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Sweet Jane
By age six, Jane, a lonely and precocious child, knows vodka makes Mama mean. After years of dodging her drunken mama, Jane runs away at sixteen—during the Summer of Love. Despite seventeen years of keeping secrets while searching for love in dysfunctional relationships, Jane looks good on paper: married, graduate school, coin-carrying member of AA. But her carefully constructed life is crumbling. Returning for Mama’s funeral catapults her back to the events that made her the woman she is.
268 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2020
323 people are currently reading
4693 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Kukanza Easley
6 books295 followersJoanne Kukanza Easley's debut novel, SWEET JANE was named the 2020 Adult Fiction Winner at the Texas Author Project. Sweet Jane was also a finalist in the Sarton Awards and Eric Hoffer Awards.
Her second novel JUST ONE LOOK was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick.
I'LL BE SEEING YOU, based on a character in SWEET JANE, was released in September 2022.
HIGHER LOVE is a sequel to I'LL BE SEEING YOU
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joanne has adopted Texas as her home. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and three rescue terriers. Retired from a career in nursing—with dual specialties in the cold, clinical operating room, and the intense, emotional world of psychiatric nursing, she devotes her time to writing fiction.
Her second novel JUST ONE LOOK was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick.
I'LL BE SEEING YOU, based on a character in SWEET JANE, was released in September 2022.
HIGHER LOVE is a sequel to I'LL BE SEEING YOU
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joanne has adopted Texas as her home. She lives in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and three rescue terriers. Retired from a career in nursing—with dual specialties in the cold, clinical operating room, and the intense, emotional world of psychiatric nursing, she devotes her time to writing fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 26, 2020
Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley is a debut novel that I enjoyed reading. This story is about Jane's life told in dual time lines from her very difficult and painful childhood living with her alcoholic mother, and the present day as Jane is married, and what seems to be that she has moved on with her life to a path of success. After many years she receives a call that her mother had died. Coming back home for the funeral, it seems that Jane's old wounds have not completely healed. This is a beautifully written story by Easley that examines the mother and daughter relationship, forgiveness and healing. I enjoyed the prose and Easley's effortless writing that offered great insightful look into life's bumpy roads and the chance for a hopeful future. I enjoyed this one a lot. To know this was written by a fellow nurse makes this an even better read.
May 15, 2020
Sweet Jane, was a really good book. This author can really write a book.. Jane's Mother is a Drunk. Jane's grandmother June, is also a drunk.. but the story is about Jane.. Jane ends up leaving at age 16teen because her mother treats her so poorly.. it's like she's an afterthought.. Jane leaves home at age 16.. but returns many years later for her mother's funeral.. returning after she swore she would never step foot again in Odessa Texas. Jane herself has ups and downs with alcohol, and Men goes through AA.. finds out family secrets many years after the fact. This was really a good book. I would truly recommend this book to others it was one I honestly enjoyed.. and I think others will also..
Thank you Joanne Kukanza Easley.
For this Story..☕☕☕☕☕
Thank you Joanne Kukanza Easley.
For this Story..☕☕☕☕☕
February 12, 2020
Emotionally driven , Jane tells her story , past and present from her viewpoint of growing up with alcoholic mother. She portrays a strong woman with a heart full of heartache that needs mended. Jane left home at 16 , had to grow up fast, in many ways this story hit home personally to myself though ,my story is different I could relate to Jane and believe many readers will relate to Jane and this story and her accomplishments despite her heartache. would recommend this book to everyone as its a story that could be relatable, cathartic and healing.
