Mary Jacobs is a young, white girl who was raised by her black nanny and housekeeper, Lavina. She lives in Louisiana during the early 1960s. The books goes back in forth from when Mary Jacobs was about twelve years old in 1963 and then it goes back to the 1990s when Mary Jacobs is about 40 years old.
We also flip from Mary Jacob to Billy Ray, who is the 15 year old son of Lavina. A few chapters are also told from the view point of Lavina, who we learn right away has died during that 1960 time frame.
The characters were well written and I loved Lavina. Her personality seemed genuine. It was a very good depiction of life in 1960s Louisiana. The story started off a bit slow, but was worth the read and enjoyable. I received a complimentary e-book via Netgalley.com. ( )

A special thank you to The Story Plant and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved, loved everything about LAVINA by Mary Marcus --beautifully crafted, from the stunning front cover, the well-developed characters, setting, plot, and remarkable storytelling.

Marcus skillfully crafts and unveils the lives, layer by layer, of two families, rich and poor, black and white, past and present-- for a powerful story, set in the Deep South in the sixties. A small town of Louisiana with racial unrest, filled with music, pain, turmoil, heartache, determination, and courage.

From the big white house on Fairfield Street, to the wrong side of town on Morehouse Road. One with wealth, and no love, to one of poverty with boundless love to give.

Mary Jacob: At the opening of the novel, in the early nineties, Mary Jacob, a well-known children’s book author is flying home to Murpheysfield, Louisiana from New York. Her books are centered around a little black girl, named Vina, the star character, in memory of her beloved former black housekeeper, Lavina. She loved this woman more than anyone or anything in her life, while being a part of a total dysfunctional family. Without Lavina, her childhood would have been unbearable.

Her former childhood home, is a place holding many bad memories, those she can recall; a family, and a home she left years ago, never to return. A town taking away her Lavina. Her father, Jack Long is dying and on his death bed, has requested her return. A father who was cruel and never a father to her. Of course, her nasty sister from Atlanta she despises will be there, as well. Needless to say, she is not looking forward to this visit.

A tragic event occurred back in 1963 when she was twelve years old, the day at the sit-in, at Woolworths, the day Martin Luther King was to be in town. Certain critical parts of her life are missing. She continues to dream of an African American boy called Billy Ray, her first kiss, as she recalls telling him to run for his life.

Billy Ray: Billy grew up poor, in Murpheysfield with a father who left at an early age. It was only his mom, Lavina, going to work every day as a maid for the rich white family, he grew to despise. He hated being poor until one day the hum came. His musical ability with his harmonica – his discovery “Diamond Buttons”, his mom’s wig, and sunglasses; making him famous in all the jazz clubs and his rise to the top of the charts. Of course, with this fame came drugs and other vices. His fame came a little too late – He was on top of the world to help save his mother so she could finally escape this town and this life; however, a tragedy occurred which took his beloved mother.

Now he is returning to this Godforsaken town in Louisiana to perform a gig, possibly for a second chance. However, after all these years, he still wants answers to that day long ago at Woolworth’s. The day of the sit-in, and he cannot forget the girl, Mary Jacob—the girl who saved his life. When he learns she is also returning to her hometown, he has to see her. He knows the girl in the books was named for his mother. His mother and Mary Jacob were close and neither of them could save his mother.

Marcus takes us back from the present to the early sixties, as we learn about Mary Jacob, a misfit, the youngest daughter of a powerful good-looking rich man, a string of ex-wives, a man who is part of a group of racial injustice and carrying on with a younger woman under everyone’s nose, a poor mother coming from a Jewish wealthy family who has cancer, staying in her room on the upper level drugged out, and an older mean, self-absorbed sister, Kathyrn, and her sister’s beautiful friend and daughter of her father’s deceased best friend, Van. She has no one except her faithful best friend, Lavina.

Three strong characters bound by love Lavina, Mary Jacob, and Billy Ray for an emotional and heartfelt story which will keep you laughing and crying at the same time--characters you will long remember, well after the book ends. Written with compassion, humor, and insights into the realistic times of this era for a combination of southern, women's, and historical fiction; racial injustice, family drama, mystery, intrigue, coming of age, and suspense.

A magical tale, taking me back, having grown up in the South about the same age as Mary Jacob-- I laughed so hard at some of the things of her childhood, which I could relate. Loved characters, Lavina and Mary Jacob – these two had a special bond and loved the banter and dialect (did not want the book to end). You know when you are reading a great book and feel sadness when it is over? Just one more chapter . . .

