The Sweet Taste of Muscadines
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- Create Date：2021-03-20 04:12:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Pamela Terry
- ISBN：0593158458
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Summary
A woman returns to her small southern hometown in the wake of her mother's sudden death--only to find the past upended by stunning family secrets--in this intimate debut novel， written with deep compassion and sharp wit。
Lila Bruce Breedlove never quite felt at home in Wesleyan， Georgia， especially after her father's untimely demise when she was a child。 Both Lila and her brother， Henry， fled north after high school， establishing fulfilling lives of their own。 In contrast， their younger sister， Abigail， opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering， larger-than-life mother， Geneva。 Yet despite their independence， Lila and Henry know deep down that they've never quite reckoned with their upbringing。
When their elderly mother dies suddenly and suspiciously in the muscadine arbor behind the family estate， Lila and Henry return to the town that essentially raised them。 But as they uncover more about Geneva's death， shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family's history as they know it， sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives。 The Sweet Taste of Muscadines reminds us all that true love never dies。
Lila Bruce Breedlove never quite felt at home in Wesleyan， Georgia， especially after her father's untimely demise when she was a child。 Both Lila and her brother， Henry， fled north after high school， establishing fulfilling lives of their own。 In contrast， their younger sister， Abigail， opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering， larger-than-life mother， Geneva。 Yet despite their independence， Lila and Henry know deep down that they've never quite reckoned with their upbringing。
When their elderly mother dies suddenly and suspiciously in the muscadine arbor behind the family estate， Lila and Henry return to the town that essentially raised them。 But as they uncover more about Geneva's death， shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family's history as they know it， sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives。 The Sweet Taste of Muscadines reminds us all that true love never dies。
Reviews
Catie LeMar
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When Lila gets the call that her mother has unexpectedly passed away， she is forced to go back home to a place she would rather forget。 Once there， she and her brother uncover unsettling information that tilts their world on its axis。 It turns out their mother held secrets that would change their world forever。Beautifully written， the book follows Lila as she works through everything she thought she knew to make peace with what turns out to be reality。 Set in the south and then later in Scotland When Lila gets the call that her mother has unexpectedly passed away， she is forced to go back home to a place she would rather forget。 Once there， she and her brother uncover unsettling information that tilts their world on its axis。 It turns out their mother held secrets that would change their world forever。Beautifully written， the book follows Lila as she works through everything she thought she knew to make peace with what turns out to be reality。 Set in the south and then later in Scotland， the descriptions of the scenery are amazing and really make you feel like you are there。Heart wrenching as much as it is uplifting， I highly recommend The Sweet Taste of Muscadines。 Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tamara
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Title: The Sweet Taste of MuscadinesAuthor: Pamela TerryGenre: Southern fictionRating: 5 out of 5I love the voice in this！ Granted， Southern fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres， but the voice is phenomenal。 The author does a wonderful job of portraying life in a southern town—with all its vivid， memorable characters—as well as the beauty of Scotland and its people。 Honestly， I cannot say enough good things about this。 Just go read it！ （Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exch Title: The Sweet Taste of MuscadinesAuthor: Pamela TerryGenre: Southern fictionRating: 5 out of 5I love the voice in this！ Granted， Southern fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres， but the voice is phenomenal。 The author does a wonderful job of portraying life in a southern town—with all its vivid， memorable characters—as well as the beauty of Scotland and its people。 Honestly， I cannot say enough good things about this。 Just go read it！ （Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Valerie Weber
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If you are looking for a feel good read， “The Sweet Taste of Muscadines” is the book for you。 The book is about love， forgiveness and living your true life。 I throughly enjoyed this book。Thank you #NetGalley， #RandomHouse and #PamelaTerry for the advance readers copy of this book for my honest review。