March 18, 2020
Jane’s life really never got the chance to start. Standing in the way was an alcoholic mother and an enabling father, against a gritty backdrop of West Texas. The hurts and fears of her young adult life are compounded tragically when her only friend, Ricky is forbidden from her. She woefully begins her life on her own as a 16 year old runaway. Jane runs away to California, and little does she know, she begins to venture down the bumpy path to a hopefully better life. In the search for “her truth,” we see Jane struggle to become grounded in herself and her relationships. The death of her mother capitulates Jane into facing the frenzy of her past and uncertainty of her future. She must reach out to others, no matter the daunting cost, in order to heal. A shocking revelation allows Jane to see things differently. The reader rallies with her, as her confidence and self-esteem rises to new heights. This book will appeal to those who want to be uplifted and accomplish good relationships and a good life no matter the humbleness of their childhoods. The mother-daughter relationship is thoroughly examined in this book and will appeal to those readers who want to know more about what it means to be a mother or a daughter. This theme flows through the entire work with many fleshed out good and bad mother figures. This thought-provoking story is about choices and lessons learned, as well as, trust and who one decides to bestow this precious gift upon.
March 1, 2020
A big Thank you to Black Rose Writing, Joanne Kukanza Easley and Netgalley for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great debut novel for author Joanne Kukanza Easley.
Book description:
By age six, Jane, a lonely and precocious child, knows vodka makes Mama mean. After years of dodging her drunken mama, Jane runs away at sixteen — during the Summer of Love. Despite seventeen years of keeping secrets while searching for love in dysfunctional relationships, Jane looks good on paper: married, graduate school, coin-carrying member of AA. But her carefully constructed life is crumbling. Returning for Mama’s funeral catapults her back to the events that made her the woman she is.
I loved that the author touched on Jane's experiences at Haight-Ashbury during the "Summer of Love" in 1967, and dropped some famous names at the time.
My emotions ran all over the place while reading this book. I felt anger towards her mother for what she did to her, but later felt sad for her. I even found myself chuckling a couple times.
The themes of the book cover alcoholism, self-respect, forgiveness, and honesty. I would recommend this book to anyone.
This was a great debut novel for author Joanne Kukanza Easley.
Book description:
By age six, Jane, a lonely and precocious child, knows vodka makes Mama mean. After years of dodging her drunken mama, Jane runs away at sixteen — during the Summer of Love. Despite seventeen years of keeping secrets while searching for love in dysfunctional relationships, Jane looks good on paper: married, graduate school, coin-carrying member of AA. But her carefully constructed life is crumbling. Returning for Mama’s funeral catapults her back to the events that made her the woman she is.
I loved that the author touched on Jane's experiences at Haight-Ashbury during the "Summer of Love" in 1967, and dropped some famous names at the time.
My emotions ran all over the place while reading this book. I felt anger towards her mother for what she did to her, but later felt sad for her. I even found myself chuckling a couple times.
The themes of the book cover alcoholism, self-respect, forgiveness, and honesty. I would recommend this book to anyone.
May 21, 2020
Upon reading the fantastically written voice of Sweet Jane's first chapter, I was in! I wanted the rest of the story! When an author gifts the reader with such spot-on colloquialisms and engaging personality, the bond is a real one, and author, Joanne Kukanza Easley tells this layered story of cause and effect, action and reaction, and the repercussions of family dysfunction in such a realistic, intimate manner that Sweet Jane remains alluring throughout. This is a novel with heart and West-Texas Strutt. Sweet Jane gets beneath the skin of a woman determined to do the work to heal herself, and I absolutely loved it!
January 25, 2020
Sweet Jane takes readers on an journey filled with raw and gritty emotion. Janie’s life has been fraught with many demons—a childhood which revolved around her mother’s alcoholism; a horrible accident which left her friendless; and the turmoil of her own life when she runs away from home as a teenager. Now Jane is married and sober, and when she must return home after 17 years, the demons of her past threaten her future. This story of self-discovery takes us from Odessa, Texas to San Francisco and Austin, and the author’s authentic Texas voice rings true.
August 17, 2020
Jane has not had an easy life. She is the daughter and granddaughter of alcoholics, determined to change her path and change family history, she leaves home at age 16 and never looks back.
Now married, in college, with no hints of her poor background, she gets a call from her dad that her mom has passed. This means returning to her hometown for the funeral and all the other history her town holds. Can she keep ignoring the events that shaped her or can she finally face them head on ?
This book unfolds the past and present seamlessly .
This book was extremely well written and I couldn’t put it down. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time and I anxiously await this authors next book!
