The Gillespie County Fair

by Marc Hess

AMAZON BESTSELLER IN SOUTHERN FICTION
The Gentrification of Rural Texas
The Gillespie County Fair, the oldest fair in Texas, looms insistently over the shoulder of Marc Hess's new novel. As rampant land development and tourist money begin to transform the old German farming community of Fredericksburg, two intermarried pioneer families lock in a life-and-death struggle over the sale of their homestead. Their vicious feud in an otherwise harmonious and bucolic community leads to the demise of two pioneer families and culminates in the triumph of one hard-headed, young girl.
This book delves into the clash of new wealth and ingrained poverty as rural Texas grapples with a changing world. In a short period of time, the town of Fredericksburg has morphed from a rock-rimmed farming community into the chic tourist destination that it is today. While the town itself has blossomed, this is the story about a family that destroys itself.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

216 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2019

About the author

Marc Hess has lived in Fredericksburg long enough to see the venerable and rock-rimmed German farming community morph into the chic, new-age tourist destination that it is today. Steeped in a career of magazine publishing and travel writing, Marc is the founding publisher of The Insider’s Guide To The Texas Hills and has raised his family among the Germans who cling tightly to the beauty of their heritage. Marc currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Writer’s League of Texas.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gillespie County Fair by Marc Hess is a 2019 Greenleaf Group Press publication.

I was super excited about my invitation to read this book. As everyone knows by now, I live in Texas and like to support local authors if I can. I was also intrigued by the setting, which is in one of my favorite places to visit- Fredericksburg, Texas!! So, I was really looking forward to reading this one.


Unfortunately, I don’t do well with large casts of characters, and this book was overflowing with them. I felt lost for a long time, but eventually, I began to catch on, and make the connections between the characters, who are related in some form or other.

The annual Gillespie County Fair is the catalyst, the big event that will bring all the key characters together. The buildup is like watching a troubling storm cloud slowly building, becoming more ominous as the story continues. It’s a bit like a cold front meeting warm air, as the past and the town’s original German settlement, battles against the upscale tourist attraction that is quickly taking over.



While this was a story I struggled with and forced myself to finish, if I’m being honest, there were some absorbing moments when a few family secrets were revealed. The Fair, however, is not a big part of the story, sadly. If I can find some non-fiction material about the fair, I think that would be an interesting topic since it is the oldest county fair in Texas.


That leaves me on the fence about how to rate this book. It wasn’t really what I was expecting, I had a hard time staying interested and keeping up with all the characters, was disappointed that the Fair didn’t get much of mention, but I did enjoy some of the family drama. The juxtaposition between the past traditions of the town and unstoppable changes taking place is poignant and bittersweet. The last time I was there I could still sense the authentic German heritage, but yes, the shops, OktoberFest, and other events, make this a charming place to visit and spend the day sampling German beer and food, or touring wineries, and visiting the various shops and museums.

I think the author did a good job of exploring this topic, so although I’m still feeling a bit conflicted, I’m going to go with 3 stars.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Geische and Hilss families are of German decent, they live in Fredericksburg, Texas, they have intermarried and this created tension between them. Carel Geische wants to develop some land and for a subdivision, he borrows too much money from the bank, uses other people's property as collateral, and his entire empire is about to crumble.

With so many charters, marriages, divorces, parents, children and step-children it was hard to keep track of what part they played in the story and I can understand why some people stopped reading the book. The Gillespie County Fair is held once a year, it’s the place to be if you live in the small farming community and I thought the narrative would be based around this. But it’s not the case at all and the title of the book is very misleading.

