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My Sweet Vidalia
On July 4, 1955, in rural Georgia, an act of violence threatens the life of Vidalia Lee Kandal's pre-born daughter. Despite the direst of circumstances, the spirit of the lost child refuses to leave her ill-equipped young mother's side.
For as long as she is needed―through troubled pregnancies, through poverty, through spousal abuse and agonizing betrayals―Cieli Mae, the determined spirit child, narrates their journey. Serving as a safe place and sounding board for Vidalia's innermost thoughts and confusions, lending a strength to her momma's emerging voice, Cieli Mae provides her own special brand of comfort and encouragement, all the while honoring the restrictions imposed by her otherworldly status.
Vidalia finds further support in such unlikely townsfolk and relations as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and her Wild Women of God, and, most particularly, in Ruby Pearl Banks, the kind, courageous church lady, who has suffered her own share of heartache in their small Southern town of yesteryear's prejudices and presumptions.
My Sweet Vidalia is wise and witty, outstanding for its use of vibrant, poetic language and understated Southern dialect, as well as Mantella's clear-eyed observations of race relations as human relations, a cast of unforgettable characters, an in-depth exploration of the ties that bind, and its creative perspective. My Sweet Vidalia is a rare, wonderful, and complex look at hope, strength, the unparalleled power of unconditional love, and a young mother's refusal to give up.
For as long as she is needed―through troubled pregnancies, through poverty, through spousal abuse and agonizing betrayals―Cieli Mae, the determined spirit child, narrates their journey. Serving as a safe place and sounding board for Vidalia's innermost thoughts and confusions, lending a strength to her momma's emerging voice, Cieli Mae provides her own special brand of comfort and encouragement, all the while honoring the restrictions imposed by her otherworldly status.
Vidalia finds further support in such unlikely townsfolk and relations as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and her Wild Women of God, and, most particularly, in Ruby Pearl Banks, the kind, courageous church lady, who has suffered her own share of heartache in their small Southern town of yesteryear's prejudices and presumptions.
My Sweet Vidalia is wise and witty, outstanding for its use of vibrant, poetic language and understated Southern dialect, as well as Mantella's clear-eyed observations of race relations as human relations, a cast of unforgettable characters, an in-depth exploration of the ties that bind, and its creative perspective. My Sweet Vidalia is a rare, wonderful, and complex look at hope, strength, the unparalleled power of unconditional love, and a young mother's refusal to give up.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2015
3 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Mantella
1 book32 followersA transplant to the South, Deborah Mantella has lived and taught in various cities in the Northeast and the Midwest. Now a resident of Georgia, she lives outside Atlanta. My Sweet Vidalia is her debut novel.
A Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) TRIO selection for 2018, My Sweet Vidalia had been long-listed to the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize in the Prince of Tides literary category in 2016.
As a Deep South Magazine's 2015 Fall/Winter Reading List featured selection My Sweet Vidalia earned a spot on the Lady Banks' Bookshelf and was designated an OKRA 2016 Pick by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.
My Sweet Vidalia was also nominated for the Lillian Smith Book Award as sponsored by the Southern Regional Council, University of Georgia Libraries, DeKalb County Public Library/ Georgia Center for the Book and Piedmont College.
A Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) TRIO selection for 2018, My Sweet Vidalia had been long-listed to the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize in the Prince of Tides literary category in 2016.
As a Deep South Magazine's 2015 Fall/Winter Reading List featured selection My Sweet Vidalia earned a spot on the Lady Banks' Bookshelf and was designated an OKRA 2016 Pick by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.
My Sweet Vidalia was also nominated for the Lillian Smith Book Award as sponsored by the Southern Regional Council, University of Georgia Libraries, DeKalb County Public Library/ Georgia Center for the Book and Piedmont College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
April 4, 2017
Vidalia Kandal lives in rural Georgia in 1955 and becomes pregnant at seventeen. She drops out of high school at the end of her senior year and marries Jamerson “JB” Jackson. Vidalia was attracted to JB’s charm and attentiveness, but after living with him she sees his darker side. JB was always a controlling person and Vidalia finds he also uses physical abuse to dominate her.
Their relations morphs into a loveless marriage. During a bad episode that caused a miscarriage, Vidalia meets the “spirit” of her unborn child. Dubbed Cieli Mae, the spirit become the narrator of Vidalia’s life story.
Vidalia has no emotional support having been cut off from her parents since her wedding day. As time passes, Vidalia’s family grows and she is supporting two sets of twin boys. Through the years she copes with poverty, numerous miscarriages and unrelenting abuse. Vidalia eventually finds herself with a small community of friends that support her and provide her with the courage to survive.
This Southern fiction novel gives a glimpse of living during an era that included racial tensions and stereotypes. It is about resilience, charity and perseverance. I am looking forward to Deborah Mantella’s next novel.
3 signed copies being given away on my blog until 3/7 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...
Their relations morphs into a loveless marriage. During a bad episode that caused a miscarriage, Vidalia meets the “spirit” of her unborn child. Dubbed Cieli Mae, the spirit become the narrator of Vidalia’s life story.
Vidalia has no emotional support having been cut off from her parents since her wedding day. As time passes, Vidalia’s family grows and she is supporting two sets of twin boys. Through the years she copes with poverty, numerous miscarriages and unrelenting abuse. Vidalia eventually finds herself with a small community of friends that support her and provide her with the courage to survive.
This Southern fiction novel gives a glimpse of living during an era that included racial tensions and stereotypes. It is about resilience, charity and perseverance. I am looking forward to Deborah Mantella’s next novel.
3 signed copies being given away on my blog until 3/7 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...
October 27, 2016
My Sweet Vidalia was a pretty quick and heart breaking read. The book centers on Vidalia, who is married to JB. JB is not a nice person. He leaves his wife to rot and constantly abuses her, both physically and verbally. It broke my heart to read this book and see the way she was treated. What made it even worse was how sweet natured Vidalia herself was. And innocent. I don’t think a book has truly been able to show me the torn emotion between wanting to try and make an unhealthy marriage work out, and truly believing this is the norm for all marriages. This really opened my eyes to probably, how some women must really feel.
