions as well. FOUR stars!

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Connor’s first novel published in 2014, a story about friendship, loyalty and “doing the right thing”. Annie Banks and Starr Dukes were two seven-year-old girls who met over a back neighborhood fence in Jackson Mississippi in the summer of 1963. They quickly became fast friends and despite their different cultural and economic backgrounds, established an enduring connection even as their lives took different paths and they were separated for over twenty-five years.

Annie Banks is now thirty-five, married for thirteen years to Duane Sizemore, the former popular high school football star, now an ambitious lawyer and partner in his firm. The couple are respected in their community, have a large home and are comfortably well off. Annie takes good care of herself, his obsessive about maintaining her slender figure, has a closet full of fashionable designer clothes, drives a BMW and does all the charity work expected of women in her social position. After her latest failed pregnancy test, she is finally coming to accept that her dream of motherhood is not to be part of her future; she must stop hoping for something that will never happen and move on.

Out shopping for a cocktail dress to wear to the partner’s dinner that night, she is in Jackson’s most fashionable dress shop when she unexpectedly meets up with Starr Dukes, the childhood friend she has not seen or heard from in years. When they re still children, Starr suddenly disappeared from Jackson without saying good-bye and Annie never saw her again. She was devastated by the loss of her friend and often wondered what happened to her.

Annie’s father was a pediatrician and her mother a social butterfly, always out and about and living the life accorded a small-town doctor’s wife. Starr had a very different home life. Her father was a traveling preacher and they were often forced to leave the towns where he worked, followed by rumors of money missing from the collection plates and husbands discovering the preacher was providing something more than “counselling” to their wives. There were many things missing in Starr’s home as they often had to leave secretly in the middle of the night and anything that could not fit in the car was left behind. After her mother abandoned her father and left Starr behind, things became worse. Starr had to make her father’s meals, often with few ingredients besides canned food to work with and Starr was forced to wear old torn clothing that was often too big for her. But neither Annie nor Starr focused on those differences. They were too busy having fun playing with their Barbi dolls, acting out their own version of Queen For A Day and running from the neighborhood boys who bullied them.

When the two reconnect on this day at the dress shop, Annie learns that Starr is the woman she has been hearing rumors about for days, the mistress of Bobby Shapley, the powerful Judge’s son. Bobby was trying to force her to leave town after she became pregnant and refused to have an abortion. Six months earlier when they were in the middle of a hot romance, Bobby moved Starr into a penthouse apartment in the prestigious Burnside Tower, but now that she is pregnant he is done with her. When she resisted, he had her car impounded, the electricity in the apartment turned off and organized to have her evicted by the end of the week. She no one to turn to, no place to go, and no money for food, but she is determined not to get rid of the baby or walk away.

Starr tells Annie she has money for the shark-like lawyer she knows she will need to fight Bobby and his powerful father, but it is stashed with a friend in New Orleans and without a car she has no way to get there. She has little time, Thanksgiving weekend is coming up, the condo will be locked and she will not be able to get back in.

Starr had believed that Bobby was Mr. Right, the man who would love her forever, fulfil her dreams and carry her away. He had promised to marry her, but now Starr realizes he was never going to leave his wife or help her with their expected baby. She had made a big mistake.

Although this is the night of the partner’s dinner and Annie knows she must get home and get ready, she considers whether she can help Starr by driving her to New Orleans. It is a long three-hour drive, but she decides if they move quickly, get to New Orleans, grab the money and rush back, she might be able to return before Duane knows she has gone. She mulls over all the problems she will face, but decides she cannot let Starr down.

So begins a Thelma and Louise type adventure, as the two escape on a road trip in the middle of the night. Annie has some cash in her pocket, her new black cocktail dress in the back seat and a small terrier named Troy Smoat they picked up along the way. They arrive at the racetrack where Starr used to work as a waitress and it is then things begin to fall apart. Little goes as planned, and as the story unfolds, there are both moments of true affection, comedy and a few surprises.

The story is structured with events in the present day altered with flashback to the past, when Annie and Starr were children. Annie struggled growing up, always trying to do the right thing but often missing the mark and acting irresponsibly. Although Annie is rich and spoiled, Connor creates sympathy for her lead character as readers learn more from events in her childhood. She also beautifully describes the intense friendship children often share, unfettered by social standing, home addresses, and material possessions.

Granted the story has many predictable moments, but it is an easy entertaining read that is at times funny, with quirky details about a trailer smothered in pink, the intoxicating draw of junk food (especially brownies) and a chosen décor of bullfrogs and ceramic swans. Readers also come upon a few surprises and discover Starr has kept a mystery from Annie that is only revealed at the end.