I received a copy of The Gillespie County Fair by Marc Hess from NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group in exchange for an honest review. I felt sympathy and empathy for two characters, Mari Hilss and Willow Geische. Mari is Carel’s ex-wife and Willow is his daughter, and both are emotionally damaged by him. Two stars from me, what an odd story and maybe I just didn't get it?
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gillespie County Fair is an interesting story of the demise of the old ways, customs and structure of a long standing way of traditional rural living. Conversely, the story is also about the rise of a new set of customs and beliefs that will now be structured into a completely new and different way of living. The characters are an ensemble of two intermarried families, thus tied to each other regardless of their feelings or convictions about the situation they live in every day. The tension is palpable yet subtle. I felt such a great sadness for all of these characters. Destroyed by forces beyond their control, which changes everything about everything forever. Honestly, it's profoundly heartbreaking when you come to understand the ramifications for these families.  The story is definitely contemplative and disheartening.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Bookishfirst for this win. This was a very difficult book for me to read. Because of all the characters I continuously found myself lost and had to backtrack to remind myself who was who and their relationship to each other. The story takes place in Texas in an old German farming community There is an ongoing feud about purchasing and developing land for a subdivision. Money is a major theme and as the saying goes “money is the root of all evil”. I thought the town of Fredericksburg was charming and its residents interesting but somewhat sad. There is a lot of scheming and lying in the story as families struggled to keep their homesteads. I didn’t care for the “cutting” part. I thought this story was pretty down to earth but I can understand why reviewers may put it aside.

[Kate Vocke (bookapotamus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the premise of this one - several characters, natives to this Texas town, coming together for a huge county fair, while their hometown is slowly becoming more touristy and the lives they've always known of quiet country farming is disappearing. All of them have their issues, some are coming back after years, some can't wait to get away. Isn't that how all small towns are?!

There's a lot of background history here for a lot of characters - that all builds up to getting together at the county fair. And in more ways than one, almost every person is intertwined either by blood, friendship, children or love. I wished there was more of the fair though - I never really felt like I was "there". I definitely thought there would be more, but for some reason it was a very quick chapter. Its a lot of build up before, and the aftermath. I also kind of had trouble keeping track of so many characters. There were a TON of names thrown in in the very first chapter, and I felt a little bit lost until about 3/4 through. When I finally knew who everyone was- the book was over.

BUT the characters all had BIG personalities and I really liked them all - even the unlikeable ones! The story was really interesting ad kept me entertained, but I wish it had been more slowly told, so I could absorb everything a little better.

A really interesting piece of southern fiction that follows some really enjoyable characters trying to accept their Texas hometown changing as gentrification and tourism take over.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Bookishfirst.com and Greenleaf Book Press for this ARC.

Unfortunately, I can't give this book more than 2 stars. What a waste of my valuable reading time.

This book title totally threw me off. I thought (yes, even after reading the plot) before I wrote the first impression, that it would be about The Gillespie (Texas) State Fair in Fredericksburg. That also threw me off since there's a Fredericksburg, VA, but I knew it wasn't that one! The characters were all related in some way and the first half of the book was all about real estate and getting back land. I was thinking when are we going to get to the fair? I almost gave up on this book at page 50 but decided to go on and keep reading hoping it would get better and get to the fair which it finally did almost at the end.

The characters were a mish mosh and I couldn't keep them straight and who was related to who and who were just friends.

The ending was just weird considering she was a sort of minor character to me.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

I really wanted to like this one. I tried to give it a pretty fair shake. Ultimately though, it felt like too much being crammed into too short of a story, there were too many things that were just left at a drop off and not explored fully. While I enjoyed bits and pieces, as a whole I didn't feel very moved.

There were quite a few characters, all of whom were interlaced in ways that got a little muddy due to the fast push of the plot. Had things been slowed down and really dug into, I think they would have felt more dynamic and less confusing. As it was, I had a hard time really liking any of the characters, which made things a bit worse for me. They all seemed horribly self-centered, childish, and disastrous. There wasn't anyone for me to root for.

The narrative itself got hung up for me far too often in the interjections of German words I don't understand. This was just the addition of a bit of extra frustration and something that stalled an already challenged plot. Just as I was starting to become interested in things that were going on and feeling that I could overlook those foreign language moments, the book took a turn and abruptly ended. That ending took a wide arc to the side and nearly started a new story while leaving so much unraveled behind it. I didn't like how disjointed things ultimately felt.

While there were some good things in the bones of this story and the writing was decent, I just couldn't get behind the characters or the plot. I was just left feeling terribly underwhelmed.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads Kindle Copy Win

Centers around a Texas Fair and it struggle to survive. It is the behind scene look of life of a small community as it tried to survive over time. The history significance to the present is wrapped up in the characters as they move from one generation to the next.