Not only does this book focus on Vidalia, but it does a wonderful job of portraying all the secondary characters in the novel. The author doesn’t leave a single one behind so that we soon get the insight into all of the secondary character’s backgrounds too. If they have encountered Vidalia in her history, we’re also shown their past time with the use of flashbacks. I loved the detail we got into all of the secondary characters, and the way they really made the story.
The most interesting secondary character of them all had to be Ruby. Ruby is a black woman who is in charge of her own home and garden. This is set in 1955, and crosses the time of the bombing of the church in which four little girls were killed in history. We also get to see a lot of Ruby’s life and history, especially towards the end of the novel. This allows the novel to touch upon the life of being black in America at the time, and the way they were treated. Again, this further broke my heart. Even though it isn’t the center of the story like Vidalia’s plot line was, it still emotionally caught me.
This is really a character driven novel as a lot of historical fiction tends to be, and I can’t stress that enough. If you’re looking for plot twists and action, you won’t find that here. But if you’re looking for a touching story about friends, family, and a journey into understanding what is good for you in life and the cost it might take you to get there, then this is the kind of novel for you.
Another aspect of this book that truly intrigued me was the point of view the novel was told from. Celia is an unborn child, and yet she is the one telling the story. In fact, she is an unborn child that is miscarried before she is able to come to life. Yet her ‘spirit,’ if I may call it that, watches over Vidalia – her mother – throughout the roughest period of her life. And therefore her voice is the one telling the story. I liked the unique point of view, and it never became too strange that I questioned the author’s choice or the story because of it. It simply fit perfectly. I liked it a lot.
All I can say is, that this book was really good. It’s emotional and beautifully written. It really does portray the message of the fact that in life, sometimes we deserve better than we are given. At times we can change this ourselves. At times we can’t. It’s so important to know the difference between the two.
Gif Summary:
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
Not only does this book focus on Vidalia, but it does a wonderful job of portraying all the secondary characters in the novel. The author doesn’t leave a single one behind so that we soon get the insight into all of the secondary character’s backgrounds too. If they have encountered Vidalia in her history, we’re also shown their past time with the use of flashbacks. I loved the detail we got into all of the secondary characters, and the way they really made the story.
The most interesting secondary character of them all had to be Ruby. Ruby is a black woman who is in charge of her own home and garden. This is set in 1955, and crosses the time of the bombing of the church in which four little girls were killed in history. We also get to see a lot of Ruby’s life and history, especially towards the end of the novel. This allows the novel to touch upon the life of being black in America at the time, and the way they were treated. Again, this further broke my heart. Even though it isn’t the center of the story like Vidalia’s plot line was, it still emotionally caught me.
This is really a character driven novel as a lot of historical fiction tends to be, and I can’t stress that enough. If you’re looking for plot twists and action, you won’t find that here. But if you’re looking for a touching story about friends, family, and a journey into understanding what is good for you in life and the cost it might take you to get there, then this is the kind of novel for you.
Another aspect of this book that truly intrigued me was the point of view the novel was told from. Celia is an unborn child, and yet she is the one telling the story. In fact, she is an unborn child that is miscarried before she is able to come to life. Yet her ‘spirit,’ if I may call it that, watches over Vidalia – her mother – throughout the roughest period of her life. And therefore her voice is the one telling the story. I liked the unique point of view, and it never became too strange that I questioned the author’s choice or the story because of it. It simply fit perfectly. I liked it a lot.
All I can say is, that this book was really good. It’s emotional and beautifully written. It really does portray the message of the fact that in life, sometimes we deserve better than we are given. At times we can change this ourselves. At times we can’t. It’s so important to know the difference between the two.
Gif Summary:
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
August 29, 2015
This is a lovely story set in Georgia. In the 1950s a young Vidalia miscarries but the child's spirit stays with her. As we get a glimpse of history through her young eyes we see civil rights movement help her life improve. I liked the story seen through the "angel" and Vidalia's point of view. A wonderful story.
September 16, 2015
"I cannot say what might have happened had I come unto Momma by way of more common channels – I can only tell of what did happen – because I did not." My Sweet Vidalia
In her memorable debut novel, My Sweet Vidalia, Deborah Mantella explores the supernatural symbiotic cord tethering mother and daughter. Set in 1955 rural Georgia, Mantella’s story has spirit-born child, Cieli Mae, narrate the turbulent life of her young mother, Vidalia Lee Kandal. Reading Mantella’s prose is a treat. Crafted sentences wring every ounce of emotion and homespun logic out of thoughts conveyed. As a Southerner, My Sweet Vidalia transported me into a South before my existence. To the life of an impoverished young woman trapped by raw domestic violence, racial strife and folks with impudent indifference to both. My mouth watered at Ruby Pearl Banks’ buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter and honey. I recoiled at prejudices so openly displayed; commonplace happenings because that’s just the way things are. Good-hearted small town comes alive in Vidalia’s benefactors such as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and the sisters of the Church of the Twelve Apostles. As Vidalia’s tale unfolds, the reader can’t help but root for her and her spirit-child guide to triumph over the lousy hand fate dealt them through the blows of her abuser, JB. My Sweet Vidalia is a magical gut-wrenching written tale of a blossoming steel magnolia and the old infant soul who shepherds – and goads – her mama’s emergence.
In her memorable debut novel, My Sweet Vidalia, Deborah Mantella explores the supernatural symbiotic cord tethering mother and daughter. Set in 1955 rural Georgia, Mantella’s story has spirit-born child, Cieli Mae, narrate the turbulent life of her young mother, Vidalia Lee Kandal. Reading Mantella’s prose is a treat. Crafted sentences wring every ounce of emotion and homespun logic out of thoughts conveyed. As a Southerner, My Sweet Vidalia transported me into a South before my existence. To the life of an impoverished young woman trapped by raw domestic violence, racial strife and folks with impudent indifference to both. My mouth watered at Ruby Pearl Banks’ buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter and honey. I recoiled at prejudices so openly displayed; commonplace happenings because that’s just the way things are. Good-hearted small town comes alive in Vidalia’s benefactors such as Doc Feldman, Gamma Gert and the sisters of the Church of the Twelve Apostles. As Vidalia’s tale unfolds, the reader can’t help but root for her and her spirit-child guide to triumph over the lousy hand fate dealt them through the blows of her abuser, JB. My Sweet Vidalia is a magical gut-wrenching written tale of a blossoming steel magnolia and the old infant soul who shepherds – and goads – her mama’s emergence.