This is a quick quiet read, but it provides an often-needed break from mysteries, thrillers and more dire and heavily weighted subject matter.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this southern tale of self-discovery, friendship and love. I really enjoyed following Annie as she slowly comes to terms with who she really wants to be versus who she thinks she is supposed to be. Her friendship with Starr, both as children and as adults, is powerful. Seeing how it changes and emboldens her is a great representation of true friendship. As a southerner, I really enjoyed the southern setting as well.

This was a truly lovely story of a woman's self discovery. I love the characters and the tale as a whole. Highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys chick-lit with a little more substance.

*I received this book for free as part of a First Reads promotion. My opinions are purely my own.

[Thomasm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the author present briefly on this novel at a book club symposium held at the New Orleans Museum of Art, and she came across a bit stiff. I also did not like the cover of the book and worried that it would be trite. I kept it by my bedside for several months before picking it up, thinking I would read it because "I had to" because I had purchased it. I was pleasantly surprised! The writing is vibrant; there are some wonderful descriptions with inventive and pointed figurative language. The main character is so likable because her flaws are real and because she is aware of then. I was really impressed by the writing and the plot and strongly recommend this novel. I look forward to what the author has next in store for her readers. Well done!

[Christine Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Right Thingl

This compelling read by Amy Conner shows how doing the right thing is not always easy. Young neighbors Annie and Starr fall into a friendship neither has ever known. Annie is devastated when she is forbidden to continue that relationship after the girls make believe doll party hits too close to home for the ladies bridge club playing just inside.

Sometimes a friendship can last a lifetime even when separated by time and proximity. This book held my interest right to the last page. The characters are written with absolute honesty and made me grateful for my own friendships that have lasted through the years.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so realistic. Annie is a childless wife, who feels personally responsible for every negative pregnancy test that she has buried under the rose bush in her yard. She is the wife of a prominent attorney, and the daughter of a somewhat affluent family. Despite this, she has struggled her entire life with doing the right thing and being responsible. Annie reconnects with an old friend, and hijinks ensue, but Annie learns a lot about herself along the way. Such a great book!

[Millicent · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nice surprise! I picked up this book not knowing anything about it except what was on the teaser & reviews on the back. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, this story of a Southern girl named Mercy Anne Banks, who has all the advantages of wealth & breeding, evolves into a character study of this girl & the unlikely friendship she forms with a little girl with none of these advantages. It is a story of unhappiness, low self esteem, & settling for nothing special...until unexpected events turn everything around. I really enjoyed this book!

[Cayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attention-grabbing and well written

Attention-grabbing and well written

Doing the right thing is not always popular, particularly when you are a member of the "privileged" group. In an attention grabbing and heartwarming way, this book tackles the class divides of the Deep South and the bonds of childhood friendship. From the first chapter I was pulled into this book and finished it the same day I started it. I enjoyed the story and highly recommend it to literary fiction fans.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the flashbacks when Annie and Starr were kids, but I thought Annie was a pretty unlikeable character. She was better as an adult, but was very judgmental as a child. For someone who didn't have many friends, she really judged other people. The interesting thing was that Starr was very likeable as a child, but terrible as an adult.

I'm glad with how everything turned out though.

[kozettekaysmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming, The Best Read, Five Star

First time I've read this Author. I grew up in the late 50 's early 60's. This story took me back when I was a girl growing up. I have so much in common with this wonderful book. I have read some really great books but I would love to read many more just like The Right Thing. Amy Conner knows how to entertain and keep you hooked! I recommend this book to whom ever loves to read.
Kozettekaysmith

[Mary Simses · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel, about a friendship between two women who lost touch as children and then reconnected many years later. It's also a "coming of age" tale in a way, although the character coming of age is in her mid-thirties. The story is touching and it's told with a nice dose of humor, which I really loved.

[Gail Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. If you're Southern and grew up in the early 60's, you'll recognize a lot of these characters-the good, the bad, and the snooty. Wonderfully funny with a nice sense of place and the times, it moves between the early 60's and 1990 in Jackson, MS.

Due to be published in May. Highly recommended for us Southeners and those who wish they were :)

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads. Excellent read. If I have one criticism, I wanted this story to stretch on. It would make an excellent movie. Sometimes, in life, we have to choose between doing the expected thing (staying on the normal path) and doing the "right thing" which can produce unexpected results.

[Katherine Pederson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew going in that this book was going to be a "beach" read and it didn't disappoint. Nothing too clever, not challenging at all...but sometimes I need sorbet for my brain. I probably should have given it a higher rating because it can be considered a 4 in the genre in which it was written (chic lit, fluff).

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd book. Not sure how to explain it but it seemed to be all over the place and never sure what it wanted to do. It could've been a better book if the author stuck to one or two plot devises but she seemed to string together 5-6 to just give it length.

[brenda head · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bond between two friends and doing the right thing

this book made me think a lot about doing the right thing g, a mother th as t came from nothing , just like her best friend and then doing the right thing g for herself