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A Southern Girl
Set against the exquisite historical backdrop of Charleston's insular South of Broad neighborhood, A Southern Girl is a tale of international adoption and of families lost, then found anew through revelations, courage, and the perseverance of a love without bounds.
With two biological sons and a promising career, Coleman Carter seems set to fulfill his promise as a resourceful trial lawyer, devoted husband, and dutiful father until his wife, Elizabeth, champions their adoption of a Korean orphan. This seemingly altruistic mission estranges Coleman's conservative parents and demands that he now embrace the unknown as fully as he has always entrenched himself in the familiar.
Elizabeth, a self-proclaimed liberal with a global sense of duty, is eager for the adoption, while Coleman, a scion of the Old South, is at best a reluctant participant. But the arrival of Soo Yun (later called Allie) into the Carter household and the challenging reactions of Coleman's peers and parents awakens in him a broadening sense of responsibility and dedication to his new family that opens his eyes to the subtle racism and exclusionary activities that had dominated his sheltered life. To garner Allie's entrance into Charleston society, Coleman must come to terms with his past and guide Allie toward finding her own origins as the Carters forge a new family identity and confront generations-old fears inherent in Southern traditions of purity and prestige.
Deftly told through the distinctive voices of Allie's birth mother, her orphanage nurse, her adoptive mother Elizabeth, and finally Coleman himself, A Southern Girl brings us deeply into Allie's plights--first for her very survival and then for her sense of identity, belonging, and love in her new and not always welcoming culture. In this truly international tale, John Warley guides us through the enclaves of southern privilege in New Hampton, Virginia, and Charleston, the poverty-stricken back alleys of Seoul, South Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, and the stone sidewalks of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, as the bonds between father and daughter become strong enough to confront the trials of their pasts and present alike.
The first release from Pat Conroy's Story River Books, A Southern Girl includes a foreword by New York Times bestselling novelist Therese Ann Fowler.
With two biological sons and a promising career, Coleman Carter seems set to fulfill his promise as a resourceful trial lawyer, devoted husband, and dutiful father until his wife, Elizabeth, champions their adoption of a Korean orphan. This seemingly altruistic mission estranges Coleman's conservative parents and demands that he now embrace the unknown as fully as he has always entrenched himself in the familiar.
Elizabeth, a self-proclaimed liberal with a global sense of duty, is eager for the adoption, while Coleman, a scion of the Old South, is at best a reluctant participant. But the arrival of Soo Yun (later called Allie) into the Carter household and the challenging reactions of Coleman's peers and parents awakens in him a broadening sense of responsibility and dedication to his new family that opens his eyes to the subtle racism and exclusionary activities that had dominated his sheltered life. To garner Allie's entrance into Charleston society, Coleman must come to terms with his past and guide Allie toward finding her own origins as the Carters forge a new family identity and confront generations-old fears inherent in Southern traditions of purity and prestige.
Deftly told through the distinctive voices of Allie's birth mother, her orphanage nurse, her adoptive mother Elizabeth, and finally Coleman himself, A Southern Girl brings us deeply into Allie's plights--first for her very survival and then for her sense of identity, belonging, and love in her new and not always welcoming culture. In this truly international tale, John Warley guides us through the enclaves of southern privilege in New Hampton, Virginia, and Charleston, the poverty-stricken back alleys of Seoul, South Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, and the stone sidewalks of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, as the bonds between father and daughter become strong enough to confront the trials of their pasts and present alike.
The first release from Pat Conroy's Story River Books, A Southern Girl includes a foreword by New York Times bestselling novelist Therese Ann Fowler.
392 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 14, 2015
I have never read a book by John Warley. This book is associated with, "Story River Books," and the editor at large is Pat Conroy. There were many times in this book when I certainly believed passages were written or heavily edited by Pat Conroy, he has a very specific southern voice that is in this novel. If you like Pat Conroy novels I do believe you would enjoy this book.