The author brings magic to each word on the page with beautiful lyrics, prose, and music. I felt so bad for Billy Ray, as was hoping for a real reunion with he and Mary Jacob, as wanted to see these two together without an audience. (Possibly a sequel)? These characters are too good to end, as my kind of book!

If you enjoyed Dollbaby, by Laura Lane McNeal, you are assured to fall in love with LAVINA. Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Sarah Jio, Charles Martin, and Wiley Cash will appreciate the rich history, and human dynamics of this era.

Highly recommend! Can't wait to read more from this exciting newfound author; she knows the South, with pitch perfect dialect. ( )

received an ARC of Lavina from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book met the standard of excellence as did Kitchen House! Set in mostly in 1960s in Louisiana, this brought up my own feelings and experiences of that time even though I grew up in Indiana.

The characters are richly drawn and I fell for Lavina, the hired and vastly underpaid and underappreciated cook and housekeeper. She knew the true meaning of mother love. She was generous to Mary Jacob unconditionally. In 1957, my own family moved to a suburb of Indianapolis. And I remember a woman who reminds me of Lavina’s situation. My mother were shocked when we found out that our next door neighbors had a black maid who rode the bus out to the house. She carried a brown paper sack, entered the house through the back door. Then she changed into her maid uniform and put on her wig. Mother and I wondered why they had a maid. Were our neighbors lazy? Why did the maid enter through the back door? Why did she wear a wig? Over the years, I figured out the answers to those questions but had not figured out the wig. Besides answering the questions, the author brought me back to the feelings that I had in the 1960s. If Lavina was real I would have loved to have known her.

Mary Jacobs, did not fit in with the rest of her family. She felt that Lavina was her real mother. Lavina is the only one who gave her love and did not judge her. The scenes between Lavina and Mary Jacobs are wonderful. They are so easy to picture, poignant and unforgettable. Mary Jacobs escaped when she grew up to New York and had married and had a family. When she got a call from her older sister, Kathryn to come back to see her father because he was very ill. She didn’t ever want to go back but she did. She always wanted love from her father but so many of her experiences added up to a deep hatred for him.

Billy Ray is Lavina’s son, music is what made a difference in his life. His story gives us a glimpse into a black musician’s life during the 1960s with the booze, drugs and women. He feels empty and lost.He seems self-centered and full of hate. But he gave Mary Jacob her first kiss and misses the chance to really show his love for his mother.

The whole story turns on what happened in Woolworth’s Drug Store at a sit in inspired by Martin Luther King.

I usually say, you will love this book, but I think this book is a book that you need to read. There are family secrets in this book, also humor but mostly the human experiences that people can learn from. ( )

Murpheysfield, Louisiana – 1960’s – There was much discrimination and racial tension during the civil rights era. The black women cleaned, cooked, and many times raised the children of affluent whites, as their own, before the days of civil rights and integration. The story demonstrates strong truths about racism during the era of Martin Luther King.

This book is not just about race, but also the struggle to find one’s identity and to become accepted. There are strong themes of heartache, hate, attachment, and love. I must say that I found slight similarities to The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and yet they were so different.

The core of the book is formed by three extraordinary characters, and cleverly gives the story three different perspectives. The history of the day is dramatically told in their own distinct voices, which brought the story to vivid life.

Lavina – A lovable character that exuded strength, and managed to carry on and care about others despite an unjust system. She loved Mary Jacob like her own child. She really added humor to the story.

Mary Jacob hated her father most of her life. She’d always thought of him as having a hard and rigid heart, and knowing there was no love between them. The only reliable love and comfort she felt as a child was from Lavina, the family’s housekeeper. She thought of Lavina as her mother. Her biological mother was confined to bed because of being ill and there was very little interaction between them.

Billy Ray, son of Lavina, and not very likable, had been lonely for most of his fifteen years. Nobody had been in his life except his mother and he harbored so much hate and anger in his heart. But as he got older, music became a huge part of his life and he was finally able to express himself, putting his thoughts and feelings into his music.

The author certainly poured her heart and soul into this novel. I was drawn into the different narrative voices, but one of the most effective aspects of the book was the use of the vernacular – you can hear the characters speaking – just excellent!

One negative comment – I didn’t like the profanity used, especially by Billy Ray, finding it to be offensive, and it serves no purpose in my opinion. That being said, I found Lavina to be a compelling, touching, and thought provoking read. Just excellent! 4+ stars.

I received an advance reading copy of Lavina from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )