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Plant Life: A Novel
Her luminous first novel, Moon Women, won the hearts of both readers and critics. Now Pamela Duncan returns to the rich landscape of the human heart with a lush, resonant novel about mothers and daughters, about family and friendship, about a woman at a turning point in her life and the extraordinary world she discovers in a place called home…
It’s Christmastime in Russell, North Carolina. For Laurel Granger, the holiday can’t pass quickly enough. With her fifteen-year marriage ending, the visit to her hometown is bound to be even more painful than usual. And the worst part will be looking at the lives of her mother, Pansy, and Pansy’s gossipy group of friends, for whom life revolves around the plant, the aging textile mill where for decades they have found companionship, a modest livelihood, and a purpose.
But with her own marriage disintegrating—the full scope of the disaster hasn’t become clear to her yet—Laurel has nowhere else to turn except Russell, and to the women of the plant. And soon what Laurel begins to see is not the stifling town she couldn’t wait to leave, nor women whose lives seem petty and plain, but a place where powerful secrets have been kept...where hearts and lives have been broken...and where a group of extraordinary women may have a thing or two to teach her about life. Most of all, as Laurel starts to live and even love a little again, she is faced with her mother, and her mother before her, and what their complex relationship has meant for Laurel all these years.
Weaving together the voices of several remarkable women across generations, Pamela Duncan tells a story of faith and forgiveness, acts of love and acts of betrayal. With the same artful brushstrokes that made Moon Women a wonder, Duncan paints a masterful portrait of seemingly ordinary lives, and of what it means to grow a life and a future—in the rich soil of the past.
It’s Christmastime in Russell, North Carolina. For Laurel Granger, the holiday can’t pass quickly enough. With her fifteen-year marriage ending, the visit to her hometown is bound to be even more painful than usual. And the worst part will be looking at the lives of her mother, Pansy, and Pansy’s gossipy group of friends, for whom life revolves around the plant, the aging textile mill where for decades they have found companionship, a modest livelihood, and a purpose.
But with her own marriage disintegrating—the full scope of the disaster hasn’t become clear to her yet—Laurel has nowhere else to turn except Russell, and to the women of the plant. And soon what Laurel begins to see is not the stifling town she couldn’t wait to leave, nor women whose lives seem petty and plain, but a place where powerful secrets have been kept...where hearts and lives have been broken...and where a group of extraordinary women may have a thing or two to teach her about life. Most of all, as Laurel starts to live and even love a little again, she is faced with her mother, and her mother before her, and what their complex relationship has meant for Laurel all these years.
Weaving together the voices of several remarkable women across generations, Pamela Duncan tells a story of faith and forgiveness, acts of love and acts of betrayal. With the same artful brushstrokes that made Moon Women a wonder, Duncan paints a masterful portrait of seemingly ordinary lives, and of what it means to grow a life and a future—in the rich soil of the past.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
90 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Duncan
3 books60 followersNovelist Pamela Duncan was born in Asheville and grew up in Black Mountain, Swannanoa, and Shelby, North Carolina. She holds a B.A. in journalism from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in English/Creative Writing from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. She lives in Cullowhee, North Carolina and teaches creative writing at Western Carolina University.
Her first novel, Moon Women, was a Southeastern Booksellers Association (now Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) Award Finalist, and her second novel, Plant Life, won the 2003 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction. She is the recipient of the 2007 James Still Award for Writing about the Appalachian South, awarded by the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Her third novel, The Big Beautiful, was published in March 2007.
Her first novel, Moon Women, was a Southeastern Booksellers Association (now Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance) Award Finalist, and her second novel, Plant Life, won the 2003 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction. She is the recipient of the 2007 James Still Award for Writing about the Appalachian South, awarded by the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Her third novel, The Big Beautiful, was published in March 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 26, 2015
I can't believe I forgot that I read this book. it just goes to show how I've grown over the years, and there is much more to gain from a book once you've lived some more.
December 3, 2021
I just re-read this book and enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time. I didn't remember much of the details, so it really was like reading it for the first time. I think that Pamela Duncan is an excellent storyteller and I wish that she would write more books.
February 7, 2022
Although the title had me thinking another direction, this is the story about a younger woman starting her life over after a cheating husband knocks her off her stride; she is moving back home to Mom and Dad and getting to know her mother's friends as she decides on next steps. I enjoyed the writing very much. At times, it was slow-going trying to keep the many female characters sorted out in my head. Definitely recommend making a character map to keep things straight about each woman.
Silas House recommended this to our book group when he visited us, and though it's not as strongly Appalachian Lit as his work, I do see some elements of App Lit. I would describe it more as good Women's Fiction set in the fictitious Russell, NC.
