Bev Marshall’s third novel, Hot Fudge Sundae Blues, begins with
thirteen year old narrator, Layla Jay faking her own salvation to
impress a boy at church.
The novel is a coming-of-age story set in the 1960’s, in the small
town of Zebulon, Mississippi. Layla Jay lives a quiet life on
a farm with her
mother, Frieda and her grandparents. Her mother
marries Wallace, a so-called man of God who turns out to be phony.
Frieda doesn’t care whether or not Wallace is religious, as a matter
of fact, she prefers it when he goes out drinking and dancing with
her since she only married him so she and Layla Jay could move away
from the farm. Layla Jay is uncomfortable around Wallace, and
rightly so. Their lives together, under one roof, throw Layla Jay’s
world into a tailspin and when a problem arises, Layla Jay finds
herself doing two things: praying and lying. Not always in that
order, but always praying and lying. She means well, and we know
it. Her mother means well and we are forgiving of her as well.
The first half of the book is filled with problems that seem
somewhat disjointed; however the second half deals with the
consequences of choices and the complexities of familial love. Layla
Jay talks with God every step of the way, but this novel is not
about Layla Jay’s relationship with God, it isn’t even about her
relationship with Wallace even though he is the reason for so many
of her problems. This novel is about relationships with those we
love—for Layla Jay it is about her grandma who longs to see her
family saved by Jesus, her best friend June who harbors an aching
secret, her relationship with her fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants
mother, and her first love, a sweet boy named Jehu.
In Marshall's first two
novels, she made us fall in love with her characters. Once
again,
Marshall makes us fall in love with Layla Jay and Frieda
despite their elaborate lies and poor judgment.
Even more, Marshall does what all great story tellers do—she gets
you to keep turning the pages. The chapter endings are seamless and
filled with questions that force you on to the next chapter, while
the tone and pace is strong and steady. The novel is an easy, fairly
quick read and the action is not loud. It doesn't have to be.
Marshall knows how to pique our curiosity bit by bit without ever
insulting our intelligence as readers, and in Hot Fudge Sundae
Blues she has done just that.
--------------
Be sure to subscribe to our
newsletter for the latest news and reviews!