The story begins in 1978, When Elizabeth, wife of Coleman Carter seriously decides she wants to adopt a child from Korea. She is already determined to get her husband to agree, but unlike Elizabeth who is not from the south, Coleman was born and raised a southern in Charleston, SC, and his heritage runs deep. His family is set in their ways of southern traditional values and yes they at times tend to exclude people not so much outwardly but within their societies in which they have been ingrained for many years.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine just what this novel is going to be about and is about, but at the heart of it is Coleman coming to terms with the quiet racism and not so quiet racism that has always existed in his southern city of Charleston. This book meanders about from Elizabeth's perspective, to Coleman's to Hana who took care of Soo Yun, the Korean baby who was left on the doorstep of the orphanage, to the Vietnamese restaurant owner, to the various people Coleman comes in contact with. We never get to hear from Allie (born Soo Yun). 80% of this book is about Coleman dealing with raising his daughter just fine until she is excluded from an event which he, his father and his grandfather attended, and to attend you must be born of the blood of the ancestors. People who are adopted are excluded.
The story gets a bit long in places, and there are parts that could have been eliminated, but not so much that it was overly irritating. I did enjoy hearing the voice of Pat Conroy. I found it refreshing to read about racism not in overtly way, but rather how it so often really does occur, quietly. This is a story about traditions and the feeling of knowing you are among an elite group of people but of course that can't happen unless you are excluding others, because well then you might not be that special if just anyone can attend.
The story begins in 1978, When Elizabeth, wife of Coleman Carter seriously decides she wants to adopt a child from Korea. She is already determined to get her husband to agree, but unlike Elizabeth who is not from the south, Coleman was born and raised a southern in Charleston, SC, and his heritage runs deep. His family is set in their ways of southern traditional values and yes they at times tend to exclude people not so much outwardly but within their societies in which they have been ingrained for many years.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine just what this novel is going to be about and is about, but at the heart of it is Coleman coming to terms with the quiet racism and not so quiet racism that has always existed in his southern city of Charleston. This book meanders about from Elizabeth's perspective, to Coleman's to Hana who took care of Soo Yun, the Korean baby who was left on the doorstep of the orphanage, to the Vietnamese restaurant owner, to the various people Coleman comes in contact with. We never get to hear from Allie (born Soo Yun). 80% of this book is about Coleman dealing with raising his daughter just fine until she is excluded from an event which he, his father and his grandfather attended, and to attend you must be born of the blood of the ancestors. People who are adopted are excluded.
The story gets a bit long in places, and there are parts that could have been eliminated, but not so much that it was overly irritating. I did enjoy hearing the voice of Pat Conroy. I found it refreshing to read about racism not in overtly way, but rather how it so often really does occur, quietly. This is a story about traditions and the feeling of knowing you are among an elite group of people but of course that can't happen unless you are excluding others, because well then you might not be that special if just anyone can attend.
June 4, 2014
Readers under the scuppernong vine are about to claim the discovery of the next great Southern Writer. I just finished John Warley’s A Southern Girl.I thoroughly enjoyed reading how the Coleman Carters take on challenges to their comfortable family life and Southern culture that come with the addition of an adopted daughter from South Korea. John Warley triumphs in telling the story with tact and well placed humor. How Southern is that?
Warley describes his characters and events with a very sharp pen. For example, in an early chapter a very reluctant Jong Sim is taking her infant to an orphanage for adoption in Seoul, Korea. Warley's voice for Jong Sim is very believable and “sweet”. John, a former college athlete, is a tough man. The vivid gentleness he uses to describe this scene shows he is also an accomplished word smith. Right away I was pulling for something outstanding to happen for this young babe. Well, life is just not that easy.
Warley is especially adept at creating interesting well developed characters in this his seminal work. One of my many favorites is Margarite Huger. Margarite’s deceased son was Colman’s best friend. In an inner story scene filled with subtle emotion and joy Colman tells Margarite about his and Philip’s adventures in San Miguel, Mexico. This is a coming of age story for two young men filled with the sights, sounds, colors, dogs, and roosters of Mexico---and oh yes one very beautiful young woman! This, is one of many, scenes in the subplot that John Warley applies meaningfully to the big story. If I could tell you any more I would be writing the book myself.