Somewhat uncensored at times, it has potential to be more.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story line so real you'll recognize the towns and businesses where the characters spend their time. Characters so real you'll wonder if Marc Hess is writing about your ancestors. Together they make a book so good you'll read it more than once.

[Rebecca Reeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to the advanced reader's copy of Gillespie County Fair. I had been wondering if this would be an updated, Texas wine country setting for something like the old 'Dallas' television series? The mix of small-town politics as well the exchanging of ex-spouses to form new small-town families could be quite a volatile mix. Then add in the fuel that comes with the possibility of becoming nouveau riche with this specific area's real estate boom, and it seems like there could be quite a story. When the story opens with Carel worried about pulling on his expensive boots rather than fighting the fire, I knew he was going to be a villain of sorts. The animosity is understandable that Carel's daughter Willow feels since she sees her mother struggling to keep the two of them going while her dad lives in the proverbial McMansion with a ready-made family provided by Dad's less-than-classy second wife. I think this basic story arc could be developed into a stage play and/or a televisions series. However, as much as I wanted to like the book itself, there were too many times where the characters' actions did not seem consistent to me. Would Willow really provide that drastic ending (no details provided to avoid a spoiler alert)? If Carel and his second-wife have such hot chemistry then how does it unravel so quickly in under 200 pages? And what about Willow's "almost sexual" hug to Thea on page 56? That description seemed to lay the groundwork for an important plot twist - but nothing followed. Something was missing;I am not sure that I have accurately pinpointed my description, but at this time I rate it as 3 out of 5 stars. This is my honest review in exchange for an ARC. Thank you Bookish for the opportunity to read this.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Gillespie County Fair is... I don't know what. I'm at a loss, and utterly confused as to the point of it all. I read the first 50 or so pages, thinking it had to get better. Some sort of cohesive story had to emerge, eventually. When that didn't happen, I got restless and irritated, and I started skimming. And then, halfway through, I gave up.

Is there a story here? I don't know. What I read was a whole lot of misery and drama, none of which seemed to have a point. It was like a really bad soap opera about a group of dysfunctional people. And those people aren't likable or even tolerable.

I'm not sure if there is supposed to be a main character. We start out getting to know Carel, a man who made my skin crawl. He's a grown up bully who feeds off other people's misfortune. He's full of self-importance and arrogance and racism. He's not the kind of sociopathic bad guy I find interesting; he's just a creep.

Then we have a whole lot of characters who appear in quick succession. We have Willow, Carel's young adult daughter, who cuts herself. Right at the beginning of the book, there's an explicit scene that made me cringe. Then we have the present wife and the ex-wife and her boyfriend and the lawyer and a bunch of others who all grated on my nerves for a variety of reasons. I didn't want to spend time with any of them.

And, so, I opted to stop looking for something I clearly wasn't finding in this book. None of it worked for me. Maybe it'll work for you, and you can tell me if there was indeed a point to any of it.

*I received an advance copy of this book from a BookishFirst giveaway*

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not even entirely sure what The Gillespie County Fair is supposed to be about. It's certainly not about the Gillespie County Fair. It's not really about Fredericksburg, Texas, where it takes place. I suppose it's about the inhabitants of Fredericksburg, maybe a character study of the people in this community? But it's hard, if not impossible, to like any of them. Selfish, ambitious, drunk, apathetic, ambivalent. Just about the only positive trait I can find in any of these people is their loyalty to each other - when they're not harping on, beating up or arresting each other. I can't say that any of them are changed for better or worse by the end of the book, which leaves the book as a peek into the lives of people who are miserable and aren't overly concerned about truly changing their lives.

[Chelsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick light hearted read. A town in Texas has secrets that have long been hidden and as tempers rise, and people come back to town for the yearly Gillespie Fair- secrets come out. Willow is just trying to find herself as she ventures into adult hood and feels the only way is to get out of this town. Her life changes when these secrets get revealed, and someone who everyone thought was nothing but a money hungry man, may not actually be so bad after all. I read this fairly quickly as it is under 200 pages. I received a free copy from the publisher, after winning a copy from Bookish.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Bookishfirst and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of The Gillespie County Fair by Marc Hess in return for my honest review.

