Doug Marlette (1949–2007)

Pick Cantrell is a Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist, who has moved from his native central NC to NYC. When he punches out his obnoxious boss and loses his job, his wife insists on moving them back to NC. Pick must now deal with his huge extended family, especially his grandmother, Mama Lucy. Over time he learns of his family's role in events of the 1930s, when mill owners' treatment of employees led to the labor movement. The story moves back and forth between the present recollections show more of the thirties. Pick's relationships with his grandmother, his wife, and others are affected.

Marlette's story is thorough in its detail and requires a steady, unrushed pace of reading after the first chapter. It rewards patience with insight and a fulfilling story that involves repeated revelations and recasting of the historical context. The ending is almost too sweet, but it worked for me because most of the characters have enough to them to interest me in their fates. show less

Really loved the grandma, Mama Lucy, with her feisty attitude toward her family, her previous life during the strike. Pick was a interesting type of person holding attitudes from his past, his not understanding why his mother was taken from his home, blaming Mama Lucy for his childhood version of life. Enjoyed his humor as a cartoonist, the hill-billy behavior of his relatives was almost too cliche. Amazing how his new home became an aspect of the past. Enjoyed the connection to real life show more events from NC, his descriptions fit the area. show less

Really excellent! There is so much history wound into this story of the southern textile mills and the uprisings by the unions for fair treatment. What makes it all even more interesting is the fact that Marlette's own family was such a part of the history and the main character, "Pick," is just what the author knows so well himself---a cartoonist. To my horror, I just looked him up and found that Marlette died in 2007 in a car crash---so sad. I'll look for his other novel, written in 2006.

Kudzu, set in Bypass, Georgia, is a Southern-flavored strip reminiscent of but a little better than "Geech". The wide cast of characters consists of Kudzu, a naive, good-hearted budding poet of a dorkish young man, Maurice, his main man and the "cool" character in the strip, his domineering Mama, his brutish Uncle Dub, and many more that add a nice flavor to the cornpone. "Kudzu" is well-drawn, funny, clever and intelligent - just a little too formulaic and safe to be a truly fine strip. But show more I like it quite a lot anyway. show less