February 15, 2016
Review: MY SWEET VIDALIA by Deborah Mantella
A poetic, lyrical, literary novel of the South prior to the Civil Rights Era, MY SWEET VIDALIA will surely be richly embraced by readers of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, as well as aficionados of oral history. Amazingly, the novel is first-person narrative, told by the stillborn daughter of Vidalia. As the newborn never breathed, she retained omniscience. She relates the story of a girl with a mind [reminiscent of the slogan "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"] who was tricked, impregnated, married to a player/domestic abuser who was, as is said in the South, "as sorry as the day is long."
A poetic, lyrical, literary novel of the South prior to the Civil Rights Era, MY SWEET VIDALIA will surely be richly embraced by readers of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, as well as aficionados of oral history. Amazingly, the novel is first-person narrative, told by the stillborn daughter of Vidalia. As the newborn never breathed, she retained omniscience. She relates the story of a girl with a mind [reminiscent of the slogan "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"] who was tricked, impregnated, married to a player/domestic abuser who was, as is said in the South, "as sorry as the day is long."
November 11, 2015
Full disclosure, I read this book earlier, but this time it's even better! Mantella manages to bring us into the lives of these unforgettable characters so completely that we don't mind being back in time - we barely notice the dusty hopelessness of Vidalia's life. We're too busy rooting for her, edging her away from her ranting, violent husband or straining to hear the voice of Cieli Mae as the spirit child whispers courage into her mother's ear. The author tugs a dark topic out from under the rug and handles it masterfully. She allows us to walk beside Vidalia, as, with a spark of hope, a sprinkling of humor, quick wit, and children in tow, she slogs through the quagmire of her life. A surprisingly hopeful and redemptive ending makes us grateful for the journey. Excellent!
November 16, 2015
Although Vidalia and Ciely Mae walk a hard, often heart-breaking, road to reach their happiness, their ultimate resolution is satisfying. Mantella's prose is perfectly suited to their story: lyrically philosophical, discovering humor in the darkest of places, and authentically southern throughout. The historical setting is well-captured, and the supporting cast, especially Ruby Pearl, are memorable. An inspiring look at the redeeming power of goodness in the face of evil.
February 5, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
I finished this book in a rush, because the ending just wouldn’t let me go, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. And I’m still thinking. And feeling.
This story should be depressing, and it sort of is. But it isn’t written that way. It’s written in the tone of a surprising kind of joy. Possibly because of that ending.
It’s also more than a bit out of the ordinary, mostly because of the narrator.
My Sweet Vidalia is told in the first-person singular, about the life of Vidalia Lee Kandal. The narrator telling the story is the spirit of her first, miscarried child. And Cieli Mae’s otherworldly perspective makes for a surprising and fascinating point of view.
Vidalia Lee, or Vida Lee, leads a life that would make any woman in the 21st century shudder. When the story begins in 1955 in rural Georgia, we are witnesses to Vida Lee’s shotgun marriage to Jamerson Booth (JB) Jackson. And it is obvious even at the wedding that one of Vida Lee’s parents should have fired the shotgun at JB instead of forcing him to marry Vida Lee.
Vida Lee is marrying JB because he seduced her and got her pregnant. And even though it takes two to tango, 17-year-old Vida Lee really didn’t know any better. And 25-year-old JB Jackson not only knew much better, but deliberately set out to befriend and seduce young Vida Lee to keep her out of school and possibly keep her from making a better life for herself.
His sin is the deliberate act of grooming her to be abused, and then beating and abusing her for the next ten years. JB has absolutely no redeeming qualities except his absence. And Cieli Mae is all too aware of it. She is merely the first of several children that JB beat Vida Lee into miscarrying.
But it’s 1955 in the rural South, and no one can stand up for Vida Lee if she isn’t willing to stand up for herself. (And possibly not even then) She’s too beaten down and too scared to stand up for herself after her parents cut her off the day of her wedding. She’s all alone except for Cieli Mae.
The support that gathers around her is always somewhat covert. The local doctor treats her injuries and gives her leftovers from his practice, his office and his house. It’s clear that he is making up for some sin or another, but we don’t find out what it was until the very end.
People in town provide enough charity for Vida Lee to keep the two sets of twins she manages to carry to term mostly fed and mostly clothed, while setting up situations so that she doesn’t quite have to feel guilty about taking charity. Her mother-in-law helps out as best she can, all the while making excuses for her son’s abominable behavior.
But when Vidalia Lee and Ruby Pearl Banks adopt each other, even over the strict color line in rural Georgia, Vidalia finally finds the strength within herself to fix her situation.
And her solution is every bit as unorthodox as her spirit narrator could have dreamed up.
Escape Rating B: The first three-quarters of the book detail Vida Lee’s life, and the portrait is sad and chilling. We all know that this sort of tragedy actually happened, and all too often. She’s trapped in an abusive marriage and no one could help her out. Her virtual abandonment by her own parents leaves her with nothing but the necessity of dealing with her abuser as best she can.
And she does. Vida Lee’s story is a portrait of strength and hope in extreme adversity, and it surprisingly works.
Cieli Mae is a fascinating narrator. While no one can see her except Vida Lee, she does affect the world around her in surprising ways. She is also not a child, but a person with a much broader perspective on life and the world that her background would normally give her. She knows that Vida Lee’s situation is all wrong, and that it’s possible that something could be done if she just stood up for herself, but Cieli Mae can’t make her mother listen. She can’t really offer that much advice. But she can suggest, and her suggestions sometimes carry a lot of weight.