Amy
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I enjoyed reading The Sweet Taste of Muscadines。 I would love to read more by Pamela Terry in the future。 Five stars。
Sherri Puzey
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38 // “Once again the old longing for home was whispering， but for the life of me I just didn’t know where home was。”THE SWEET TASTE OF MUSCADINES centers around siblings who come back to their Southern hometown as adults when their mother suddenly passes away。 the story unfolds amidst family drama， secrets， and scandal， giving the book great pacing and making it a really entertaining read。 I am always drawn to stories that feature sibling relationships， so I loved that aspect of this book。 I wa 38 // “Once again the old longing for home was whispering， but for the life of me I just didn’t know where home was。”THE SWEET TASTE OF MUSCADINES centers around siblings who come back to their Southern hometown as adults when their mother suddenly passes away。 the story unfolds amidst family drama， secrets， and scandal， giving the book great pacing and making it a really entertaining read。 I am always drawn to stories that feature sibling relationships， so I loved that aspect of this book。 I was also so drawn to how @pamelaandedward wrote about the South。 she captures the beautiful parts of it without shying away from the ugly parts， and I found it to be so true to life。 I highlighted so many great passages on grief and the complexities of home and belonging。 I enjoyed this debut novel， but I really loved part one of the book in particular。 4/5⭐️—I liked it！ thank you to @randomhouse and @netgalley for the digital copy of this book！ 。。。more
Jennifer Ritter
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The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is the debut novel of emerging author Pamela Terry。 This is a very original story。 Although， honestly， it didn’t capture me immediately， when it did I was in 200%， trying to keep my eyes open late into the night because I would rather read than sleep， not wanting to be separated from these wonderful characters！An early morning phone call brings the sad news that Geneva Bruce has died。 When her youngest daughter， Abigail， calls older sister， Lila， to tell her， she al The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is the debut novel of emerging author Pamela Terry。 This is a very original story。 Although， honestly， it didn’t capture me immediately， when it did I was in 200%， trying to keep my eyes open late into the night because I would rather read than sleep， not wanting to be separated from these wonderful characters！An early morning phone call brings the sad news that Geneva Bruce has died。 When her youngest daughter， Abigail， calls older sister， Lila， to tell her， she also relays the very unusual circumstances where she found their mother face down under the muscadine arbor very early that morning。 Lila and their brother， Henry， fly to Atlanta to drive on to join the family in Wesleyan， Georgia。 As the story unfolds， the reader discovers a multilayered story and how Geneva has orchestrated so much of their lives without regard for her children’s needs or feelings。 Above all， appearances matter！ Her children seem to be secondary。Lila escaped from home when she went to college， met， and married a college professor much her senior and then settled in Maine。 Henry also went away to college and ended up with his own art gallery in Rhode Island， settling with his boyfriend and renowned artist Andrew Gant。 Abby is the only one to stay in their hometown and is closest to their mother， although it was Geneva that separated Abby from the one she loved。Ever since their father reportedly died at the hand of a sniper’s bullet in a jungle half a world away， their mother had been distant， especially to Lila and Henry。 When Lila and Henry discover what was under the muscadine arbor， it leads them to find answers where they didn’t even know before that there were questions。 This is one of the best books I have read this year！ If this is a debut novel I can only imagine what wonderful things Pamela Terry has in store in the future for her readers！ I very much enjoyed this beautiful story and I do recommend it！ 。。。more
Eileen Hutton
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When their elderly mother dies suddenly， found among the dense vines of the muscadine arbor behind the family estate， Lila Bruce Breedlove and her brother Henry must travel back to the insular Southern town they left behind。 But as they uncover more about Geneva's death， shocking truths are revealed that upend the Bruces' history as they know it， sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives。With deep compassion and sharp wit When their elderly mother dies suddenly， found among the dense vines of the muscadine arbor behind the family estate， Lila Bruce Breedlove and her brother Henry must travel back to the insular Southern town they left behind。 But as they uncover more about Geneva's death， shocking truths are revealed that upend the Bruces' history as they know it， sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives。With deep compassion and sharp wit， Pamela Terry brings to life the culture and expectations of a community that values appearance over authenticity--and where the struggle to live honestly can lead to devastating consequences。This novel will be the talk of every book club。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Monica
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This book is about the family secrets we all wish to keep。 Lila comes back to her small town to bury her mother。 What she finds when she does will shock all in the family。 I really liked the relationship between brother and sister， Lila and Henry。 The secrets were shocking to say the least and it was interesting to learn about each one。 I think in the end the answers were better knowing than not knowing。 I am leaving this review voluntarily after being sent a free book。
Nancy
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A Beautifully Written Southern StoryLila， her brother Henry， and sister Abigail grew up in Wesleyan， George， a lovely Southern town。 Lila and Henry never felt comfortable with the constricted atmosphere， particularly after their beloved father’s death when they were very young。 They both headed north。 Lila married and moved to an island off the coast of Maine where she remained after her husband’s death。 Henry went to New York。 Abigail felt differently and stayed to become her rather rigid mothe A Beautifully Written Southern StoryLila， her brother Henry， and sister Abigail grew up in Wesleyan， George， a lovely Southern town。 Lila and Henry never felt comfortable with the constricted atmosphere， particularly after their beloved father’s death when they were very young。 They both headed north。 Lila married and moved to an island off the coast of Maine where she remained after her husband’s death。 Henry went to New York。 Abigail felt differently and stayed to become her rather rigid mother Geneva’s best friend。 When their mother dies suddenly， Lila and Henry reluctantly return home。 They’re shocked to find out that their mother died in the muscadine grove with a digging spoon in her hand。 As the siblings seek to discover the reason for Geneva’s uncharacteristic behavior they uncover long held secrets that change their perception of their childhood。 This is a beautifully written book。 From the descriptions of the small Georgia town to the chill landscape of an island off the coast of Ireland the details are so alive that you feel as if you’ve known these places and want to go back。 I hated putting the book down because I missed the vivid atmosphere。The characters are well written。 Each sibling has their own characteristics and demons。 They are quite different， but by the end of the book I felt like they were family。 I particularly liked Lila。 I liked her independence and they way she made her own decisions such as becoming a weaver and remaining in Maine。 I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review。 。。。more
Janet Graham
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Epic Story of Family Secrets， Lies， and LoveI loved this book。 The first of the book is so slow， wordy， and maybe tiresome。 But it is the calm before the storm。 In setting the scene so thoroughly， we are encompassed in the Southern Way。 In a world where politeness masks the knife in your back and pretending not to notice the elephant in the room allows you to gossip later。 A land where one has to fit in on the surface or be shunned out of existence。 Suddenly， the story turns on its axis and we a Epic Story of Family Secrets， Lies， and LoveI loved this book。 The first of the book is so slow， wordy， and maybe tiresome。 But it is the calm before the storm。 In setting the scene so thoroughly， we are encompassed in the Southern Way。 In a world where politeness masks the knife in your back and pretending not to notice the elephant in the room allows you to gossip later。 A land where one has to fit in on the surface or be shunned out of existence。 Suddenly， the story turns on its axis and we are as sucked into the void as the characters are。 Their lives are turned upside-down and they struggle to make sense of it all。 What a rollercoaster of emotion！ I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Alex Curtis
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The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is a debut novel by author Pamela Terry- but- it doesn’t read like a new novel。 The writing flows in this slow starting novel about three very different siblings and the mystery they uncover when they get together after their mother dies unexpectedly。Wow， I loved it。 one of my favorites of 2021。
Teri Griffis