The main environment for A Southern Girl is Charleston, SC. You will see that Warly knows this story world as a home he loves, a home he eagerly returns to from Virginia. However, soon after returning he vividly shows Colman searching for moral courage to support his daughter in the comfortable environment of lifelong friends. Colman learns that some of his beloved traditional Charleston institutions are devoted to sacred cows with questionable norms that result in sower milk. Coleman says he does not like confrontation but I ask you to decide on this when you meet him.
Warley describes his characters and events with a very sharp pen. For example, in an early chapter a very reluctant Jong Sim is taking her infant to an orphanage for adoption in Seoul, Korea. Warley's voice for Jong Sim is very believable and “sweet”. John, a former college athlete, is a tough man. The vivid gentleness he uses to describe this scene shows he is also an accomplished word smith. Right away I was pulling for something outstanding to happen for this young babe. Well, life is just not that easy.
Warley is especially adept at creating interesting well developed characters in this his seminal work. One of my many favorites is Margarite Huger. Margarite’s deceased son was Colman’s best friend. In an inner story scene filled with subtle emotion and joy Colman tells Margarite about his and Philip’s adventures in San Miguel, Mexico. This is a coming of age story for two young men filled with the sights, sounds, colors, dogs, and roosters of Mexico---and oh yes one very beautiful young woman! This, is one of many, scenes in the subplot that John Warley applies meaningfully to the big story. If I could tell you any more I would be writing the book myself.
The main environment for A Southern Girl is Charleston, SC. You will see that Warly knows this story world as a home he loves, a home he eagerly returns to from Virginia. However, soon after returning he vividly shows Colman searching for moral courage to support his daughter in the comfortable environment of lifelong friends. Colman learns that some of his beloved traditional Charleston institutions are devoted to sacred cows with questionable norms that result in sower milk. Coleman says he does not like confrontation but I ask you to decide on this when you meet him.
August 13, 2014
I really wanted to love "A Southern Girl" because my husband recommended it and appreciated it. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be ponderous, the storyline plodding and uneven, and the characters often unlikable. The first part of the novel, using the points of view of Allie's birth mother, her orphanage nurse Hana, and her adoptive parents Elizabeth and Coleman, was good reading. The book lost steam midway through when Coleman's voice took over. I found the journey to Korea and Vietnam interesting, but the novel's climax and resolution was predictable. Seriously. If you want to read a great book about Charleston either past or present, read ANYTHING by Pat Conroy or "The Invention of Wings". "A Southern Girl" pales in comparison.
May 28, 2014
So much to applaud about this book. Stories with Charleston as the centerpiece always are appealing. The cultural aspects are not surprising if you are from the south. The journey to Korea was the reality check needed for the son of the south attorney. I loved all the characters even the ones with "warts". This author impresses and will read more.
December 20, 2017
I really wanted to love this book, as Pat Conroy recommended it. Written similarly to Conroy's style, it started out so promising. But, as other reviewers stated, it seemed like two stories, and became meandering and slow, so that I was ready for it to end.
August 6, 2021
John Warley’s, A Southern Girl is set in the historical city of Charleston’s (SC) South of Broad neighborhood. It is the story of a father’s love for a foreign adopted daughter and his own struggles in helping her find her own identity in an elite society.
The story was inspired by Warley’s adoption of his Korean daughter into a conservative Southern family. He is a native of SC and graduate and classmate of the late Pat Conroy from the citadel. He is also a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
Warley aptly explores the adoption of the Korean orphan into the rigid society of the people’s mindset that live “South of Broad”. He truthfully explores the mores and mentality of its oldest inhabitants. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of the architecture, food, landscapes and traditions of Charleston since it is a city I visit quite often.
This was a touching story about Southern ties, adoption, family drama and heritage in a modern society and shows the finer characteristics and knowledge that the South is slowly changing. It is a good message of championing a child’s rights.