It was difficult to connect with the characters in Gillespie County Fair. They are all flawed, there are too many of them, and their stories are depressing. Add to that the German terminology scattered throughout the book, and the mere 197 pages was an effort to finish. That being said, I loved the cover of the book and the small Texas town of Fredericksburg. I also liked that my impression of the characters kept changing. For example, Carel initially seemed like a good man running out in the middle of the night to help with a devastating fire in the community, but shortly thereafter the reader learned that Carel’s actual intention was to take advantage of his neighbor’s plight to purchase his land, cheaply, in order to build office suites in the advantageous location. He also was willing to bend the law to get what he wanted. I liked that things were not as they first appeared, and this theme continued throughout the novel. Change is coming to this German, farming community, but not all change is good.

[Hannah Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this book is quite unlike others I've read, I found I liked its quirkiness once I finished it. I really enjoyed the alternate voices telling the story but I also liked the way justice seemingly found its way to every single character in the book, like each deserved. This was comical at times, but I also enjoyed the twist at the end.

[OjoAusana · Rating 1 out of 5]

*got this book for free from netgalley*//// *edit* ///TW/This book has really vivid descriptions of self harm more than once///

Well. I mean. This book does have a realistic depiction of small towns....however. Hated the ending. Like whateven. How big is that town where ppl can just burn things down like that, and like you can leave town without burning down your family home? Just like. What.

Also wtf was up with all the racist mexican stuff? Like? Thought thered be a point to it? But nope. Theyre just pathetic racists? Which maybe this is just me but its super, duper insulting for a book to talk so much about heritage-german heritage- and then turn around and say things like that about Mexicans. Like literally there weren't even any mexican characters that really had any part in the story (sure the dad of the neice but hes really not in it unless theyre saying racist things about him & his daughter), so like why add them? Bc the rape? And like again did they rape her bc she was Mexican or what?!


Tbh i really just did not like this book at all. Not only am i Mexican, but im from a small town full of racists, so maybe this was just too perosnal but imo i feel the racist stuff in this book was unnecessary, the slur was 1000000% unnecessary. Small town life can be crazy and ngl things like this have even happened in my town but, like wtf. Almost stopped reading this book at 30% and the only reason i didnt was because i had nothing else to do. So yea.

[Allyson Cochrane · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐
I received this book as a bookish first winner and I was really excited to read this book because not only am I a Texan, but I love visiting Fredericksburg! I think it is such a beautiful place and i love the deep roots that remain throughout the town. However, this was not my favorite read. It had many characters and story lines to follow and I felt as though it was not capturing a good enough plot to have some many involved characters. In a sense, I felt like the story kept moving but nothing was really getting resolved. Nonetheless, I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book first. I also want to point out the amazing cover because it really did capture my attention to rant to read it from the get go! Lastly, just because it didnt suit my taste doesn't mean it won't be an excellent read for someone else!

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Gillespie County Fair is a novel with so much potential in the story, but it fell so flat for me. I didn’t feel any sort of connection to or sympathy for the characters or what they were experiencing. It also seemed like the story jumped around a lot; there were events that took place but were only mentioned as having happened, even though they sounded like they could have been a good addition to the story. The beginning was good, giving the book potential in my opinion, but after that it fell off.
I received an ARC of Gillespie County Fair from BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review.

[Danielle Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

By dani dives in

Thank you to Bookishfirst for the win of Marc Hess's The Gillespie County Fair. I was really looking forward to reading this book being from Texas.
However, it did not torn out to be a book that I can say is a new favorite of mine.
I was disappointed to find that Hes did not focus more on the Texas history aspect of the story.

The plot did not seem like it flowed in a manner which lends itself to making for a clear story. One example of this , is the inclusion of "the cutting scene with Willow. This scene like it was being used as filler.