Silas House recommended this to our book group when he visited us, and though it's not as strongly Appalachian Lit as his work, I do see some elements of App Lit. I would describe it more as good Women's Fiction set in the fictitious Russell, NC.
June 15, 2023
PLANT LIFE by Pamela Duncan is a book about small town Americana. Taking place in a small town in North Carolina where the town revolves around “The Plant” where most people in town work as did their families for several generations. And the close ties that are made by the people that stand on a cement floor all day with their co-workers among the noise of the machines.
It is a forgotten part of our culture, where people actually care about each other and their neighbors. They treat co-workers and neighbors like family and they celebrate all the ups and downs of a small-town life. Five stars!
It is a forgotten part of our culture, where people actually care about each other and their neighbors. They treat co-workers and neighbors like family and they celebrate all the ups and downs of a small-town life. Five stars!
October 8, 2018
Moon Women was one of the best books I've read. I borrowed it out to several family members, who all raved about it. Unfortunately, Plant Life just didn't do it for me. I found the characters undeveloped, and even emotional scenes felt empty. Half way through, I was skimming paragraphs to get to the point. I've been watching for a new novel from Duncan for a long time & will continue to do so; this one simply fell flat in my opinion.
October 17, 2023
I enjoyed this and the guts of it was great. I enjoyed the characters and believed them. The beginning and ending felt very cheesy and cliche otherwise I probably would have given 4 stars. Some of the plot lines felt unresolved or trite at the end so I felt a little cheated, as the reader. But still an enjoyable read.
March 16, 2017
It took me a while to get into it, but I enjoyed the many characters.
September 13, 2017
Great Book
Loved, loved, loved this book. There were times I laughed out loud and times I cried. Great story whose characters came alive.
Loved, loved, loved this book. There were times I laughed out loud and times I cried. Great story whose characters came alive.
October 23, 2017
2.5
Could be somebody else's 4 or 5. I'm just not charmed by Southern, small town lit
Could be somebody else's 4 or 5. I'm just not charmed by Southern, small town lit
December 27, 2017
It was ok, an easy read. I was surprised towards the ending. I would read another book by this author.
July 17, 2018
Just couldn’t get into it. Took me a month to read 300 pages which is not like me before I quit.
November 9, 2020
I can already tell I'm going to recommend this book to my cousins. The older generation worked in a North Carolina textile mill. My Mom worked one summer in high school and decided that she would find a different way to work in the world.
The author got a Tennessee Williams scholarship from the Sewanee Writer's Conference, housed at my alma mater.
The author got a Tennessee Williams scholarship from the Sewanee Writer's Conference, housed at my alma mater.
June 13, 2011
Laurel Granger lived for her husband, Scott, then he left her for another woman. Depressed, rootless, and alone in Vegas, Laurel decides to head back home to Russell, North Carolina. Without telling her parents what happened, she moves in with them. Well, it becomes obvious that Laurel isn't going back to Vegas and she needs a job. The only place that will hire her is the plant (factory) where her mother has worked for umpteen years. Laurel isn't happy to be going to work there, but at least it's a desk job. She finds herself a part of a group of women who have been friends and helped and hated each other for years. With their help, she starts to finally heal and move on.
I had never even heard of author Pamela Duncan until I saw her speak at a book festival I attended last year. I loved her. I agreed with everything she said and felt like she could be me talking. Plus, Lee Smith, who wrote one of my favorite books ever, was her teacher. I bought all three of Ms. Duncan's books, had her sign them, and actually had a delightful, short conversation with her. (Me at most signings: "How are you? My name is Jennifer. Yes, it's spelled the normal way. Thank you.")
I couldn't really justify buying three books for myself, so I gave this one to my mom. She has worked in a plant for about as long as I remember. I need to ask her more about what she thought of it, but from the outside looking in, this book looked like it was spot on. My mom has spoken of the same women for years and years. They mostly love each other. Some days, they do get on each other's nerves. But they are always there at the weddings and the funerals and in sickness and in health. That's the complicated relationship the author captured in this book.
This was funny and sad and everything in between. I was hoping for Laurel to find a good man, and I picked out the one I wanted her to have very quickly. I was frustrated with her when she didn't see how perfect he was. I was rooting for Laurel's mama Pansy to pull out of her issues. My heart hurt for her in her past. I didn't like Pansy's mama at first, but in her brief chapters, I started to understand her as well.
I recommend this for a lovely celebration of the complexity of female relationships.