Now married, in college, with no hints of her poor background, she gets a call from her dad that her mom has passed. This means returning to her hometown for the funeral and all the other history her town holds. Can she keep ignoring the events that shaped her or can she finally face them head on ?
This book unfolds the past and present seamlessly .
This book was extremely well written and I couldn’t put it down. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time and I anxiously await this authors next book!
June 26, 2020
Generation after generation of alcohol addiction takes its toll, and Joanne Kukanza Easley spins a colorful tale of Jane as she survives childhood with a drunk for a mother until she finally runs away to figure out a better life. None of that figuring came easily to Jane; there was no straight line from A to B, not with all the secrets that needed to be waded through.
Jane returns home when her mother dies and is forced to face the ghosts of her past before she has a prayer of putting her life in order.
This debut author creates settings that truly come alive on the page with near-perfect pacing. I look forward to this author's next work.
Jane returns home when her mother dies and is forced to face the ghosts of her past before she has a prayer of putting her life in order.
This debut author creates settings that truly come alive on the page with near-perfect pacing. I look forward to this author's next work.
August 13, 2020
Before she started to school, Jane knew vodka made Mama mean. So she tried to avoid her, but that wasn't often enough. Jane also saw what drinking did to her Grandmother, Mama's mama. Jane had the childhood all of us hear about and shiver over, one that was full of hate and despair. By the time she was 16, after another verbally abusive evening, Jane packs up and leaves Odessa, TX, for Haight-Asbury, in 1969 San Francisco.
Fast Forward: Seventeen years later, Jane has survived the hippy era, moved to Austin, and walked away from yet another downward spiral of a relationship. She is now married to a man who loves her and who doesn't push her on what her childhood was like. Then she gets the call that nearly everyone else hates: Mama has died, and Daddy needs her to come home to the funeral.
Those following days help Jane define who she was and who she is, giving her perspective not only on her childhood but on her current life.
This is a book I think deserves more than 4 stars. It is well-told, digs into the bad homelife but makes no excuses, and one that many can identify with. The main story really begins with the return home and what Jane is experiencing and recognizing. Sometimes, things are what we suspect; yet often it isn't. I like the six-year-old Jane and the 34 year old as well. They blend together quite well and they are survivors.
Fast Forward: Seventeen years later, Jane has survived the hippy era, moved to Austin, and walked away from yet another downward spiral of a relationship. She is now married to a man who loves her and who doesn't push her on what her childhood was like. Then she gets the call that nearly everyone else hates: Mama has died, and Daddy needs her to come home to the funeral.
Those following days help Jane define who she was and who she is, giving her perspective not only on her childhood but on her current life.
This is a book I think deserves more than 4 stars. It is well-told, digs into the bad homelife but makes no excuses, and one that many can identify with. The main story really begins with the return home and what Jane is experiencing and recognizing. Sometimes, things are what we suspect; yet often it isn't. I like the six-year-old Jane and the 34 year old as well. They blend together quite well and they are survivors.
May 26, 2020
This book goes through the decades with Jane, a country girl from Texas in the 50's who deals with the pain of growing up with a drunken and abusive mother. A childhood accident shatters her young life when she can no longer have her best friend in her life. Enduring years of abuse from her alcoholic mother, Jane runs away at sixteen and ends up in California during the hippie days. Losing her innocence and getting her heart broken were not what she had in mind. Throw in some drugs, alcohol, AA meetings, and she winds up back in Texas taken in by a older couple who help get her on her feet. She gets married, goes back to school, gets sober, so why is she still not happy? When her mother dies, she goes back to the place she wanted to forget: Odessa, Texas. Not wanting her husband to find out about her past, she leaves him at home to make the journey alone. She faces down the ghosts of her past, reconnects with people from her youth. A heartwarming story of growing up too fast, finding yourself between loss and heartbreak, and sobriety. This book is a wonderful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2020
Comfortable
I love how Jane self protects without realizing. Sometimes tragedies bring about healing as it did in her case. Living a pretend life safeguarding it along the years seems to be bittersweet. Realizing how all of the blame was placed towards Jane’s mom I find the story relatable. Years later Jane’s eyes are open to see her father took a big role in her childhood traumas. Accepting she deserved happiness in spite of herself Jane found herself! The ending surprised me in a good way but had me wanting it to possibly end in another way that would have been equally good!