So this book is had good premises that just where not well executed. With Fredricksburg , Texas touted as a historic town i think that should have been more center stage then it seemed to be.
https://www.bookishfirst.com/books/th...

[Tina Loves To Read]

I could not finish this book. I tried two times. I just could not get into this book. I won a kindle edition of this book from a goodreads giveaway.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOTE: I received an advance copy from BookishFirst.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Marc Hess’ The Gillespie County Fair is a slight novel at just under 200 pages, but packed with a cast of interrelated characters. It takes a bit of time and patience to sort out who is who, and who is related to who. It becomes especially complicated as the novel goes on.

In the small town of Fredericksburg, Texas, things are changing. The poor but proud descendants of German settlers who make up Fredericksburg are adjusting to having their town “discovered”, and gentrified, by moneyed outsiders. Characters frequently pepper their speech with German expressions. (As a lifelong East Coaster, I found the effect similar to listening to the speech of Amish people.)

Carel Geische, one of those Germanic old-timers, is hoping to combine the familiar old ways with new-style money. The novel begins with Carel pulling a shady real-estate deal with an old friend who, to say the least, isn’t in much of a position to negotiate. It quickly becomes apparent that Carel is not as successful as he pretends to be or as well-liked as he thinks he is.

Carel’s estranged daughter Willow, who lives with his first wife, represents the future. At 20, she is waiting tables for tourists and just beginning her life. She has some major decisions to make and some major problems to resolve. She occasionally comforts herself with cutting, which is portrayed somewhat graphically in the novel.

The first half of the novel proceeds slowly, mostly setting up characters and situations. Things come to a head when both the titular Gillespie County Fair and Carel’s cousin Max Ritzi return to town. Max has been successful in business, but not in love. He has secrets. Some secrets are also being kept from him. Like Carel, Max is hoping for a piece of that new money. However, Max is disappointed to learn that things haven’t changed nearly enough in Fredericksburg for his taste yet.

Hess primarily focuses on the triumvirate of Carel, Willow, and Max throughout the novel, though we learn more about other Fredericksburg residents as well. The varying viewpoints may tax some readers’ patience. They also add layers of interest. Carel and Max dislike each other, and Willow dislikes, well, pretty much everyone and everything. Hess explores the reasons for that at a languid small-town pace. When his many pieces suddenly snap together, the effect is startling.

The Gillespie County Fair is a fun little read for those who have memory and patience. Whether one finds Hess’ fictional Fredericksburg residents worthy of those traits may vary.

[Ilse Baylon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Gillespie County Fair

Marc Hess crafted a very complicated read by building many character stories from the very beginning. All the characters have many flaws and all have much room to grow.
The story takes place in a small Texan city during The Gillespie County Fair. Funny enough, the fair itself takes up a couple pages at most and plays a minuscule part of the story.
Told in different POV’s, this novel is full of characters that seem to have a lot of baggage. A property catches fire during the night and we then learn that the property owner themselves caused the fire to commit insurance fraud. Carol, one of the main characters, tries to swoop in and buy the property as a last ditch effort to save his own failing business. Although he is a well-known businessman in town, the readers discover that he is going bankrupt and slowly witness his demise. Another main character is Carol’s estranged daughter Willow, who is dealing with her own problems in the wake of her absent father and barely there mother. One more character we hear from is Max, who left town 20 years ago to start fresh. After some failed ventures in his personal and professional life, he returns to town to focus on his new business. Max has very little importance to the story up until the last portion of the novel where many semi-absurd plot twists take place.
From the beginning, this novel did not hook me. I continued reading this on the note that I had a mere drop of curiosity as to what could possibly happen as well as knowing that this was a short read. I did not enjoy the racial slurs the main character used towards Mexicans as these could easily have been left out. I did not find even one character I could relate with nor were any of them redeemable. The story developed at a very slow pace and then plot twists were thrown in the mix at the end. The plot twists were barely explained, and even then had very little impact on the characters. I would give this read two stars. I don’t think it was a novel for me. I think a Texas native may have better luck with the novel as they may find more to connect with.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Gillespie County Fair through BookishFirst in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Gillespie County Fair is the latest novel by Marc Hess, and it's a totally unique read. Set in Texas, and revolving around the oldest fair, this novel is rich with culture and character development.

What do you do when you live in a tight knight community? It's hard to go about doing anything when everyone knows your past and exactly what you're up to. That goes doubly so when you're planning something big.

Over a short period of time, this town is about to see some major changes. Those changes will include two families imploding, and one girl finding her freedom. But it's all so much more than that. It always is.

Warnings: The Gillespie County Fair contains several intense themes. The most noteworthy one being the concept of self-injury. These scenes are not glossed over, so if this is something you find upsetting, you should probably give a pass on this book.

The Gillespie County Fair was an interesting novel. It is totally out of the norm for what I read, and that made for a refreshing change. That being said, I also wasn't as swept away by this novel as I would have liked.

Don't get me wrong, this is a novel with a lot of potential. I just personally couldn't get into it. While I love novels with multiple perspectives, I had trouble getting into any of their heads this time around, and that made it hard for me to be invested in what was going on.

I loved the core concept of The Gillespie County Fair. Destroying old and outdated customs in favor of having the ability to move forward. It's a fun and powerful theme, and one that I will never tire of. I just feel like it could have been pushed just a tiny bit more here, you know?

Honestly, I normally like to write longer reviews than this, but I'm struggling to come up with more to say. I don't want to sound too harsh though, I liked The Gillespie County Fair okay, and will be keeping an eye on Marc Hess' future works.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an e book version “The Gillespie County Fair” through giveaway contest on Goodreads.
As I read the book I thought it might have been better if I had not recently visited Fredricksburg, Texas a couple of years ago. It was a pleasant , attractive little town in the beautiful Hill County of Texas. Maybe much has happened since then, but I did not encounter many people who used Germanisms like liebling and shatzie in every day conversations, and while I certainly saw a lot of jeans, boots and western hats, I never saw lederhosen and dirndls. If the author the author exaggerated for comic effect, it was lost on me.
Then there was the main character, Carel Geische. Owner of a construction company, and promoter of his dreamed of planned mini-mansions housing development, he is a ostrich-skin cowboy boot, , pearl- buttoned shirt and Resistol hat wearing epitome of the Big hat, no cattle Texan. It seems that his construction business is in the red and his development is about to be mortgaged to the hilt and very behind in payments. He has no money and no credit. He may love to belt on his twin colts and practice fast draw, but he is out of bullets.He is on his second wife, who is a big-haired blond whi is serious about shopping , and they live in an elaborate mini- mansion of his own that is under water.
Of course , his daughter despises him, has her own emotional problems evidenced by cutting scars.
The basis of the novel was Carel’s striving to keep all the ball in motion and not pummeling down on his head.
Since neither he nor his troubles mattered greatly to me I found the book easily put aside, but I did feel an obligation to finish it since I wanted to give an honest review. Car it an ok story, but one that did not appeal .

[Michelle Arredondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Texas native here.....so of course I wanted to read this book. Honestly it is what drew me in immediately. Gillespie county...known for it's quaint small town vibes. But is it known for it's family drama and dysfunction? Maybe...I wouldn't know personally but interested to see this author's take on it.

So many characters...natives of this Texas town. Drama and dysfunction...plenty of it. So much going on thanks to local politics. Ex wives....a whole slew of dysfunctional seedy people, and a defiant little girl named Willow. Yeah...it takes a good long minute to process all the plots, and backgrounds, and stories within stories. Who knew all that drama was centered around a local and popular county fair?! But of course...if you live in Texas you know festivals and parties, and town fairs are all the rage and usually a background to coming to together and finding out what everyone you know is doing with their lives. A lot of lives in this book. A lot going on. If you have the strength and patience to want to know about it all...go for it. If not...maybe this is not the book for you. But how would you know unless you tried it out for yourself? I like author Mar Hess' writing style. He captures the small town feels, he loves to challenge us with these quirky characters. They may not all be likable but they sure are interesting.


Thanks to author Marc Hess and Greenleaf publishers for my free copy of this book won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.

[Energy Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're in Texas where the townspeople are set in their ways. Everyone knows everyone's business, and they are all up in it. The author introduced many characters from the start, which is hard for a reader to keep track of who is who. The main character is Carel, but towards the end of the book, the focus is put more in his daughter Willow. Carel has big dreams of being rich, but with poorly executed plans that depend on the borrowing of more and more money. Everyone in town is connected in some way, which is the way of small towns. They struggle to stay relevant in an ever-changing world.

I guess I was expecting more of the fair to be involved considering the title and blurb. Everyone attended it towards the end of the book, but the details were vague at best. There were so many characters and then weird situations that didn't necessarily seem connected. It was a lot to keep track of, and then towards the last few chapters of the book, the author seemed to catch a thread of a cohesive storyline and went with that. Some of the writing I struggled over because the author was trying to convey local dialect and such, for example, this sentence: "Dat be mein own fault dat sat dat curse down on yer chest, my son." It just made it a bit of an extra struggle to follow along.
I had high hopes for this book but feel it was a letdown.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given review copies of The Gillespie County Fair from BookishFirst and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

The Gillespie County Fair is the story of a dysfunctional family in small town rural Texas. Carel Geische has a vision to transform his town into a tourist spot, with himself as the recipient of the riches that are sure to come. His wheeling and dealing already cost him one family, but when Carel's prosperous vision comes to a grinding halt, will he lose the other as well? Despite being an opportunist and a shyster, does Carel have any redeeming qualities?

For a relatively short book, The Gillespie County Fair is very dense. The premise and the title point to something other than was on the pages of this book. Carel is a hard guy to like, as his constant deal making and legal wrangling make him appear more like a villain. The title does not make much sense in the larger context of the novel, as the fair itself is barely a blip on its radar. Willow's issues seem out of place, like they were added to the novel as an afterthought. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Gillespie County Fair to other readers.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Small Texas town with typical townies still living their high school days. One who left now returns and sees the same old, same old, including rivalries that never went away.

Growing up with an English teacher mother made me cringe when I read, "What dat dere you got on yer head, boy?" I was already annoyed with the over the top characters, but that put me in full annoyed mode and I found it never got any better.

The Gillespie County Fair title really didn't sum up the book as it was at the end of the book and really didn't factor into the story as much as I thought it should have given the title.

Main characters: Carel- a good ole boy with a temper and guns. The scene where he practices his draw while wearing hat and skivvies... need I say more? Cora Lynn, his present wife, keeps calling him sugar boots. Huh???Mari is his ex wife and Willow is the estranged daughter. Max returns to town to find his father is still a bully and nothing good has changed there.

All in all, I was tuned out early on, but I finished it. I won't be reading any more by this author.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The oldest fair in Texas is the Gillespie County Fair. The fair is well regarded and everyone loves to participate in the fair. The old German farming community is struggling to keep it's original charm alive, while rampant land developers are trying to buy up family homesteads. Two families are torn apart over the sale of their homestead. Will the community be able to survive?


When I first read this book, I thought it was going to be about a community that is struggling and how they able to come together. However, I made it 75% through the book before I found it rather pointless to say the very least. There were a lot of characters and many of them felt just throw into the story. It was very hard to keep track of how all these characters played a role in the story. To be honest, I still don't know what role they played. And, I am not really interested in finding out more about the characters. Overall, I found the book very hard to get into and the characters unrelatable. I wish the author focused on a few main characters and built a concise storyline.

[Erica Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book I would normally pick out, but I received a copy from Goodreads giveaway and I'm glad I gave it a chance. I live in San Antonio and have spent time in Fredericksburg so I especially enjoyed learning about the history and getting a glimpse into the local perspective. It's true that this book does have a lot of characters and it can be confusing to keep track of their various relationships. However, I could appreciate all of the characters and felt they all added something to the story. Even though they are all flawed in some way, they were also multidimensional and relatable. This book does not have a lot of action or even a clear plot line really, but that's okay! It's a story about small town life and the complex relationships between families who have known each other for generations. My one criticism is that I found the ending unsatisfying. The author did such a good job getting me invested in the characters that I want to know what happened to them and I feel like the end left the reader hanging.