Kinfolk

Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own. Expected publication date Nov 14, 2023.

Wow! Unputdownable! 5++ stars! I knew this would be good since I’ve read other books and columns by author Sean Dietrich, but this amazing story surpassed my expectations.

This skillfully written novel takes place in the 1970s, in a small Alabama town where everyone knows everything about everybody. One by one the characters are introduced to the reader. Some of their connections are explained from the beginning, some take a while before the connections become apparent. Everyone has grief or trauma in their life – either beyond their control or due to their own weaknesses. The more I show more read, the more the characters came to life, and I found myself caring about them and hoping for miracles.

Even though the novel begins with a death, the thread of hope connects each person, all of them outsiders struggling with challenges, longing for a life of stability and happiness. The development of these relationships is balanced with the powerful plot containing conflict, suspense, and danger.

Minnie, one of the main characters, shares the book’s message after the edge-of-your-seat climax: “Life was full of overlooked miracles. And miracles never happen the way you expect them to. They are softer than a baby’s breath. They are, at times, as noticeable as a ladybug. A miracle is not a big thing. A miracle is millions and millions of small things working together. But then, this didn’t matter. Not really. Because Minnie had come to believe that life was not about finding miracles, or happiness, or success, or purpose, or about avoiding disappointment. It was about finding people. People are what make life worth it. People are the buried treasure. People who understand you. People who will bleed with you. People who make your life richer. Your people. Your kinfolk.”

Themes of redemption and second chances, forgiveness, family, and hope. This is a heartwarming, feel-good story about love, country music, and kinfolk. Another one for my “favorites” list. I highly recommend!

Content warning for suicide, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, bullying, cancer. show less

I loved Kinfolk, an audio book narrated by the author Sean Dietrich himself. What a treat. His slow southern drawl was the perfect vehicle for this amazing story. The characters are all so flawed and yet so lovable. It’s the story of Nub, a washed up alcoholic who has had troubled relationships with his daughter, his ex wife, the law and anybody else who happens to piss him off at the time. His life has just hit a new low after an alcohol infused car crash running from the local police. But Nubs life journey is about to change after he winds up sharing a hospital room with a young girl who has just lost her mother to suicide. Nub feels a connection with this girl, Minnie as he lost his father to suicide at a young age as well. He sets show more out to help her and in the act of caring more for someone else than for himself he begins to heal his heart. Some of the inspiration for Kinfolk is autobiographical, but there is a lot more to this book than the authors narrative. It is action packed, very funny, very harrowing and just a whole lot of good stuff for a reader to enjoy. I could not stop listening, I loved it. Kinfolk is a triumph of the human spirit, family and extended family, also known as ‘Kinfolk'. Very Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Net Galley for a chance to listen to and review this wonderful book. show less

A Southern tale that will bring both laughter and tears. Sean Dietrich is indeed an amazing storyteller. The Garrison Keillor of the South.

From the tragic beginning to the triumphant end, this is one humdinger of a tall tale. Full of southern culture from the early 1970's, with unique characters that will wind themselves around your heart until you can't stop thinking about them. I loved Minnie and Nub. You can't help but root for them. Nub is the ultimate underdog hero. They both show how a small act of kindness can turn into something bigger, begin the healing of old wounds, and bring second chances. Father-daughter relationships are featured in a unique way. Alcoholism and its destructive wake are explored.

Recommend to readers who show more enjoy a well-written story of second chances. 4.5 stars

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.) show less

A Rare View Of The South As It Really Is. As a native Son of the South - and in particular of a region *so* steeped in most *all* of its history, from prehistoric Native American burial mounds to the first female (and last slave owning) US Senator - it is rare for me to find a book that portrays Southern life *well*, both in its strengths and its weaknesses. This book does exactly that. It doesn't shy away from our ne'erdowells, it doesn't make excuses for assholes. But it shows that most everyone is somebody to someone, even if it takes them a lifetime to figure that out. There's a lot here that may make some uneasy, including a violent on screen suicide to open the book, a detailed discussion of breast cancer in an era before that show more particular affliction was as well known as it is now, a mother's untimely death, and I'm sure even more depending on the reader's own sensibilities - those are just the biggest ones. But even there, Dietrich uses those things in furtherance of the story he is telling, and he does in fact wind up using every single one quite well to paint a particularly vibrant tapestry of words. There are many stories to tell of Southern life, but if one is looking to read a zany at times tale that will pull the heartstrings quite a bit - and yes, even make the room quite dusty a time or two - this is absolutely one of those types of tales. What Jimmy Buffett's fiction did for the Caribbean, Sean of the South's is doing for the American South in general. Very much recommended. show less

This book was nothing like I expected--in a good way, lol.

It's funny (downright hilarious at times), heartwarming, frustrating--all the feels that mark a good book.

I'd not read any of Dietrich's books before, but had been mildly familiar with him through a Facebook group I belong to. My interest was piqued after I moved to the South myself earlier this year, and I think I appreciated the read that much more as a result. Waffle Houses on nearly every corner where I now live--as ubiquitous as the Starbucks on every corner back home in the PNW--created just the niche connection I needed, and shed light into the phenomenon of said restaurant that I hadn't really understood until now.

There's a nice ribbon of faith woven throughout _Kinfolk_ show more (albeit some language, as well, which was disappointing for me personally). The read turned out particularly timely to pick up during Q4, with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the brain; again, having recently moved from one corner of the country to another, I have a new appreciation for both my blood-related family, my church family, and the dear friends I can and do call family. Life looks a bit different for me now than even a year ago, and _Kinfolk_ is a great reminder of where one can find family--anywhere, if we're only willing to look.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. show less

Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich is very highly recommended Southern literary fiction that can be heartwarming, heartbreaking, and humorous. Kinfold is an excellent novel; one of the best of the year.

It is the 1970s in Park, Alabama, where Jeremiah Lewis Taylor, or “Nub,” 62, is a known town drunk and best friend of cousin Benny. An incident sends him to the hospital, where he first meets fifteen-year-old and six-foot-five Minnie, whose self-comforting singing wakes him up. He later discovers more about Minnie and decides to sober-up to foster her. At the same time Nub's daughter, Emily, learns some bad news that she is dealing with on her own and the man who is Minnie's father, Sugar Bass, has just been released from prison.

This whole cast show more of diverse, fully realized main characters come together with a supporting cast to create a complete picture of a specific time, place, and family. At the beginning, as the various characters are introduced, the narrative may seem a bit scattered, but everything will quickly begin to come together. The humor along with insight into the broken characters will grab your attention until the plot takes off, securely holding your rapt attention to the end.

At its heart Kinfolk is a masterful story of the family you have and the one you create. There is also a good dose of drama, threats, second chances, country music, redemption, forgiveness, love, and humor. The hilarious lines that show up throughout the story are appealing and help set the tone of the novel. Even when something bad is happening, humor can help with the pain. One of the earlier lines about the name for the special kind of person who signs up for a job at Waffle House is laugh-out-loud funny. That remark is followed rather quickly by another perfect quote, "Thanksgiving is about fulfilling family obligations and being miserable the way the good Lord intended."

I really loved Kinfolk. Filled with memorable characters in a captivating plot, it is one of the best books I've read this year.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Harper Muse via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/11/kinfolk.html show less

This beautiful well written novel takes place in the 1970s in Southern Alabama. It features some quirky unforgettable characters that prove it's never too late to change and have a second chance in life.

I have read this author's blog and some of his non-fiction but this is the first fiction book that I've read by him and it definitely won't be the last! He has a way of writing that makes you laugh one minute and cry the next. He writes characters that you feel like you know (especially if you live in a small town in the South) and characters that you care about long after you've read the last page.

Nub is the town drunk. He has an ex-wife that avoids him and a daughter who tries to make him change but after 62 years, he feels like he's show more having too much fun to change his life. As the novel begins, he and his cousin (his drinking buddy) are drinking at the Legion hall on Thanksgiving. Nub ends up in a car accident while he police are chasing him and ends up in the hospital and is told that he needs to change his life but what reason is there for him to make a change after all these years. Then he meets Minnie who works at the Waffle House. She is a very tall 15 year old whose dad is in prison and her mom has just committed suicide. To top it off, she's pregnant! Her goal in life has been to sing at the Grand Old Opry - she has the voice to do it but how often does a poor pregnant girl from rural Alabama get a chance to sing at the place revered by country music fans. Minnie and Nub meet at the hospital and dislike each other intensely., As Nub gets to know Minnie better, he begins to feel sorry for her and wants to take care of her. Can Nub change and find redemption from his past while he helps Minnie find her path in life? It was interesting to see these characters change throughout the book -- Nub went from being the town drunk to really caring about someone else, which also changed his relationship with his daughter. Minnie went from being a pregnant teen with no one who cared about her to becoming strong through her relationship with and encouragement from Nub.


This is a book about family, love and redemption that shows that it's possible to change no matter your age or your circumstances. It's about family - not just the family you are born into but also the family each person creates with the people they love and care about. I loved this story and characters so much that I think its time to check out earlier books by this author! show less