Reviews
Mary Alice Monroe has written another novel that is helping to redefine the beauty and magic of the Carolina Lowcountry. Every book she has written has felt like a homecoming to me and with the publication of SWEETGRASS, she has succeeded in making the marshes and rivers of the Lowcountry her literary home. Her book is haunting and will be seen on every beach in the country when it comes out this summer.
"Monroe makes expert use of metaphors as she weaves the story of the region's Sweetgrass baskets into the story, and subtly addresses the urgent need to protect the environmnet. Monroe makes her characters so believable, the reader can almost hear them breathing. The lush details this prodigal-son tale bring the low-country setting to life and flashbacks tell the story of a young love rediscovered. Readers who enjoy such fine Southern voices as Pat Conroy will add the talented Monroe to their list of favorites."
YA/M For teens who like books that pack an emotional wallop.
Mary Alice Monroe is in her element describing the history of basket weaving, the lush land, the threat imposed by developers and the difficulites of making a plantation prosper in the modern era. And she's equally adept at spinning poignant and ultimately hopeful tale of forgiveness, family secrets and finding your way back home."
The sweetgrass from which local artisans weave their traditional, elaborate baskets is the central metaphor, as well as an active part, of this tale. Here, Mary Alice Monroe writes of family estates, cultures, and habitats mutually endangered, historic tracts threatened with escalating property taxes, and developers close at hand, revving their bulldozers. It is a story of what binds people together into families, what is worth fighting for, and what may be left behind.
Mary Alice Monroe’s hardcover debut, and arguably her strongest novel to date, transcends romance and women’s fiction genres and reaches into the realm of fine Southern literature.