I love how Jane self protects without realizing. Sometimes tragedies bring about healing as it did in her case. Living a pretend life safeguarding it along the years seems to be bittersweet. Realizing how all of the blame was placed towards Jane’s mom I find the story relatable. Years later Jane’s eyes are open to see her father took a big role in her childhood traumas. Accepting she deserved happiness in spite of herself Jane found herself! The ending surprised me in a good way but had me wanting it to possibly end in another way that would have been equally good!
June 27, 2020
Easley’s vivid descriptions and sweet voice brought this reader deep in to the story and had me turning pages not wanting to put the book down. Between the West Texas twang and the music of the 60s, I felt like I was on the road with Jane wherever she was traveling in the novel. I felt Jane’s angst, anger, fears and insecurities while following her from childhood to adulthood with all the twists and turns her life took, the tragedies she had to deal with as well as the long-held secrets. You’ll cheer for Jane and want to hug her at the end.
June 19, 2020
Reads like a true story
Easley weaves a heart wrenching tale full of family dynamics that ring true to me. She took me on a ride , setting a scene, then pulling me back to the genesis of the emotion . I enjoyed the story.
Easley weaves a heart wrenching tale full of family dynamics that ring true to me. She took me on a ride , setting a scene, then pulling me back to the genesis of the emotion . I enjoyed the story.
August 29, 2020
Sweet Jane
A great title for this book. This is a fantastic read! We all carry baggage from our past but this story really makes you think. Jane is so bitter from her past but things change all around for her. I definitely recommend this read!!
A great title for this book. This is a fantastic read! We all carry baggage from our past but this story really makes you think. Jane is so bitter from her past but things change all around for her. I definitely recommend this read!!
March 29, 2020
Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley is a book that takes you on an emotional journey with the main character. Jane has lived her life by moving forward and never really dealing with the past. Her home life was horrid. There were several incidences that were not her fault, but left her scarred for life. However, she was strong and moved on. Life seemed to have turned around totally for her, until her mother died.
I loved Jane as a character. I found the character and her struggles were so well done, that I was able to connect with her.The slow reveal of her past is what calls you to understanding her. Keeping her past a secret and not sharing the information can lead to problems with relationships. Especially when that is seen from a child’s eye. I found her struggles and searching important and I wanted to celebrate when she did. Allowing Jane room to grow while on a journey of self-discovery can be hohum, but I didn’t feel that way. I found it interesting and surprising.
Sweet Jane was a poignant read. The main character and the journey us what kept me totally involved with the story. Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley was a good read.
I loved Jane as a character. I found the character and her struggles were so well done, that I was able to connect with her.The slow reveal of her past is what calls you to understanding her. Keeping her past a secret and not sharing the information can lead to problems with relationships. Especially when that is seen from a child’s eye. I found her struggles and searching important and I wanted to celebrate when she did. Allowing Jane room to grow while on a journey of self-discovery can be hohum, but I didn’t feel that way. I found it interesting and surprising.
Sweet Jane was a poignant read. The main character and the journey us what kept me totally involved with the story. Sweet Jane by Joanne Kukanza Easley was a good read.
August 13, 2020
5🌟
Ms Easley handled the subject of alcoholism professionally in this novel that spans three generations of alcoholism. It was well written and very supportive. This story would be helpful to anyone who is affected by alcoholism either directly; or indirectly through family or friends. Reading this book shows what an impact alcoholism has on family members and how it can devastate the entire family unit. Well done!
Ms Easley handled the subject of alcoholism professionally in this novel that spans three generations of alcoholism. It was well written and very supportive. This story would be helpful to anyone who is affected by alcoholism either directly; or indirectly through family or friends. Reading this book shows what an impact alcoholism has on family members and how it can devastate the entire family unit. Well done!
April 11, 2020
I really enjoyed the book. Jane has a difficult childhood. She is able to escape but her childhood continues to haunt her. She is finally able to return to Odessa to reconcile her past.
