Helpful Score: 1
This is a great, old fashioned story with wonderful characters, that leaves you feeling good. Has everything from innocent romance to danger and mystery.
Helpful Score: 1
This book gets you hooked on the Jones Clan. This one introduces you to Julie the oldest whom becames mother to her siblings at the age of 15.
What a nice book with a good story. The ending is quite a suprise.
Vicky C.
Vicky C.
this is the first of 4. It is a slow moving intriging storyline. I enjoyed the characters, the family interaction, and the love interest. Starting on #2.
Page turner!!
Reading this book was an accident; I didnt know it was part of the series: the Jazz Age. It was a book-on-tape that looked like a standalone novel. Generally, Im not interested in life between the wars. However, I was hooked by the plot before I recognized the time frame.
As she does so well, Dorothy Garlock takes us on a leisurely trip through a small town (Fertile, Missouri) with a group of distinctive characters. Garlock describes small time life with such accuracy!
I would refer to this as a cozy book; not a great deal action occurs, but the plot is furthered by the characters themselves. After her mother dies, Julie Jones (at 15) stops attending school to take care of her 5 younger siblings. As the story opens, she is now 21.
The interaction between the siblings is delightful funny, scathing, caring. Julie comes to the attention of the returning war veteran Evan Johnson, who is the only child of the mean drunk of Fertile. Evans father spends much of his time frightening folks (especially girls) with his lewd remarks and threats.
As Evans interest in Julie becomes more pronounced, Julie cant believe that a world-traveler like Evan could be interested in her. To add a fly in the ointment, Birdie Stuart (an attractive young widow with a small child) sets her cap for Evan. When Evan resists Birdies charm, she searches for another victim Julies widowed father.
This part of the story takes up much of the book; the children are not opposed to their father remarrying but they do NOT want Birdie. The strain between the 6 siblings vs. their father is hard to watch. The reader, like the kids, realizes there is something not quite right about Birdie. When Mr. Jones invites Birdie to come for an extended visit, tension in the family builds.
Finally, theres a rapist in town; hes been preying on the towns young women for years. Those are the three main issues that run through the book. However, there are plenty of sub-plots bootleg liquor and Sunday afternoon baseball games are two. I didnt figure out the rapist before the town learned his ID; the author didnt give clues.
Despite the plot described, this book moves at a very leisurely pace. Julie and Evan are pleasant and well-developed, but their situation isn't dramatic. I just happened to be in the right mood for a book of this type; others might find it too static for their tastes. 4 stars
As she does so well, Dorothy Garlock takes us on a leisurely trip through a small town (Fertile, Missouri) with a group of distinctive characters. Garlock describes small time life with such accuracy!
I would refer to this as a cozy book; not a great deal action occurs, but the plot is furthered by the characters themselves. After her mother dies, Julie Jones (at 15) stops attending school to take care of her 5 younger siblings. As the story opens, she is now 21.
The interaction between the siblings is delightful funny, scathing, caring. Julie comes to the attention of the returning war veteran Evan Johnson, who is the only child of the mean drunk of Fertile. Evans father spends much of his time frightening folks (especially girls) with his lewd remarks and threats.
As Evans interest in Julie becomes more pronounced, Julie cant believe that a world-traveler like Evan could be interested in her. To add a fly in the ointment, Birdie Stuart (an attractive young widow with a small child) sets her cap for Evan. When Evan resists Birdies charm, she searches for another victim Julies widowed father.
This part of the story takes up much of the book; the children are not opposed to their father remarrying but they do NOT want Birdie. The strain between the 6 siblings vs. their father is hard to watch. The reader, like the kids, realizes there is something not quite right about Birdie. When Mr. Jones invites Birdie to come for an extended visit, tension in the family builds.
Finally, theres a rapist in town; hes been preying on the towns young women for years. Those are the three main issues that run through the book. However, there are plenty of sub-plots bootleg liquor and Sunday afternoon baseball games are two. I didnt figure out the rapist before the town learned his ID; the author didnt give clues.
Despite the plot described, this book moves at a very leisurely pace. Julie and Evan are pleasant and well-developed, but their situation isn't dramatic. I just happened to be in the right mood for a book of this type; others might find it too static for their tastes. 4 stars
A touching story of two people at cross purposes who struggle to save their marriage in the depression era.
This was a great read. A little slow starting out but ended up being a really great story!
Recreation of the American heartland of the 1920's with the story of an extraordinary young woman and the fearful challenges she must face.
"Charming story...sprightly dialogue and convincing depiction of farm life." ~Publishers Weekly~
A light read, but draws one into the plot, - Julie Jones is a girl caught up in the Jazz age, and a mysterious crime spree in a small rural area.
I really enjoyed this book.
great author
Julie Jones, a young woman who lives on her father's Missouri farm, falls in love with a quiet, intelligent World War I veteran named Evan. Evan returns her love, but when he is falsely accused of murder, their love is threatened.
Julie Jones, a young woman who lives on her father's Missouri farm, falls in love with a quiet, intelligent World War I veteran named Evan. Evan returns her love, but when he is falsely accused of murder, their love is threatened.
Julie Jones is a plain girl working on her father's farm. She is not prepared for the Jazz age, roaring through America, sweeping a flapper named Birdie Stuart and war vetern Evan Johnson into her Missouri town.A wave of crimes threatens Evan's courtship od Julie and Birdie's schemes begin to tear her family apart. Soom everrything Julie believes in is at stake-including Evan's freedom-and Julie must decide how far she will go to fight for herself and those she loves.
The whole series was great!!