There were times when I wondered if Cieli Mae wasn’t merely a projection of Vida Lee’s own mind, just her own inner voice made separate so that she could deal with her world. I don’t think it matters. If this is Vida Lee’s coping mechanism, she had so much to cope with that it isn’t an unreasonable response.
After all of the horrible things that happen to Vida Lee, the ending is incredibly satisfying. The reader understands completely why things work out the way that they do, and there’s definitely a sense of relief that Vida Lee has the possibility of a great life to look forwards to.
And if you’ve ever been in the situation where someone you have had less than happy experiences with has died, and you go to the funeral not to grieve but to make sure the person is really dead, you’ll love the ending.
I finished this book in a rush, because the ending just wouldn’t let me go, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. And I’m still thinking. And feeling.
This story should be depressing, and it sort of is. But it isn’t written that way. It’s written in the tone of a surprising kind of joy. Possibly because of that ending.
It’s also more than a bit out of the ordinary, mostly because of the narrator.
My Sweet Vidalia is told in the first-person singular, about the life of Vidalia Lee Kandal. The narrator telling the story is the spirit of her first, miscarried child. And Cieli Mae’s otherworldly perspective makes for a surprising and fascinating point of view.
Vidalia Lee, or Vida Lee, leads a life that would make any woman in the 21st century shudder. When the story begins in 1955 in rural Georgia, we are witnesses to Vida Lee’s shotgun marriage to Jamerson Booth (JB) Jackson. And it is obvious even at the wedding that one of Vida Lee’s parents should have fired the shotgun at JB instead of forcing him to marry Vida Lee.
Vida Lee is marrying JB because he seduced her and got her pregnant. And even though it takes two to tango, 17-year-old Vida Lee really didn’t know any better. And 25-year-old JB Jackson not only knew much better, but deliberately set out to befriend and seduce young Vida Lee to keep her out of school and possibly keep her from making a better life for herself.
His sin is the deliberate act of grooming her to be abused, and then beating and abusing her for the next ten years. JB has absolutely no redeeming qualities except his absence. And Cieli Mae is all too aware of it. She is merely the first of several children that JB beat Vida Lee into miscarrying.
But it’s 1955 in the rural South, and no one can stand up for Vida Lee if she isn’t willing to stand up for herself. (And possibly not even then) She’s too beaten down and too scared to stand up for herself after her parents cut her off the day of her wedding. She’s all alone except for Cieli Mae.
The support that gathers around her is always somewhat covert. The local doctor treats her injuries and gives her leftovers from his practice, his office and his house. It’s clear that he is making up for some sin or another, but we don’t find out what it was until the very end.
People in town provide enough charity for Vida Lee to keep the two sets of twins she manages to carry to term mostly fed and mostly clothed, while setting up situations so that she doesn’t quite have to feel guilty about taking charity. Her mother-in-law helps out as best she can, all the while making excuses for her son’s abominable behavior.
But when Vidalia Lee and Ruby Pearl Banks adopt each other, even over the strict color line in rural Georgia, Vidalia finally finds the strength within herself to fix her situation.
And her solution is every bit as unorthodox as her spirit narrator could have dreamed up.
Escape Rating B: The first three-quarters of the book detail Vida Lee’s life, and the portrait is sad and chilling. We all know that this sort of tragedy actually happened, and all too often. She’s trapped in an abusive marriage and no one could help her out. Her virtual abandonment by her own parents leaves her with nothing but the necessity of dealing with her abuser as best she can.
And she does. Vida Lee’s story is a portrait of strength and hope in extreme adversity, and it surprisingly works.
Cieli Mae is a fascinating narrator. While no one can see her except Vida Lee, she does affect the world around her in surprising ways. She is also not a child, but a person with a much broader perspective on life and the world that her background would normally give her. She knows that Vida Lee’s situation is all wrong, and that it’s possible that something could be done if she just stood up for herself, but Cieli Mae can’t make her mother listen. She can’t really offer that much advice. But she can suggest, and her suggestions sometimes carry a lot of weight.
There were times when I wondered if Cieli Mae wasn’t merely a projection of Vida Lee’s own mind, just her own inner voice made separate so that she could deal with her world. I don’t think it matters. If this is Vida Lee’s coping mechanism, she had so much to cope with that it isn’t an unreasonable response.
After all of the horrible things that happen to Vida Lee, the ending is incredibly satisfying. The reader understands completely why things work out the way that they do, and there’s definitely a sense of relief that Vida Lee has the possibility of a great life to look forwards to.
And if you’ve ever been in the situation where someone you have had less than happy experiences with has died, and you go to the funeral not to grieve but to make sure the person is really dead, you’ll love the ending.
February 11, 2016
Right off the bat I'm going to tell you I absolutely LOVED this book. It reminded me so much of one of my favorite books of all time, Televenge by Pamela King Cable because the main female characters are just so similar. They both marry young, desperately wanting children, and their husbands are alcoholic, abusive, and basically cause them to lose their babies and set them on a lifetime path of hardship and heartache. I knew I had to read this book when I learned that My Sweet Vidalia is told in the voice of Cieli Mae, Vidalia's first baby who she tragically loses after her husband decides he doesn't want to be a father after all. Some could say Vidalia kind of loses her mind because she begins to speak to Cieli Mae and use her as her confidant, though she's just a spirit now.
The story takes place in the deep south in the 50's, so you can imagine the racial tensions and the stereotypes already present. Add to that the tumultuous home life of Vidalia and those around her, and this book is a really fast read. I really could not put it down because I just wanted her to be OK, to find some kind of happiness despite the hand she's already been dealt. Another amazing thing is this is a DEBUT novel and I'm telling you right now, the writing style in this book is just really wonderful. It's sweet, it makes you feel you really are in the deep south and you just feel at home, and you feel like you are sitting across the table of a grown up Cieli Mae telling you about her life.
I can't hint to you at how it ends because the path all the way to the end is so damn great, even though it's awful, that it would really ruin it all for you. I will say that if you don't like to read about domestic violence, hostile prejudice, and things of that nature, maybe not the book for you. But if you can weather through those, I promise you this is a book that will stick with you. You'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you've finished.