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This is an interesting book about family and family secrets。 The plot entwines the lives of the two kids who moved away after school and the sister that stayed home to care for their cantankerous mother。 The two return home after their mother's death and come face to face with things they knew nothing about。 Well written with engaging characters。 This is an interesting book about family and family secrets。 The plot entwines the lives of the two kids who moved away after school and the sister that stayed home to care for their cantankerous mother。 The two return home after their mother's death and come face to face with things they knew nothing about。 Well written with engaging characters。 。。。more
Erika Dunn
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I requested to read and review this book from Ballantine Books。 This is the first book I have read by author Pamela Terry。 This is a powerful story about family。 Sometimes the things we remember as a child can be different then as an adult。 And all families have their quirks。 Family secrets have a way of coming out and some knew sooner then what you think。 And sometimes a lie changes the course of time。 This book traveled to some great places， the South， Maine and overseas！
Donna Davis
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Pamela Terry’s debut novel， The Sweet Taste of Muscadines， had me at hello。 My great thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the review copy。 You can buy it now。 Lila Bruce Breedlove （I even love the characters’ names） hasn’t gone home to Georgia in a good long while， and it’s not accidental， either。 Her home in Maine with her dogs and fond memories of her late husband are the furthest thing from her mama’s censorious gaze and the smallminded thinking of the people of Wesleyan， G Pamela Terry’s debut novel， The Sweet Taste of Muscadines， had me at hello。 My great thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the review copy。 You can buy it now。 Lila Bruce Breedlove （I even love the characters’ names） hasn’t gone home to Georgia in a good long while， and it’s not accidental， either。 Her home in Maine with her dogs and fond memories of her late husband are the furthest thing from her mama’s censorious gaze and the smallminded thinking of the people of Wesleyan， Georgia。 But now Mama has been found facedown in the Muscadine arbor， and Lila knows there’s nothing else to do。 She packs her bag， gets a friend to look after the dogs， and buys a ticket。 Her brother Henry， who has also made a permanent home up north， does the same， but he advises his life partner， Andrew， to stay put。 Their sister， Abigail， is the lone family member that didn’t flee。 She and Mama were best friends， as they told everyone constantly， including Lila and Henry。 Still， duty calls。 It wouldn’t be fair to leave Abigail to do this on her own。 The whole story is told by Lila in the first person limited。 I find this refreshing。 The tone is intimate， confidential at times， and downright conspiratorial at others。 Lila lets us know that “Growing up in the South is not for the faint of heart…When you’re the slightest bit different， you stand out like a monkey in a chorus line。” Before they’ve even touched down， Lila and Henry have questions。 For example， why was Mama in the Muscadines at all？ The arbor is nowhere near the house， and she never chose to visit it when she was a younger woman。 It had been Lila’s special place。 Once they arrive in Georgia， they confront more questions， and though not all of them are answered， a plethora of surprises greet them， some of them hilarious， others shocking。 Lila tells us that“Secrets are spilled at southern funerals。 Death， particularly when its inevitability has been ignored for generations， possesses a power to snap diffidence and dignity right in two， causing those left behind to be overcome with the need to unburden their consciences before they themselves are found sleeping in a slick， shiny coffin in their best Sunday suit。”The first surprise， it turns out， is that Geneva Bruce left an advance directive specifying no funeral at all upon her demise， which she had known to be imminent。 For the widow of a Southern Baptist Georgia preacher to bail from her own funeral is unheard of！ However， the lack of a proper funeral does not， cannot prevent family secrets from unspooling， and some of them are bombshells， too。 Terry is a gifted wordsmith， and her figurative language is original and at times， drop dead funny。 The pacing never flags， and the transitions that take us from raucous levity， to bittersweet reflection， to aching sorrow， and then back again are buttery smooth。 It was like hearing from my best friend。 I generally read several books at a time， but this one proved to be the one I read when I would not be interrupted， and I was sorry to see it end。 It was only at about the eighty percent mark that I realized that one of my least favorite elements was included here， that of the Bad Mama。 This is a trend right now， and I’m ready to be done with it。 Novelists far and wide have enjoyed crafting stories centered around unworthy mothers， and when I see one coming in advance， I consider it a deal-breaker。 But almost any device， character， or plot point can be forgiven when a novel is of exceptional quality， and that is what I see here。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Arlena Dean