September 8, 2020
I couldn't put it down! I really liked that Jane was able to work through all of her problems despite the way she was raised. Thanks for writing a great book!
September 11, 2020
Sweet Jane by JoAnne Kukanza Easley
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: March 2020
Genre: Women's fiction
Pages: 267
Available: Paperback, ebook,
Sex: 💓nothing graphic
Violence: none
Reviewers Note: I was given a free copy of this by by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Plot in Brief: It's 1984, Jane lives a good life, married to a successful psychologist, working on her own advanced degree, she seems to have it all. A phone call rocks her world. Her mother, who she hasn't seen or spoken to in 17 years, is dead. Her father pleads with her to return to her West Texas hometown of Odessa for the funeral. Jane is forced to face her past while new revelations add to the pain of the childhood she thought was locked behind a solid wall of denial.
The Characters: I had a real push pull relationship with Jane. I loved her as a child, growing up semi-wild in a dysfunctional household. Her mother, Martha, is a raging alcoholic, her mostly absent father shows more concern for his wife than his neglected children. A death robs her of her best friend and her world fractures with the loss and betrayal of those who are supposed to love her. She is so well drawn and such a sympathetic character. Grown up Jane is full of conflicts. A recovered drug addict with a backlog of broken relationships she seems to have finally settled down, but she's not happy. It was interesting to watch her unravel as she confronted her past and then worked to put herself back together. Jane learns that you can run from your past and survive, but you have to turn and face it to live.
The Writing: The book is well written and well edited. The narrative is heavy on dialogue. I really enjoyed little Janie and interactions with family and friends. But the author does a wonderful job of describing Odessa, an oil town in far West Texas and the 1980s Austin. When an author finds her voice, magic can happen on the pages of her story. From the opening scene, little Janie roped me in with her Texas twang and keep me turning the page until the end.
Overall: I don't normally read books in this genre but I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the story and its satisfying conclusion. I really can't think of anything to complain about!
Recommendation: I think anyone who appreciates coming of age stories, stories of redemption and forgiveness and books that explore family dynamics will love this book.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: March 2020
Genre: Women's fiction
Pages: 267
Available: Paperback, ebook,
Sex: 💓nothing graphic
Violence: none
Reviewers Note: I was given a free copy of this by by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Plot in Brief: It's 1984, Jane lives a good life, married to a successful psychologist, working on her own advanced degree, she seems to have it all. A phone call rocks her world. Her mother, who she hasn't seen or spoken to in 17 years, is dead. Her father pleads with her to return to her West Texas hometown of Odessa for the funeral. Jane is forced to face her past while new revelations add to the pain of the childhood she thought was locked behind a solid wall of denial.
The Characters: I had a real push pull relationship with Jane. I loved her as a child, growing up semi-wild in a dysfunctional household. Her mother, Martha, is a raging alcoholic, her mostly absent father shows more concern for his wife than his neglected children. A death robs her of her best friend and her world fractures with the loss and betrayal of those who are supposed to love her. She is so well drawn and such a sympathetic character. Grown up Jane is full of conflicts. A recovered drug addict with a backlog of broken relationships she seems to have finally settled down, but she's not happy. It was interesting to watch her unravel as she confronted her past and then worked to put herself back together. Jane learns that you can run from your past and survive, but you have to turn and face it to live.
The Writing: The book is well written and well edited. The narrative is heavy on dialogue. I really enjoyed little Janie and interactions with family and friends. But the author does a wonderful job of describing Odessa, an oil town in far West Texas and the 1980s Austin. When an author finds her voice, magic can happen on the pages of her story. From the opening scene, little Janie roped me in with her Texas twang and keep me turning the page until the end.
Overall: I don't normally read books in this genre but I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the story and its satisfying conclusion. I really can't think of anything to complain about!
Recommendation: I think anyone who appreciates coming of age stories, stories of redemption and forgiveness and books that explore family dynamics will love this book.