I had never even heard of author Pamela Duncan until I saw her speak at a book festival I attended last year. I loved her. I agreed with everything she said and felt like she could be me talking. Plus, Lee Smith, who wrote one of my favorite books ever, was her teacher. I bought all three of Ms. Duncan's books, had her sign them, and actually had a delightful, short conversation with her. (Me at most signings: "How are you? My name is Jennifer. Yes, it's spelled the normal way. Thank you.")
I couldn't really justify buying three books for myself, so I gave this one to my mom. She has worked in a plant for about as long as I remember. I need to ask her more about what she thought of it, but from the outside looking in, this book looked like it was spot on. My mom has spoken of the same women for years and years. They mostly love each other. Some days, they do get on each other's nerves. But they are always there at the weddings and the funerals and in sickness and in health. That's the complicated relationship the author captured in this book.
This was funny and sad and everything in between. I was hoping for Laurel to find a good man, and I picked out the one I wanted her to have very quickly. I was frustrated with her when she didn't see how perfect he was. I was rooting for Laurel's mama Pansy to pull out of her issues. My heart hurt for her in her past. I didn't like Pansy's mama at first, but in her brief chapters, I started to understand her as well.
I recommend this for a lovely celebration of the complexity of female relationships.
March 24, 2015
Loved this book. I finished it before I even had time to log in here and add it to my "currently reading" shelf. I almost did not even take the book off the library shelf when I saw the title on the spine. I thought it was a book about plants that you grow. Was I ever wrong. It is about life in a textile plant.
Laurel Granger is the lead character in this book. After her husband leaves her for a younger woman, she decides to go home for Christmas in Russell, North Carolina. A small town she left and vowed to never return. She is hoping to get through the holiday without having to confess that her marriage has fallen apart and she is destitute and at a loss as to what to do with herself next.
At first she finds the lives of her parents and her mother's friends as "deadends" as they have spent decades of their life in the plant. Little does she know that here she will find companionship, friendship, and a purpose for living. Over the course of the book, each character shares a few memories that show just how complex the relationships betweens friends, mothers, and daughters can be.
The characters are people that we all know or have at least known at least once in our lives. They are real people with real problems and real love. Through this lovable cast of characters, Laurel learns that big city lights and easy money are not always as glamorous as they appear to be.
As the Washington Post review said,,,"A novel with heart."
Closing this book will leave you sitting there in satisfaction mentally running through what all you have just experienced.
Laurel Granger is the lead character in this book. After her husband leaves her for a younger woman, she decides to go home for Christmas in Russell, North Carolina. A small town she left and vowed to never return. She is hoping to get through the holiday without having to confess that her marriage has fallen apart and she is destitute and at a loss as to what to do with herself next.
At first she finds the lives of her parents and her mother's friends as "deadends" as they have spent decades of their life in the plant. Little does she know that here she will find companionship, friendship, and a purpose for living. Over the course of the book, each character shares a few memories that show just how complex the relationships betweens friends, mothers, and daughters can be.
The characters are people that we all know or have at least known at least once in our lives. They are real people with real problems and real love. Through this lovable cast of characters, Laurel learns that big city lights and easy money are not always as glamorous as they appear to be.
As the Washington Post review said,,,"A novel with heart."
Closing this book will leave you sitting there in satisfaction mentally running through what all you have just experienced.
September 6, 2016
I loved this book. Absolutely hated for it to end. Could have read another 300 pages of it. Great story about the relationships between long time co-workers in a mill. How lives get intertwined in both a small town and because you're working together all day. Pamela Duncan's use of language is spot on to what I heard growing up in Eastern NC.
The story is one we're all familiar with. Small town Southern girl (Laurel) gets married, moves away, marriage ends, she returns home to and reluctantly moves in with her family until she figures out what to do next. That's the main character's story but there's so much more to this book. Laurel, due to lack of options, takes a job in the mill where her mom and her friends have worked just about all of their lives. Laurel doesn't think she has much in common with this tight group of ladies who know everything about each other's lives---like it or not. As the story progresses, Laurel finds kinship, support and love and discovers she has more in common with them than she thought.
Great book, great author. Read it just to hear the cadence of the language, if for no other reason!
The story is one we're all familiar with. Small town Southern girl (Laurel) gets married, moves away, marriage ends, she returns home to and reluctantly moves in with her family until she figures out what to do next. That's the main character's story but there's so much more to this book. Laurel, due to lack of options, takes a job in the mill where her mom and her friends have worked just about all of their lives. Laurel doesn't think she has much in common with this tight group of ladies who know everything about each other's lives---like it or not. As the story progresses, Laurel finds kinship, support and love and discovers she has more in common with them than she thought.
Great book, great author. Read it just to hear the cadence of the language, if for no other reason!
February 23, 2008
I picked this up ages ago, and suddenly the time was right for reading it. Laurel is back home in small town North Carolina where her mother and her mothers friends all work at the textile mill. Laurel is newly divorced and her life is up in the air, while her mother is going through the change and her life is in equal chaos. We get to know these golden ladies through their lunch room chats and as they pull each other through rough patches in their lives. It's a "nice story" which sounds cheesy, but I feel it's true. Also makes you wish to live in a small town where you know all your neighbors forever and share in simple quirks and pleasures and pain. Reminiscent of the Big Stone Gap stories. And I really do like the double appeal of the title - how could I not like a book called Plant Life -- that is about working in a plant, but is also about gardens and growth. A very clever title.
April 19, 2008
Duncan spoke at our library's book festival last year, and she was a riot! By day, she's a Social Services employee in N.C.; she writes nights and weekends.
Plant life is a study of women and choices, some of which feel wrong but turn out very right. 20-something Laurel returns to the small N.C. town where she grew up after being divorced, and takes a job in the textile plant she went to college to get away from. With her mother, and her mother's friends, as contemporaries, she learns about life choices and makes some of her own.
Plant life is a study of women and choices, some of which feel wrong but turn out very right. 20-something Laurel returns to the small N.C. town where she grew up after being divorced, and takes a job in the textile plant she went to college to get away from. With her mother, and her mother's friends, as contemporaries, she learns about life choices and makes some of her own.
November 13, 2013
A sad woman betrayed by her husband whom she supported faithfully their entire relationship, Laurel is distraught and aimless. She moves back home and grows to love the town she grew up in and longed to leave. By spending time with her family, getting a job at the plant where most of the residents work, she grows to appreciate her roots and the quirky residents who support their neighbors through thick and thin. A nice, feel good read.
October 20, 2014
Excellent story of multigenerational families and their lives in a cotton mill town in NC. Understand the author herself experienced acceptance letter to college being waylaid.
The stories told are similar to those of Doug Marlette's "The Bridge."
The primary characters in "Plant Life" are the women in the families - they held down full time, grueling jobs in a cotton mill while providing for all the needs of family and home.
The stories told are similar to those of Doug Marlette's "The Bridge."
The primary characters in "Plant Life" are the women in the families - they held down full time, grueling jobs in a cotton mill while providing for all the needs of family and home.
February 15, 2016
The author is able to portray a specific slice of southern life without resorting to southern stereotypes . Characters are well developed. Or at least the female characters are. The scenes set in a textile mill are realistic. While the title may confuse at first, southerners who worked in a textile mill or only lived in a town with a mill always referred to it as 'The Plant'. Hope to read more works by Pamela Duncan in the future.
March 16, 2009
Another amazing book by Pamela Duncan. I liked it even better than Moon Women. Her writing is so real and the characters and what happens to them, while (thank God) not Hollywood dramatic, is the stuff of real life and struggle. Her voice is true to her roots. I want to take one of these women home with me and have a nice long talk over hot chocolate followed by a glass of wine.
January 5, 2012
Humor infused and Southern wit and style injected, made this an enjoyable read. Not sure the title actually portrays the major plot line of the story; more geared toward the lives of very different women at very different stages of their lives and how they overcome past obstacles and present worries about husbands, lovers and children.
October 6, 2008
This is a great story about working at a plant in a small town, dealing with all layers of life: divorce, growing old, death, family and second chances for love. This is like "Steel Magnolias" meets "Hope Floats", a contemporary woman's fiction novel is how I would label it.
February 11, 2010
I enjoyed this but not as much as 'Moon Women'. I do love that kind of womens fiction though and this is very well written, and I would highly recommend it. The characters are great and you feel like they become your friends by the end of the book.
July 15, 2014
I read this after hearing the author interviewed on NPR/Fresh Air. Having grown up around a lot of textile workers the characters here were strongly resonant. If you want to read about strong women coping with a trying environment then I can recommend Plant Life.
March 27, 2015
Story of Laurel, back at home in Russell, NC after a traumatic divorce. She ends up working at the same plant (textile mill) that her mother and her mother's friends work at. Good back story of her mother, grandmother and her plant friends. Highly recommend.
May 1, 2015
I read this book for my library's book discussion group. Sadly, I will not be able to make the meeting, but I did enjoy the book. The story revolved around the textile plant in rural NC. A sweet story with a little bit of NC history woven in.
April 26, 2008
It occurs to me that one should not confuse this author with the prolific children's author, Pamela Duncan Edwards.
August 27, 2009
I am very much enjoying this look into life in a small NC mill town. The values of family and tradition in this story are endearing.
Want to read
July 15, 2009I have to put this book back on the shelve and maybe read it later. There is so many other books that seems more interesting to me at the moment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews