Miss McGhee: Young Love

by Bett Norris

When Mary McGhee moved to a small Alabama town shortly after the Second World War, she was sure she could change her life for good: a new job, a new place, and a chance for a new life. But then she met Lila Dubose, the wife of her new employer.


Set in the shadow of the civil rights movement, Miss McGhee is a sweeping tale of forbidden love in a turbulent time.


Miss McGhee is a runner-up for the first annual Bywater Prize for Fiction.

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Fiction, Lesbian Fiction, Historical

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Bett Norris graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA in history and a burning desire to write, having grown up just down the road a piece from Harper Lee. She drew heavily on her Alabama roots for her first novel, Miss McGhee, published through Bywater Books, set during the civil rights movement of the fifties and sixties. While wondering why the dictum write what you know doesn't apply to sci fi or murder mysteries, she dutifully set her second and third novels in the South as well, certain that the well of rich material to be found there will never run dry.

Her first novel, Miss McGhee, was released in May 2007, and was a finalist for the first annual Bywater fiction contest. Her second novel, What's Best for Jane, will be released in January, 2009.
Norris is currently working on a novel of historical fiction set in Montgomery during the years leading up to the beginning of the civil rights movement. She continues to use the South as source material and setting. “Almost everybody’s got a story about crazy relatives, mad dogs, good trucks, fishing, deer hunting, drinking, cussing, fighting, tent revivals, football, running around barefoot in the summers, better times in the past, and where the bootleggers live.”

She now lives in Florida with her partner Sandy Moore, an artist. Bett gets up every morning at an insanely early hour to write.

Find out more on the author’s web site, www.bettnorris.com.

Reviews

[Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is set in a small town in the segregated South. The time frame coincides with the rise of the Civil Rights movement. The titular character Mary McGhee is a northerner. Caught by her employer in a compromising situation with his daughter, she is sent off to a backwater town in the South with a pile of hush money and a job recommendation. The new company she goes to work for is a mess, as it has been operating for months without an office manager. Mary busies herself with the new job, but she can't keep her mind off her new boss' wife. Outwardly, she is a picture of poise and conformity--having experienced first-hand how dangerous and painful it can be otherwise. But inwardly she burns for an attraction that is unnatural and forbidden in her time.

The writing has a very realistic feel to it. This is much more than just a romance. We follow Mary and her friends (and enemies) for a period of roughly twenty years, as they experience all kinds of emotional growth. The contrasting personalities of the protagonists were very well-drawn. From the innocent, trusting, free-spirited Lila to the uptight, fearful, controlling Mary and the wild and wonderful Sammie--yes,she deserves her own book. I enjoyed the earlier parts of the book more because of its more optimistic and romantic tone, and because of the element of danger involved in a forbidden relationship. The book slowly and subtly morphs from a romance to a historical drama. Nothing wrong with that. But the tone also becomes increasingly negative. As the two protagonists grew older and more mature and the racial relations around them grew increasingly tense, there is a lot more discord and arguing among the two that sometimes even bordered on contempt.

I also didn't like how Mary and Lila never seemed to do anything about all the put-downs, thinly veiled insults and outright threats from men who feel women shouldn't have the power they do, except to fume in private. Their endless acquiescence to Buchanan eventually irritated me. I can understand the subterfuge when their business still owed the bank, but later on, it only seemed to encourage his bigotry and meanness. I kept wanting them to do something about it. I mean why dangle the possibilities if you're never gonna take advantage of them? I would have expected either of the two, but Lila especially, to have had the guts to marginalize Buchanan somehow or minimize his influence, given how much real power and money they have in their disposal. Also I think the hurtful words spewed by Lila to Mary were a little out of character. Granted they were said in anger, but where's the makeup part? ;) Would have been interesting to read how their romance matured over the years. But it was kind of just glossed over in a sentence or two. In the latter half of the book, the romance just got buried under the weight of all the goings-on, to the point where I thought the author was leading me to expect a breakup of some sort. :) The author did succeed in weaving Mary and Lila's story into the historical events of the time seamlessly. She gave a face and voice to the people on both sides who were caught in the conflict--especially the ordinary folks who'd rather just live and let live. As a historical fiction, this book shines. As a romance, it is a bit uneven.

4.4 stars

[Joan Opyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. This book should be classed with general fiction. I worry that the fact that it's classed as lesbian fiction may limit its audience. I hope this will only be temporary and that word of mouth will broaden the book's reach. This is a brilliant, closely-observed historical novel. I can't think of anyone to whom I would not recommend this book. The story is both local and universal. Bett Norris is a tremendous talent.

[Bywater Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Any reader will love this intelligent, richly detailed, altogether satisfying portrayal of a resourceful woman's struggle for love and self-determination in 20th century small-town America. Miss McGhee signals the arrival of an impressive, gifted storyteller." -Katherine V. Forrest

[Elaine Burnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been on my wishlist for some time because of the good reviews it got. The fact that it was published by Bywater, and I was very impressed with their panel at Women's Week, pushed me to finally get it. I liked it a lot. It hit me as the kind of story that needs to be told. It's a bit preachy, yes, but at its heart is a beautiful love story. Of women who were brave enough to try, and stubborn enough to succeed. It's easy to forget how hard it was to be a lesbian back then--post-WWII South. This isn't Stone Butch Blues, thankfully, but it felt real. Mary, in revealing herself, says, "I won't say the hell with anyone but myself. And there is no place we could go where it would be any different. We fight it out along this line, or we choose not to fight at all."

The rest of the book, and yes it does plod along in some ways--it took forever for the Klan messages at the beginning of the chapters to mean anything in the story, illustrates that point. Both for lesbians and for the Civil Rights movement. There is a lot beneath the surface of this story, about how and whether to stand up for yourself or others, and if you don't, who will. It worked for me on many levels. Not the least as a tribute to a whole generation of women who paid the price, who found a way to survive or did not. How lucky I was to be born when I was (and where). That the life I enjoy now was impossible just a few decades ago.

A truly impressive first novel.

[Crystal Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Not only does it cover lesbian civil rights, but it gives us a peek into how lesbian helped the African American civil rights movement. If you liked to To Kill a Mockingbird, you'll love this one.

[Sally Bellerose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with a big heart.

[Bren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. The main and secondary characters were interesting and the premise seemed promising. It ended up being too long-winded, without much ever really happening. By the time I made it through part one, I was too bored to read part two.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the historical detail and the character development in this well written historical novel. Unfortunately, it did feel incomplete to me and I thought there were some expectations that were set and not met. It seemed to be building toward a far more intense climax than it actually achieved. I do look forward to reading subsequent novels by this author however.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice change from your usual lesbian romance in that it takes place during the beginnings of the civil rights struggle. Good word-of-mouth on this book but after reading it I couldn't help but think something was missing. Didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. Felt incomplete somehow.

[Bj Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a bit surprised when I realized I was reading lesbian literature but it really was a good book, well-written. Even though I'm not from the South I lived through that time and re-lived those awful times while reading this book.

[Ann Riley]

By a friend of mine

[MEC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I am extremely pleased that I had stumbled on a review for it somewhere on the internet.

Whether you look at it as a historical novel (1940s-1960s), a sociological novel (small southern town struggling throught the civil rights movement), a forbidden romance or an intriguing character study of both main characters - it is a captivating read.

[Dide · Rating 5 out of 5]

I long for books that invest in wording emotions simply and clearly. This book took me through some emotions, stretched my imaginations and had me also asking questions.
It's deserving of all the 5 stars ratings I give it and more. What a remarkable writer.