The story was inspired by Warley’s adoption of his Korean daughter into a conservative Southern family. He is a native of SC and graduate and classmate of the late Pat Conroy from the citadel. He is also a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
Warley aptly explores the adoption of the Korean orphan into the rigid society of the people’s mindset that live “South of Broad”. He truthfully explores the mores and mentality of its oldest inhabitants. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of the architecture, food, landscapes and traditions of Charleston since it is a city I visit quite often.
This was a touching story about Southern ties, adoption, family drama and heritage in a modern society and shows the finer characteristics and knowledge that the South is slowly changing. It is a good message of championing a child’s rights.
September 3, 2014
I feel sort of bad giving this only 2 stars. I really wanted to LOVE this book, but I didn't.
The author is a lawyer, and it reminded me of papers from a lawyer. Lots of unnecessary words! It started out really well, I enjoyed the story immensely. But then when it was just Coleman, it seemed to drag on forever. I just wanted it to be done.
Learning about the culture and the exclusivity of the south was interesting, but is it really all that steeped in tradition as the author said? I don't know. I have never been in the southern states. The characters were likable, and I thought the author did an excellent job in making them believable. The story line was interesting, I just wish there would have been more on the visit to South Korea.
The author is a lawyer, and it reminded me of papers from a lawyer. Lots of unnecessary words! It started out really well, I enjoyed the story immensely. But then when it was just Coleman, it seemed to drag on forever. I just wanted it to be done.
Learning about the culture and the exclusivity of the south was interesting, but is it really all that steeped in tradition as the author said? I don't know. I have never been in the southern states. The characters were likable, and I thought the author did an excellent job in making them believable. The story line was interesting, I just wish there would have been more on the visit to South Korea.
June 10, 2015
Disappointing book about the challenge of bringing a Korean child into a Charleston, SC, family steeped in tradition. Little of it is about the girl, much of it is a tour of Charleston. And the rest is the author's thinly veiled autobiography. He missed several chances, numerous chances to say something meaningful about bigotry and ancestry, about acceptance and assimilation. If you want to read a book about the South, this isn't it.
July 6, 2014
How to describe this book? Extremely well written, fascinating subject, memorable characters... this is a book I am truly sorry to have finished! One of those books that makes the choice of what to pick up to read next so difficult because so many will pale in comparison.
March 23, 2022
i was so disappointed in this book. i like "fish out of water" stories and have vivid memories of the time when so many Asian baby girls were being adopted, so i looked forward to a book describing the process, but this book was not it.
June 5, 2014
Of course I loved this book! I want more. Allie needs to star in another book.
September 21, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. This novel is set in Charleston, SC and revolves around the adoption of a Korean baby by an upper class white family. The story is told from the point of view of both Elizabeth and Coleman through the first part of the book.
At the beginning of the novel, Coleman, his wife Elizabeth and their 2 sons are living in Virgina. Coleman and Elizabeth had met during college in Virgina. She had grown up in Topeka, KS and was definitely not a Southerner. However, Coleman had grown up in Charleston in a family that was entrenched in all the social customs and attitudes of Charleston.
Although Coleman and Elizabeth have 2 sons, they would like to have a daughter and Elizabeth has her heart set on adopting a Korean baby girl. Coleman is reluctant and part of his reluctance has to do with how his parents will react. Both his mother and father are vehemently opposed. However, Coleman does finally agree to it and their baby arrives from Korea. Due to his father having suffered a stroke, they have moved to Charleston by the time the baby arrives. They name her Allison and call her Allie. One disappointment I had in the book was how it skipped over most of her childhood. It did touch on a few of the incidents of Allie's young life but pretty much goes from infancy to 17 years old without much description between---except for one tragic exception. Elizabeth dies from breast cancer sometime during Allie's middle school years. One only gets superficial descriptions of Allie's character.
From that point on in the book, Coleman is the only narrator. From that point on, the focus turns more to Coleman's battle with traditional Charleston values that would prevent Allie from participating in a long-standing traditional social event that his family has always participated in. She would be excluded because she is a foreigner.
I feel that one would almost need to be a Southerner to truly appreciate this book. Since I lived in South Carolina for several years, I could understand what Warley was writing about to a greater degree than if I had never lived in the South. Sometimes I felt he used too many words causing the story to drag at times. As other reviewers have mentioned, he seemed to have more than one story going at times which didn't add to enjoyment of the novel. As some other reviewers have commented, I enjoyed the first part of the book much more which focuses on the adoption process and how Allie came to be part of the family.
Warley alludes to Pat Conroy in his notes but his writing is not on the same scale as that of Pat Conroy.
At the beginning of the novel, Coleman, his wife Elizabeth and their 2 sons are living in Virgina. Coleman and Elizabeth had met during college in Virgina. She had grown up in Topeka, KS and was definitely not a Southerner. However, Coleman had grown up in Charleston in a family that was entrenched in all the social customs and attitudes of Charleston.
Although Coleman and Elizabeth have 2 sons, they would like to have a daughter and Elizabeth has her heart set on adopting a Korean baby girl. Coleman is reluctant and part of his reluctance has to do with how his parents will react. Both his mother and father are vehemently opposed. However, Coleman does finally agree to it and their baby arrives from Korea. Due to his father having suffered a stroke, they have moved to Charleston by the time the baby arrives. They name her Allison and call her Allie. One disappointment I had in the book was how it skipped over most of her childhood. It did touch on a few of the incidents of Allie's young life but pretty much goes from infancy to 17 years old without much description between---except for one tragic exception. Elizabeth dies from breast cancer sometime during Allie's middle school years. One only gets superficial descriptions of Allie's character.
From that point on in the book, Coleman is the only narrator. From that point on, the focus turns more to Coleman's battle with traditional Charleston values that would prevent Allie from participating in a long-standing traditional social event that his family has always participated in. She would be excluded because she is a foreigner.
I feel that one would almost need to be a Southerner to truly appreciate this book. Since I lived in South Carolina for several years, I could understand what Warley was writing about to a greater degree than if I had never lived in the South. Sometimes I felt he used too many words causing the story to drag at times. As other reviewers have mentioned, he seemed to have more than one story going at times which didn't add to enjoyment of the novel. As some other reviewers have commented, I enjoyed the first part of the book much more which focuses on the adoption process and how Allie came to be part of the family.
Warley alludes to Pat Conroy in his notes but his writing is not on the same scale as that of Pat Conroy.
September 10, 2024
This book could have been fabulous but for the meandering and, frankly, unnecessarily indulgent story lines. I very much enjoyed reading about the complexities of Allie's adoption and subsequent integration into a very xenophobic culture. However, all of the Coleman bits (a random trip to Mexico, a subsequent trip to Vietnam) made this book drag (and drag and drrrrrrag). It didn't add anything to the story or Coleman. Rather, it made me contemplate DNFing on multiple occasions.
August 1, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. Loved the story and would have rated it higher except for the misspellings within the narrative. Things like that spoil the whole thing for me.
January 2, 2017
This is an awesome book! It's not often that I rage about an author's writing, use of words and the storyline all at the same time.
THIS one has it all! The only other writers who I would rave about are Pat Conroy, now gone, and Anne Rivers Siddons, who apparently is no longer writing.
This ia lovely story as well - I could not put it down for wanting to know more.'"Many times I have questioned my survival. I can find only one answer, and it is not perfect. It took courage for my wife and children to leave our home and climb aboard boat. It took courage for your friend Philip to come here, to this place (Vietnam). But courage is also required to the one left behind, to face what they are now free of. If we face it well, we honor them in a way mourning and guilt cannot. I decided years ago too much grieving was a retreat into their deaths. What was demanded was courage in tribute to their lives. I have tried to live that way."
THIS one has it all! The only other writers who I would rave about are Pat Conroy, now gone, and Anne Rivers Siddons, who apparently is no longer writing.
This ia lovely story as well - I could not put it down for wanting to know more.'"Many times I have questioned my survival. I can find only one answer, and it is not perfect. It took courage for my wife and children to leave our home and climb aboard boat. It took courage for your friend Philip to come here, to this place (Vietnam). But courage is also required to the one left behind, to face what they are now free of. If we face it well, we honor them in a way mourning and guilt cannot. I decided years ago too much grieving was a retreat into their deaths. What was demanded was courage in tribute to their lives. I have tried to live that way."
June 2, 2014
Wonderful story. Great storyteller. Two cultures with strong traditions.
July 13, 2014
I enjoyed this book but thought there was too much unnecessary information that made the book "drag".
May 15, 2014
Wonderful
a southern tale. not to be missed. Beautifully written with heartstoping nostalgia. Pat Conroy fans will love it, for sure.
a southern tale. not to be missed. Beautifully written with heartstoping nostalgia. Pat Conroy fans will love it, for sure.
May 11, 2015
Southern prejudices, a father's love, and how that love prevails.
May 9, 2023
Blah. Quit halfway through...
October 31, 2024
When Coleman Carter and his wife Elizabeth adopt a daughter born in South Korea, his very Southern Charlestonian parents are shocked and cannot accept this new granddaughter, Allie, into their family. Coleman’s father is apoplectic and refuses to speak to his son ever again. He soon has a stroke and survives only a couple of months . Coleman’s mother, Sarah is a very distinguished society matron who rejects the idea of a grandchild who is not white. When she retires and moves to Sullivan’s island, she gives her stately Charleston home to Carleton (her only child) and his family, including Allie. As Allie grows, she develops a strong relationship with Sarah but now living in Charleston, she faces a world of prejudice in Charleston’s rigid social environment.
This was an interesting idea for a story, made even more interesting because the basic outline comes from the author’s life. Raised in Charleston and graduating from the Citadel, the author and his wife also adopted a daughter from Korea. Good premise but the story becomes tiresome as it meanders along. This book was bloated with erudite vocabulary that didn’t add to the story. It was about 100 pages too long. The story is told in the voices of Carleton, his wife Elizabeth, the birth mother and the nurse in the orphanage but without any sense of how Allie was feeling towards the same events. All we find out about her view of things is when she says that she considers herself a Charlestonian. Especially in the last parts of the book which are told in Carleton’s voice, only, it would have been nice to hear a different point of view
This was an interesting idea for a story, made even more interesting because the basic outline comes from the author’s life. Raised in Charleston and graduating from the Citadel, the author and his wife also adopted a daughter from Korea. Good premise but the story becomes tiresome as it meanders along. This book was bloated with erudite vocabulary that didn’t add to the story. It was about 100 pages too long. The story is told in the voices of Carleton, his wife Elizabeth, the birth mother and the nurse in the orphanage but without any sense of how Allie was feeling towards the same events. All we find out about her view of things is when she says that she considers herself a Charlestonian. Especially in the last parts of the book which are told in Carleton’s voice, only, it would have been nice to hear a different point of view
June 20, 2019
Let me begin by saying, I liked this book but it had me a bit confused at first. It starts out by being about the Korean baby and takes a turn about 25% in to become a story about the father. As an adoptive parent of a Korean child, I was anxious to read this book. The southern bigotry it details made me very angry and was not what we experienced in the north. As a teen the daughter had a desire to visit and learn about the orphanage and info on her life there, whereas our son never exhibited that desire. He did however confess to me at an Urbana Missions Conference with 20,000 students, 1/3 of which were Asian, that it was the first time he didn’t feel like an outsider. So there was a common thread. This book made me glad we didn’t adopt while living in the south. Like the mother in the story, I always had an affinity for Korean children and the mothers letter to her daughter brought tears to my eyes.
Pat Conroy was the editor and the book has a literary style. A bit wordy but a worthwhile read.
Pat Conroy was the editor and the book has a literary style. A bit wordy but a worthwhile read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2021
This ended a string of disappointing books in a surprising way. It’s a reminder that novels don’t have to have gunfire to be exciting or life and death situations to be suspenseful. This story is about a traditional Southern family in the most traditional Southern town adopting a Korean baby girl. It’s a reflection on quiet racism, of family, and of friendship’s breaking points. A main plot point involves a secret society about which I would have happily read another hundred pages, but it’s most striking voice came from a nurse at a Korean orphanage.
It’s hard not to compare a story of Charleston high society to Pat Conroy. And while he had a hand in this book’s publication, I found the absence of Conroy-style dysfunction and self-loathing an enjoyable surprise, especially because it didn’t come with a commensurate loss of the author’s clear love of his city, warts and all. I’ll find another book by this guy to read for sure.
It’s hard not to compare a story of Charleston high society to Pat Conroy. And while he had a hand in this book’s publication, I found the absence of Conroy-style dysfunction and self-loathing an enjoyable surprise, especially because it didn’t come with a commensurate loss of the author’s clear love of his city, warts and all. I’ll find another book by this guy to read for sure.
January 30, 2017
3.5 stars. Book club selection. As many reviews have stated, I believe this was almost 2 books. I truly enjoyed the first part (158 pages) about the adoption of a Korean baby by a couple living in the South and the challenges they faced from family, friends and work associates . This story was told from many different POV's and really held my interest. The remaining 231 pages are all told from the father's POV. While I felt Coleman (father) was well written, I found this part of the novel meandering and plodding. And why the change to only his POV? It is obviously semi autobiographical, but the author took us on long, detailed history lessons that were not needed to continue the story. I admit I skipped certain sections in order to get back to the "real" story. Should make for good discussion at book club.
May 2, 2018
A Wonderful Surpise
A Southern Girl turned out to be much better than I had hoped. The blurb made it sound like a chick book, but it was really a beautifully crafted story about a reluctant father who slowly turned into the father of the millennium.
Having read several Pat Conroy books, I so enjoyed Warley’s descriptions of Charleston; descriptions of architecture, attitude, food, landscapes and a deep-rooted, but somehow well-intended exclusionary approach to life. Even powerfully left-minded readers will enjoy reading this book.
A Southern Girl turned out to be much better than I had hoped. The blurb made it sound like a chick book, but it was really a beautifully crafted story about a reluctant father who slowly turned into the father of the millennium.
Having read several Pat Conroy books, I so enjoyed Warley’s descriptions of Charleston; descriptions of architecture, attitude, food, landscapes and a deep-rooted, but somehow well-intended exclusionary approach to life. Even powerfully left-minded readers will enjoy reading this book.
October 20, 2017
This book was a favorite of Pat Conroy. And I could see why. It is a story of family, loyalty, history and southern traditions. At the heart of this story is Coleman who is the father of Allie. Allie was adopted from Korea. Allie is raised to be a "traditional" southern girl. As Allie faces discrimination because of her birth,Coleman must come to grips with the traditions he holds dear. This was written in a clear voice, full of honesty, compassion and heart.
May 29, 2018
Outstanding novel. Warley knows what he writes about and writes it beautifully. It seemed like it was going to be a long novel, but it flowed so well and I couldn't put it down!! I do think you need to know a little about Charleston, SC, and must be willing to hang in there and see it to the end - it's wonderful and thoughtful and sensitive and I loved it!! Thank you, Jon Warley!! You and Pat Conroy are outstanding!! I've read all of his and now will read all of yours!!!
June 25, 2019
A Southern Girl is a beautifully written story of family, tradition, heritage, integrity, and the lengths to which a parent will go to support and protect a child. If you are from or live in the Charleston, SC area, you will have the added bonus of gaining added perspective into the workings of the city society itself! Savor the read!
May 26, 2020
I believe this was almost 2 books. I enjoyed the first 150 pages about the adoption of a Korean baby by a couple living in the South. This story was told from many different POV's and really held my interest. The remaining 230 something pages are all told from the father's POV which was very meandering and slow. Very disappointed.
March 6, 2025
An interesting plot but, like Jury of One, too detailed in some areas (beginning of the book) and scant in others (middle where he needed more development of his relationship with Allie). I also find his adjectives pompous. Seems like he’s trying to impress readers with his vocabulary (or that he’s a frequent thesaurus user) and it’s very distracting.
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