July 5, 2020
This cover drew me in and made me want to know all about this girl on the cover with her cat! I had no idea how her story would draw me in and not let me go until I learned all about her life. Jane (Janie before she left home) had a traumatic childhood with a usually drunk mom and a dad that was often gone for work. She experienced so much in her young years that she felt she needed to get away and at age 16 she did exactly that. This book tells us Jane's story as a young girl, her life after leaving her home town, and her life as an adult. I just wanted to give this girl/woman a hug as she went through so many events in her life. June end up returning to her childhood home when her Mama passes away and Jane needs to confront her past so she can be content in her life as an adult. This book makes you really think about what a family is, and it isn't always the people you have blood ties to. Enjoy this fast read that will grab you and not let you go!
May 19, 2023
Loving my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Grateful to my readers who take the time to review. Some of my favorite quotes from them:
Any woman who's lived long enough to be interesting will identify with Sweet Jane.
An emotional journey so raw and gritty you can't help but be drawn to Jane.
You'd swear the book has a sound track and in a very real way it does.
The story includes tragedy as well as joy.
And so many more!
Any woman who's lived long enough to be interesting will identify with Sweet Jane.
An emotional journey so raw and gritty you can't help but be drawn to Jane.
You'd swear the book has a sound track and in a very real way it does.
The story includes tragedy as well as joy.
And so many more!
August 12, 2020
In my father's family, 3 out of 6 siblings, became alcoholics. My cousin once asked my dad why none of his uncles stepped in to take him out of his environment. As an adult I realize
the trauma of his childhood. "Sweet Jane" made my cousin's comment but home.I
Usually not the genre I read, I couldn't put this book down! The character development was masterfully done.
the trauma of his childhood. "Sweet Jane" made my cousin's comment but home.I
Usually not the genre I read, I couldn't put this book down! The character development was masterfully done.
May 10, 2021
An unexpected book in some ways. I loved the chapters with Janie’s seven-year-old life. They perfectly captured the voice of a child trying to make sense of an inexplicable world. As Jane searches for solutions to the problems she keeps attracting, it becomes clear that it’s only a network of loving people who will get her to her happy ending. Among them are a variety of well-drawn characters, who form an impromptu cheerleading squad, no matter how hard Jane sometimes makes life for herself. I had to keep reading to make sure of a satisfying ending. And it is.
August 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book!
I could relate to parts of it. Mistakes in family relationships cause a lifetime of pain.sometimesnever resolved or healed.thank you
I could relate to parts of it. Mistakes in family relationships cause a lifetime of pain.sometimesnever resolved or healed.thank you
September 9, 2020
A fantastically structured story!
A tale of struggles, loss, learning, and a search for fulfillment. You will love the trip into old west Texas, San Francisco, and Austin, complete with vivid phrasing of the sights, sounds, and scents of those times, letting you briefly relive them all. A recommended read.
A tale of struggles, loss, learning, and a search for fulfillment. You will love the trip into old west Texas, San Francisco, and Austin, complete with vivid phrasing of the sights, sounds, and scents of those times, letting you briefly relive them all. A recommended read.
December 18, 2020
This is a great book. I especially liked the character of Jane as a child-parts of that were really funny. The descriptions of the Monterey Pop festival had me hunting up songs i hadn't heard in years. The topics can be heavy but the author did a great job handling them without the book getting too dark.
February 20, 2022
I noticed this novel because it had won some awards. A well-written story that switches between first and third-person telling of the story of a woman, Jane, who suffered some childhood trauma, including an abusive alcoholic mother, and is in adulthood coming to terms with her past. The story is very Texas-centric.
April 12, 2022
At the age of 6 Jane’s mother is always drunk drinking vodka. Jane ended up running away at age 16 after an ugly comment her made made to Jane while drinking. Jane never went back home until her mother passed away. She ended up finding out things that made her mom drink. This made Jane the woman she has become. I would definitely recommend this book.
July 17, 2020
What a wonderful read, Jane. Growing up with a alcoholic mother a father who
Is gone and a brother who also trying to survive, a heartfelt look at the choices that were made through the years and even now fun her live and her esteem , A heart felt story enjoy
Is gone and a brother who also trying to survive, a heartfelt look at the choices that were made through the years and even now fun her live and her esteem , A heart felt story enjoy
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews