Joshilyn Jackson

Some people seem to make poor choice after poor choice in life, whether because they don't know any better or because they didn't have better role models. But poor life choices don't have to define a person forever. Breaking the pattern, breaking away, can be incredibly difficult but it is possible. There is always hope. Joshilyn Jackson's novel Backseat Saints is full of both poor decisions and hope for the future.

Ro Grandee, nee Rose Mae Lolley, was a side character in Jackson's debut show more novel gods in Alabama (lower case g intentional) but here she takes center stage. She grew up in Alabama, abandoned by her mother when she was just eight, and left directly in the line of fire of her alcoholic father's fists. So it's no surprise when she high tails it out of town as soon as possible. But leaving doesn't break the cycle of violence in her life as she meets and marries Thom Grandee, the son of the first family in his small Texas town. Rose Mae becomes Ro, a quiet, compliant, perfect wife whose hair and makeup are always impeccable and whose long sleeves hide the near constant bruises on her arms. Ro Grandee is not the quick, fearless spitfire that Rose Mae Lolley was although she needs to find that irrepressible girl inside herself again to find the courage to leave Thom, especially after a tarot reading stranger at the airport tells her that she will have to kill her husband or be killed, a truth she recognizes even as she still loves her abuser. And if she does leave, can she escape Thom as long as they're both still alive?

This is a companion novel to gods in Alabama although no knowledge of the first novel is needed to enjoy this one. There is a surprising amount of humor here, even in the face of such heavy topics as abandonment, domestic abuse, and alcoholism. Many of the characters, and especially Rose Mae, are emotionally damaged by their pasts. She must reckon with that past though, perhaps find her mother and confront her father, in order to understand and change the present, to escape her own certain death at Thom's hands. Jackson is adept at drawing small Southern towns and the people who inhabit them, understanding where each person fits in the hierarchy of place and the complications inherent in all of that. The novel is funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, and twisty. Those who are looking for a good look into the psychology of an abused wife, the bravery it takes to run to a new life, and the promise of hope will find this a satisfying read. show less

Joshilyn Jackson returns to Alabama to bring us this story full of entertaining and appealing characters, while also providing an expert look at manners and mores in the contemporary South.

Leia Birch Briggs, a comic book artist who is 38 and single, suddenly finds herself pregnant by a man she met at a recent comic book convention in Atlanta who was disguised as “Batman.” Batman was not only wearing a black costume, but was black himself, a fact that did not matter to Leia, but which show more will have big repercussions for the baby as well as with her very Southern white family in Alabama.

She has also just learned that her 90-year-old grandmother “Birchie” is displaying alarming signs of dementia. Wattie Price, Birchie’s BFF, has apparently hidden this problem successfully from the family as well as the town until now.

Leia drives down to Alabama to see what is going on with Birchie. She agrees to take her 13-year-old niece Lavender along, since Leia’s stepsister Rachel is having a crisis in her marriage to Jake.

It all sounds a bit complicated, but the author brings everyone into focus quickly with her trademark warmth and humor.

There are some villains in the piece too, such as some of the residents of Birchville (her grandmother’s grandfather founded the town) who still adhere to the prejudices of the “Old South,” or “Second South” as Leia calls it. The First South, “her” South, “was all sweet tea and decency and Jesus, and it was a real, true place.” But there was another South, “plagued still with the legacies of slavery and war and segregation.” Color continued to divide this Second South, and darkness and hate still made the territory a contested one. Leia didn’t think she could bring up her baby in this Second South. (She called the baby, whom she "knew" to be a boy, Digby, for no special reason - the name just occurred to her one day. She didn’t even know the father’s name, but she knew she didn’t want to expose Digby to the hatred and injustice he might experience in a place like that.)

Further upheaval ensues when Rachel drives down and also stays at the house. Rachel accuses Leia of expressing long pent-up resentments through the medium of her art - especially her two main comic characters, Violence and Violet.

Meanwhile, as the summer passes, Lavender is spending more and more time with two neighbor boys, Hugh and Jeffrey, and Leia worries what they are up to. She is shocked to find out what it is, and it profoundly affects all of them.

All of these plot strands collide, and secrets kept covered up in this small town come spilling out. But this is not an unhappy or scary book; it is absolutely charming, as well as intelligent, funny, and full of heart.

Evaluation: Joshilyn Jackson is an author not to be missed. As with her other books, her main female characters, who span generations, are delightful: full of spit and vinegar, loyalty to friends and family, and an underlying goodness. She also addresses the concerns of teens, young and middle aged women, and older women seamlessly, with an impassioned love and respect for all of them. Unlike many books labeled as “women’s fiction,” this author elevates the quality of her prose by integrating issues of class, race, self-actualization, and morality into her stories of the deep ties of family and upbringing. show less

The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson is a very highly recommended novel about a tough lawyer and what made her so tough - her past.

Paula Vauss was named Kali Jai after the Hindu god of change and destruction when she was born to her teenage mother, Kai (Karen), who was serving time in a juvenile detention center in Alabama. Her grandmother, who was going to care for Paula, was sure she heard "Paula Jane" so that is what was written on Paula's birth certificate. Paula grew up with her show more young free-spirited mother, who delighted in telling young Paula tales from Hindu mythology as the two aimlessly moved from town to town as Kai went from boyfriend to boyfriend. Kai taught Paula how to tell a story, and Paula uses that skill today.

Now a tough divorce lawyer, Paula has been estranged from her mother for 15 years. The incident that changed their relationship and put a wedge between the closeness they once shared happened years ago, and Paula has been trying to make amends for her actions by sending her mother monthly checks for years. Now her mother has returned her check with a cryptic note written on it, saying that she is dying. Then, Paula, who has kept an emotional distance from others and refuses to form any attachments beyond the one to her cat, has a surprise literally come to her that will change her world.

As the present day drama unfolds, Paula recounts her mother's stories and recalls memories from her past. All the barriers she's built around herself for protection may have to be torn down if what she suspects is true. And then there is her former lover, current private investigator, Birdwine. Does she really want a relationship with him again, beyond a professional connection, or is one even possible.

I was totally engrossed in the story and the mysteries that drive the plot forward. Paula is a hard, tough-as-nails woman who has made herself that way because she believes it's what she needed to do to survive. She has major, glaring flaws and shortcomings in her personality and modus operandi, but I liked her. I wanted Paula to succeed in her personal life as well as in her profession. Ultimately this is a story of an unconventional family and forgiveness, and the power of mythology to transform the ordinary into something magical and compelling.

As always, Jackson's writing is incredible - smart, funny, poignant. She describes scenes and characters with a seductive ease and charm that allows the plot to flow beautifully, propelling the story forward even if the scene or the truth about a character is hard or ugly. That is part of the sublime appeal of all of Jackson's novels. Her characters are real people, with flaws and big problems, but you care about these wounded souls. You will want what's best for them and for them to reach some measure of peace in the end.

The Opposite of Everyone is good. Very, very good. It will grab you right at the start and you will be racing to the end to see what happens next. (I blame Jackson for some lost sleep last week.) Sure this is a stuck-overnight-at-the-airport book, but it's also a pull-it-out-and-read-at-every-opportunity book and a take-a-little-longer-lunchbreak book. I love everything Jackson has written and The Opposite of Everyone is no exception.

Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from HarperCollins for review purposes. show less

Joshilyn Jackson has long been on my “to read” list, but this is the first book of hers that I’ve actually gotten around to picking up. And I loved it.

There was so much in the book that spoke to me… from a woman experiencing a pregnancy at an “advanced” age, to the trickiness of navigating life in a small town, to having a grandparent that you’re extremely close to going through medical issues. Jackson brings it all to us through the eyes of Leah, a 38-year-old comic book show more artist who is unexpectedly pregnant by a man she doesn’t know. When Leah discovers that her grandmother has been hiding some extreme health issues from her, she picks up her life and goes back to small-town Alabama to stay with her and convince her to get help. Along for the ride is her 13-year-old niece, who is escaping a bit of life drama of her own.

I loved how Jackson portrays the relationships between the women, the difficulty of trying to help an elderly relative, and the frustration of having family keep secrets from you. There is often so much that is hidden just beneath the surface, but it rarely stays hidden forever. The story also confronts the issue of lingering racism in the South — sometimes hidden, sometimes blatant — as Leah faces the prospect of bringing a biracial child into the world.

Joshilyn Jackson will definitely be staying on my “to read” list! This was easily my favorite read of 2017. show less