I will share a special gem that I particularly enjoyed only because it reminded me of something my own parents would do. But at the very beginning of the book we learn Vidalia got pregnant by her high school sweetheart, JB, and so back then it was only natural for her to drop out and get married. At the wedding, JB is really spiking the punch with liquor and her father, who doesn't have anything of real value to offer her as she sets upon her new life, quietly hands her a gun "just in case". It's not funny and you shouldn't laugh, but picturing this happening at a quiet wedding, with a pregnant bride, and an already drunk husband... it's kind of uncomfortably funny. As if her dad knew exactly what her fate would end up being.
The story takes place in the deep south in the 50's, so you can imagine the racial tensions and the stereotypes already present. Add to that the tumultuous home life of Vidalia and those around her, and this book is a really fast read. I really could not put it down because I just wanted her to be OK, to find some kind of happiness despite the hand she's already been dealt. Another amazing thing is this is a DEBUT novel and I'm telling you right now, the writing style in this book is just really wonderful. It's sweet, it makes you feel you really are in the deep south and you just feel at home, and you feel like you are sitting across the table of a grown up Cieli Mae telling you about her life.
I can't hint to you at how it ends because the path all the way to the end is so damn great, even though it's awful, that it would really ruin it all for you. I will say that if you don't like to read about domestic violence, hostile prejudice, and things of that nature, maybe not the book for you. But if you can weather through those, I promise you this is a book that will stick with you. You'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you've finished.
I will share a special gem that I particularly enjoyed only because it reminded me of something my own parents would do. But at the very beginning of the book we learn Vidalia got pregnant by her high school sweetheart, JB, and so back then it was only natural for her to drop out and get married. At the wedding, JB is really spiking the punch with liquor and her father, who doesn't have anything of real value to offer her as she sets upon her new life, quietly hands her a gun "just in case". It's not funny and you shouldn't laugh, but picturing this happening at a quiet wedding, with a pregnant bride, and an already drunk husband... it's kind of uncomfortably funny. As if her dad knew exactly what her fate would end up being.
May 11, 2017
The story plays in 1955 and revolves around Vidalia, who is married to JB. Vidalia doesn't live an easy life as her husband is rather selfish and doesn't care about Vidalia nor their children. JB is constantly threatening and abusing his wife, wether it is physically or emotionally.
The really interesting thing about this book is the narrator's point of view. Cieli Mae, Vidalia's unborn daughter is narrating her mother's life. Cieli's spirit stays with Vidalia throughout the whole story and she helps guiding her mother through the harder times, and they enjoy the better days together. No one else is able to see Cieli Mae except for Vidalia. Only Ruby Pearl Banks manages to sense the spirit's presence a couple of times.
I like to think about Cieli Mae as guardian angel. Some might call Vidalia crazy, but talking to her unborn daughter is just what she needed to pull through the trauma of losing her daughter. This spirit also helped her with keeping her children away from JB's harm and in the end gave her the courage she needed to overcome this abusive marriage.
The story mainly focuses on Vidalia but we also get to know enough about all the "side" characters. The author takes the reader back in time a couple of times to get to know the background of said characters. They are all just as much part of the story as Vidalia and Cieli Mae.
One of the secondary characters that plays a significant role is Ruby Pearl Banks, a black woman. She pratically adopts Vidalia and her boys and helps them whenever needed. I love how the book touches on the way black people were threatened back then in America.
The ending left me thinking though. I'm still not quite sure what to think about it. On the one hand my heart bursted with joy to finally see Vidalia taking the reigns. But on the other hand I felt like the ending was too rushed and too many things happened in a short amount of time. I would've liked the ending of the book to be a bit longer so I could've appreciated every single element on its own.
The book is sad and made me very emotional. It's a beautiful, character driven story that taught me important things. Like how it isn't easy to get out of an abuse relationship, even though you know you deserve better. And that no one can quite convince you other than yourself. Always keep your own value in mind.
The really interesting thing about this book is the narrator's point of view. Cieli Mae, Vidalia's unborn daughter is narrating her mother's life. Cieli's spirit stays with Vidalia throughout the whole story and she helps guiding her mother through the harder times, and they enjoy the better days together. No one else is able to see Cieli Mae except for Vidalia. Only Ruby Pearl Banks manages to sense the spirit's presence a couple of times.
I like to think about Cieli Mae as guardian angel. Some might call Vidalia crazy, but talking to her unborn daughter is just what she needed to pull through the trauma of losing her daughter. This spirit also helped her with keeping her children away from JB's harm and in the end gave her the courage she needed to overcome this abusive marriage.
The story mainly focuses on Vidalia but we also get to know enough about all the "side" characters. The author takes the reader back in time a couple of times to get to know the background of said characters. They are all just as much part of the story as Vidalia and Cieli Mae.
One of the secondary characters that plays a significant role is Ruby Pearl Banks, a black woman. She pratically adopts Vidalia and her boys and helps them whenever needed. I love how the book touches on the way black people were threatened back then in America.
The ending left me thinking though. I'm still not quite sure what to think about it. On the one hand my heart bursted with joy to finally see Vidalia taking the reigns. But on the other hand I felt like the ending was too rushed and too many things happened in a short amount of time. I would've liked the ending of the book to be a bit longer so I could've appreciated every single element on its own.
The book is sad and made me very emotional. It's a beautiful, character driven story that taught me important things. Like how it isn't easy to get out of an abuse relationship, even though you know you deserve better. And that no one can quite convince you other than yourself. Always keep your own value in mind.
February 4, 2016
The baby narrates. The baby, Cieli May, who was stillborn because her father brutally beat her mother, seventeen-year-old Vidalie Lee Kandal Jackson. Cieli May says, “Doc placed my body oh-so-gently upon my Vidalia’s emptied belly, and my spirit melded with hers. We’d been upended, but not undone.” Cieli May’s spirit stayed with Vidalia, initially comforting her, and then gently guiding her through life’s ups and downs. What happened to make Jamerson (JB) Jackson so brutal? Vidalia refers to his mom as Gamma Gert, who raised him on her own. She, lovingly but wrongly, made excuses for him time after time giving him an expectation that the world owed him. And, so Gamma Gert, excusing him yet again said, “My boy didn’t mean nothin’. He just don’t know his strength is all.”
This took place in the mid-fifties in impoverished rural Georgia. It was thought-provoking but an emotionally hard story to read. My heart went out to Vidalia and to the spirit of her dead baby daughter. But, Vidalia endeavors to keep going with the help of some unlikely people. Although Gamma Gert seems blind to her boy’s actions, she’s also loving to Vidalia and helps her return to health. Vidalia eventually gives birth to two sets of twins, for which Cieli May helps her to watch over. The southern dialect was charming and the culture and characters were true-to-life. Deborah Mantella has created a very engaging debut. Rating: 4 out of 5.
This took place in the mid-fifties in impoverished rural Georgia. It was thought-provoking but an emotionally hard story to read. My heart went out to Vidalia and to the spirit of her dead baby daughter. But, Vidalia endeavors to keep going with the help of some unlikely people. Although Gamma Gert seems blind to her boy’s actions, she’s also loving to Vidalia and helps her return to health. Vidalia eventually gives birth to two sets of twins, for which Cieli May helps her to watch over. The southern dialect was charming and the culture and characters were true-to-life. Deborah Mantella has created a very engaging debut. Rating: 4 out of 5.
June 22, 2017
Imagine having a spirit to guide you, support you, and love you unconditionally, especially during desperate times. Vidalia Jackson, is a young battered wife and mother, destitute and ill-equipped to survive the hand she's been dealt. After a violent act, Vidalia loses her first-born, Cieli Mae, but Cieli Mae remains at her mother's side, as her spirit-child, providing comfort and wisdom, privy to her momma's innermost thoughts. The story is narrated by Cieli Mae, in beautiful language evocative of the 50's and rich in the southern dialect of rural Georgia. Told with love and heart, this is an amazing book about resiliency and hope, even under the most dire of circumstances. The characters in this book are endearing, original, and unforgettable. I love stories that are transformative and uplifting; books that feature a character who is broken or suffering, and watching that character overcome life's tragedies and disappointments; this book is an outstanding example of that, and I loved every word, felt every emotion, and was enchanted by its characters.
August 30, 2015
My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella is, in a word, captivating. This debut novel tells the story of Vidalia Lee Kandal, a young Georgia woman in the 1950’s, through the eyes of the spirit of her daughter, Cieli Mae. As Vidalia traverses the challenges of her life: multiple pregnancies, miscarriages, spousal abuse, and poverty, spirit child Cieli Mae is Vidalia’s invisible companion. She nudges, encourages, and guides her momma Vidalia toward becoming the woman she was meant to be.
Mantella’s prose is gorgeous. Her sentences sing. With beautiful artistry she weaves a tale both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, culminating in an exciting, satisfying conclusion and an epilogue that left me in tears. This stirring novel about the transcendent bond between a mother and her daughter is not to be missed!
www.brendalowder.com
Mantella’s prose is gorgeous. Her sentences sing. With beautiful artistry she weaves a tale both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, culminating in an exciting, satisfying conclusion and an epilogue that left me in tears. This stirring novel about the transcendent bond between a mother and her daughter is not to be missed!
www.brendalowder.com
August 24, 2015
*review to come in October issue of Buckhaven Lifestyle magazine*
September 14, 2019
A heartfelt journey! This book follows Vidalia through brutal life struggles. While reading it, I felt many emotions along with her, including betrayal, hurt, anger, desperate hope, determination, and triumph. There are a lot of books that follow the stories of abused women living in poverty, but this book is unique because of its viewpoint. The story is told from the point of view of Vidalia's lost baby girl; the child's spirit stays with her mother to help, support, and love her through the ups and mostly downs of her life. Along the way, the two of them receive support and care from unexpected members of their community as well. There are a few unexpected twists that keep the story interesting. Overall this was an enjoyable book, and I hope to read more from this author!
May 8, 2017
Kudos to Deborah Mantella on her amazing and descriptive storytelling in "My Sweet Vidalia" by Deborah Mantella. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
This is a most unusual and intriguing novel. The genres for this book are Fiction, Women's Fiction and also has a Magical and Paranormal feel to it.
The story takes place in rural Georgia around 1955. In this book, the story is narrated by Cieli Mae, a baby that was still born to Vidalia Lee Kandal Jackson. Vidalia's husband caused her to lose the baby through violent means. Cieli Mae survives in spirit and serves as a guide, conscience,support system, and storytelling of Vidalia .
These were hard times and there was poverty and discrimination. The descriptions of the trailer park, and the lack of conveniences were heartbreaking.
I find that the author describes the characters as complex and complicated. There seems to be a contrast in good and evil. Some of the characters have deep secrets. There is betrayal and loyalty.
I appreciate the way the author describes family, friends, love and hope. To quote the author, the spirit always has a choice.". I would highly recommend this amazing novel told in a different perspective. I look forward to reading more from Deborah Mantella.
This is a most unusual and intriguing novel. The genres for this book are Fiction, Women's Fiction and also has a Magical and Paranormal feel to it.
The story takes place in rural Georgia around 1955. In this book, the story is narrated by Cieli Mae, a baby that was still born to Vidalia Lee Kandal Jackson. Vidalia's husband caused her to lose the baby through violent means. Cieli Mae survives in spirit and serves as a guide, conscience,support system, and storytelling of Vidalia .
These were hard times and there was poverty and discrimination. The descriptions of the trailer park, and the lack of conveniences were heartbreaking.
I find that the author describes the characters as complex and complicated. There seems to be a contrast in good and evil. Some of the characters have deep secrets. There is betrayal and loyalty.
I appreciate the way the author describes family, friends, love and hope. To quote the author, the spirit always has a choice.". I would highly recommend this amazing novel told in a different perspective. I look forward to reading more from Deborah Mantella.
November 11, 2015
A great first novel! Written by a different perspective but very interesting! Loved how it ended!
February 6, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella is the story of a young woman in the 1950s American South who overcomes considerable hardship and discovers her own inner strength. Vidalia gets pregnant while in high school and has a shotgun wedding. Unfortunately, her new husband is a terrible person and abuses her to the point that she miscarries her pregnancy. The spirit of the daughter that Vidalia never had narrates the story, providing comfort to Vidalia when it seems like she’s alone in the world.
Leo Tolstoy opened Anna Karenina with the line, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” While I wish that there was more happiness in this novel, I was struck by the depth of the stories of each of the characters and families that touch Vidalia’s life. The town in which she lives is inhabited by many broken families, each of which gradually finds healing as the story progresses. For example, Vidalia’s own parents started their relationship with hardship; her mother was pregnant, and married a man whose genitals had been injured and who could no longer have children. Her parents’ relationship was tenuous at best, and Vidalia grew up in a house where certain things just weren’t talked about. Another example is Ruby Pearl, a black woman whom Vidalia and her children befriend. Ruby once had a happy family, but her family fell victim to racist violence. And yet despite her own problems, Ruby becomes Vidalia’s closest friend and offers her more support than any living person ever has.
My Sweet Vidalia is incredibly well-written. Mantella uses Southern dialect in a way that feels authentic, but without sacrificing readability. Her use of language is almost poetic, and you feel as if you can truly hear the characters’ voices and personalities. They spring to life off of the pages.
While My Sweet Vidalia had many strengths, it ultimately wasn’t for me. Even though the story progresses toward Vidalia’s empowerment, for much of the book she is beaten down to the point that she doesn’t believe in her own inner strength, and there were many scenes where she faced cruelty that made my stomach churn. The subject matter made the story incredibly difficult to read on an emotional level. It’s hella depressing. It’s so depressing that it made me borrow slang from the West Coast to adequately describe how depressing it is! I’m more of an escapist reader, and this was a little too real for me.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella is the story of a young woman in the 1950s American South who overcomes considerable hardship and discovers her own inner strength. Vidalia gets pregnant while in high school and has a shotgun wedding. Unfortunately, her new husband is a terrible person and abuses her to the point that she miscarries her pregnancy. The spirit of the daughter that Vidalia never had narrates the story, providing comfort to Vidalia when it seems like she’s alone in the world.
Leo Tolstoy opened Anna Karenina with the line, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” While I wish that there was more happiness in this novel, I was struck by the depth of the stories of each of the characters and families that touch Vidalia’s life. The town in which she lives is inhabited by many broken families, each of which gradually finds healing as the story progresses. For example, Vidalia’s own parents started their relationship with hardship; her mother was pregnant, and married a man whose genitals had been injured and who could no longer have children. Her parents’ relationship was tenuous at best, and Vidalia grew up in a house where certain things just weren’t talked about. Another example is Ruby Pearl, a black woman whom Vidalia and her children befriend. Ruby once had a happy family, but her family fell victim to racist violence. And yet despite her own problems, Ruby becomes Vidalia’s closest friend and offers her more support than any living person ever has.
My Sweet Vidalia is incredibly well-written. Mantella uses Southern dialect in a way that feels authentic, but without sacrificing readability. Her use of language is almost poetic, and you feel as if you can truly hear the characters’ voices and personalities. They spring to life off of the pages.
While My Sweet Vidalia had many strengths, it ultimately wasn’t for me. Even though the story progresses toward Vidalia’s empowerment, for much of the book she is beaten down to the point that she doesn’t believe in her own inner strength, and there were many scenes where she faced cruelty that made my stomach churn. The subject matter made the story incredibly difficult to read on an emotional level. It’s hella depressing. It’s so depressing that it made me borrow slang from the West Coast to adequately describe how depressing it is! I’m more of an escapist reader, and this was a little too real for me.
February 18, 2020
MY SWEET VIDALIA by Deborah Mantella is a beautifully-written and heart-wrenching story of family, friendship and unconditional love. Set in rural Georgia in the mid-1950s, this emotional story drew me straight into the life of Vidalia Lee, a lonely seventeen-year-old who falls prey to a charismatic but manipulative man with only bad intentions toward her. Soon she finds herself pregnant, then married, to this abusive alcoholic and living in poverty with little support except for the exceptional kindness of a small group of unlikely characters in her community. As a result of a terrible act of violence, Vidalia’s first child, Cieli Mae is stillborn, but Cieli Mae’s spirit stays with Vidalia and gives her guidance and comfort as she endures pregnancies and miscarriages, the birth of two sets of twins and unrelenting abuse and betrayal by her husband. In a unique and original way, the entire story is narrated by Cieli Mae, who shares with the reader Vidalia’s innermost thoughts and feelings. The writing is evocative and lyrical and the voices are perfectly authentic to the South during this time period. The characters are so wonderfully-portrayed that I felt like I knew them personally. While the story touches on serious issues of poverty, abuse and racial inequality, it is also a study of resilience and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity. I will not soon forget this beautiful story of a mother’s love and a woman’s emergence from darkness to shine on all around her. I highly recommend this compelling and thought-provoking book!
November 16, 2015
My Sweet Vidalia opens with short, powerful jabs of character and never lets up. From the moment father-of-the-bride Clyde Royce Kandal notices his new son-in-law pouring two quarts of white lightning into the Kool Aid wedding punch and responds by quietly slipping a short-barreled pistol into the bride’s hand, I knew more about those characters than so few words warranted. When the teenaged Vidalia just as quietly slides the pistol, “her only dowry of sorts, into the side pocket of her borrowed wedding smock” I knew I had to follow these people through whatever dark doings were simmering.
Mid-Twentieth Century rural Georgia is fertile ground for villains steeped in ignorance and prone to violence, but in Mantella’s hands it also raises up heroines like the Wild Women of God at the River of Hope Springs Eternal Church and Pool Hall. Unexpected friends, from ex-Suffragette Pickett Dandy to strong and ever-so-wise Ruby Pearl Banks who was widowed by a lynching, join forces to help Vidalia stand up to the most evil literary character I’ve run across since Blue Duck in Lonesome Dove. The staunchest help springs from the most ethereal of characters, Cieli Mae, Vidalia’s spirit child who also narrates the events with unexpected wit, even hilarity. Don’t miss this one!
Mid-Twentieth Century rural Georgia is fertile ground for villains steeped in ignorance and prone to violence, but in Mantella’s hands it also raises up heroines like the Wild Women of God at the River of Hope Springs Eternal Church and Pool Hall. Unexpected friends, from ex-Suffragette Pickett Dandy to strong and ever-so-wise Ruby Pearl Banks who was widowed by a lynching, join forces to help Vidalia stand up to the most evil literary character I’ve run across since Blue Duck in Lonesome Dove. The staunchest help springs from the most ethereal of characters, Cieli Mae, Vidalia’s spirit child who also narrates the events with unexpected wit, even hilarity. Don’t miss this one!
October 31, 2015
www.litwitwineanddine.com
Thanks to Turner Publishing Company via Edelweiss for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I learned that this book was told from the perspective of a baby that never drew breath but stayed by her mother's side to help tell her story, I was pretty intrigued. It's certainly a unique perspective and my initial reaction was that perhaps it might be something like The Lovely Bones. It was not. This is neither good nor bad. It's simply written in another style all together. While the book was a very fast read and had some interesting plot twists, I felt that overall it was just okay. Though the characters were vividly drawn, I found that they were somewhat stereotyped and lacked some of the subtle nuances which may have rendered them a bit more believable/realistic. Though I'm unable to give this book an overwhelmingly positive review, I do think it was a solid first novel. I appreciated the author's writing style enough that I would read her next work.
Thanks to Turner Publishing Company via Edelweiss for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I learned that this book was told from the perspective of a baby that never drew breath but stayed by her mother's side to help tell her story, I was pretty intrigued. It's certainly a unique perspective and my initial reaction was that perhaps it might be something like The Lovely Bones. It was not. This is neither good nor bad. It's simply written in another style all together. While the book was a very fast read and had some interesting plot twists, I felt that overall it was just okay. Though the characters were vividly drawn, I found that they were somewhat stereotyped and lacked some of the subtle nuances which may have rendered them a bit more believable/realistic. Though I'm unable to give this book an overwhelmingly positive review, I do think it was a solid first novel. I appreciated the author's writing style enough that I would read her next work.
April 3, 2016
This is a book worth more than a five-star review. I’m not going to rehash “a telling” of the plot of Deborah Mantella’s novel, My Sweet Vidalia, because each individual reader will take away something wonderful and profound, and I don’t want to spoil the special instant when they find that all-encompassing and universal feeling of: Oh, do I get that! Instead, I’d like to say what Mantella accomplishes as an author. She succeeds in pulling off a difficult way of narrating the story by using the spirit child. Mantella gives us a true-to-life setting etched in every color of grief with believable characters and carries the threads of all of their lives throughout the novel to tie them up in a credible end knot. One last comment: I am not fond of eye dialect, and had difficulty reading Roots because of it, but even this, Mantella achieves without interrupting the flow of her scintillating prose. Brava!
February 13, 2016
This book was interesting taking place in the late 50's early 60's in the deep south. A woman Vidalia has a shotgun wedding to JB and her life becomes a mess. JB doesn't want children and he's very abusive. After beating her she has a still born child a baby girl. Vidalia continues to become pregnant and loses her children because of JB's abuse but eventually she does have 2 sets of twins both boys.
She still has to tolerate JB's drinking problems, his inability to hold a job and his abuse. What makes this story different is the story is told by her first still born baby girl who is with Vidalia in spirit form.
There are a few turns in the book which was not foreseen. The book is told through the old south dialect, it makes the book more folksy and original. In the end the book has a hopeful ending for Vidalia and her still born daughter eventually goes forward to her rightful place in heaven.
She still has to tolerate JB's drinking problems, his inability to hold a job and his abuse. What makes this story different is the story is told by her first still born baby girl who is with Vidalia in spirit form.
There are a few turns in the book which was not foreseen. The book is told through the old south dialect, it makes the book more folksy and original. In the end the book has a hopeful ending for Vidalia and her still born daughter eventually goes forward to her rightful place in heaven.
July 11, 2016
From the very first page, I loved this novel, set in rural Georgia, 1955. The writing was wonderful, there are characters we can all relate to, both good and bad, you know the adage, we all know someone like that. The premise is interesting with the narrator the voice of a spirit child, yet it is not maudlin. This book is about love, resilience, vengeance, family secrets, innocence lost, the cycle of domestic abuse, hope, a touch of race relations in the South and more. I highly recommend this outstanding debut novel, for both its beautiful storytelling, wonderful sentences to reflect upon and character development! True Southern grit.
October 30, 2015
When I read the opening I had doubts as I wasn't sure I liked the whole idea of a spirit or angel telling a story. The characters grab you tho and pull you right in. The characters are rich in depth and you come to love them. JB is about the most evil useless person I have ever met in a book. Vidalia is the purest and most loving of human beings. A wonderful mother who believes in the best of those she encounters. It is a good read and I look for the next offering of this new author,
July 28, 2020
An emotionally charged story about a young woman in 1950's Georgia. Married to an abusive man and isolated away from her family. I loved the spirit child. The baby she lost in a miscarriage that remains and guides her. I loved the other characters who also have a story to be told. Southern fiction that deals with the time setting and racial tension. This was beautiful and poetic.
Dawnny
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
Dawnny
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
January 28, 2020
This book...what can I say? It takes your breath away. Vidalia is a woman who triumphs through circumstances too many women have had to endure. Her guide through life is a surprising character, one unlike any other character in any other book.
This page turner kept me up all night until it was finished. And left me filled with hope and love for the characters.
This page turner kept me up all night until it was finished. And left me filled with hope and love for the characters.
November 14, 2015
This book is so sad and a bit depressing, but it is also a very good story. Written from a unique perpective the story held my intrest until the end. If you want to read something different, this is the book for you!
September 18, 2017
Beautifully written first novel that tears at your heartstrings. Written from an interesting perspective and voice. A keeper on my bookshelf.
November 14, 2015
Deb Mantella is a beautiful,descriptive writer. Really enjoyed this book!
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