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Title: The Sweet Taste of MuscadinesAuthor: Pamela TerryPublisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"The Sweet Taste of Muscadines" by Pamela TerryMy Opinion: 'The Sweet Taste of Muscadines' was indeed a delightful， good family mystery read that will keep you turning the pages in this southern drama。 I enjoyed how Lia finally found answers that would give her the peace she so needed。 The story really turned from an unexpected death that would Title: The Sweet Taste of MuscadinesAuthor: Pamela TerryPublisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Reviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"The Sweet Taste of Muscadines" by Pamela TerryMy Opinion: 'The Sweet Taste of Muscadines' was indeed a delightful， good family mystery read that will keep you turning the pages in this southern drama。 I enjoyed how Lia finally found answers that would give her the peace she so needed。 The story really turned from an unexpected death that would lead Lila and Henry to Scotland to get all of the answers needed to complete this well-told story。 One thing to get out of this story was that one never knows about one's kinfolk and when the secrets come rolling out！ I will say that 'The Sweet Taste Of Muscadines' will pull one 'in just like the taste of sweet tea and southern charm。' So be prepared for a read about a 'family， their history， drama， and oh yes， dysfunction' in one way or another。 。。。more
Susan
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I loved this book。 I was born and raised in the south so a lot of the book touched home。 After her mother dies of course secrets start coming out。 Why was she out in the arbor， why did no one know she was sick and what was she doing with the spoon。 Finding out all the answers makes this a sweet story and touches home with real people。 I highly recommend this book。
Letty
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（4。5/5） What a wonderful debut novel。 I loved the characters and the settings， and the writing was beautifully done。 A little humor amidst the grief of the death of a mother， and a bit of mystery as well that was quite entertaining。 This was a great southern read that kept me captivated from the very start。 Very moving and showed how important family really is。 I highly recommend this book。A big thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the review copy。
Debra
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"Seems you're always braver the farther you are from home。"Lila Breedlove and her brother， Henry return to their hometown of Wesleyan， Georgia after learning of the sudden death of their mother。 While Lilia and Henry both moved North， their younger sister， Abigail （Abby） stayed behind with their mother。 As they begin to learn more about their mother's death， they learn more about their family's history， its secrets， and surprising truths。 "Maybe home is more something you carry inside of y "Seems you're always braver the farther you are from home。"Lila Breedlove and her brother， Henry return to their hometown of Wesleyan， Georgia after learning of the sudden death of their mother。 While Lilia and Henry both moved North， their younger sister， Abigail （Abby） stayed behind with their mother。 As they begin to learn more about their mother's death， they learn more about their family's history， its secrets， and surprising truths。 "Maybe home is more something you carry inside of you than the ground on which you stand。"What a wonderful debut novel which touches on many issues such as family， religion， expectations， love， acceptance， judgement， home， forgiveness， the consequence of actions， and secrets。 The tail is carefully woven between the past， growing up and the present。 The characters will grow on you and their tale was pleasing。 Plus， that cover！ I really enjoyed the pace of this book and how secrets and truths came into play。 Like a beautifully woven tapestry， this book was put together with care。 There are some aha moments and some quiet moments where you want to give the characters a hug for their care for each other。 Home is a resounding theme。 I loved this aspect of the book。 The Sweet Taste of the Muscadines is beautifully written and well plotted。 When I finished this book， I leaned back and let out a sign of content。 It's always nice to read an enjoyable book。I hope to read more of Pamela Terry's work in the future。 Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more
Anne
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The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is a sweet story of a family trying to function in a time when homosexuality is a topic not spoken of and the mother ran the family with an iron fist。 There are three grown siblings， around 40: Henry， Abby， and Lila。 The story is told from Lila's point of view。 Her mother was a widow and had raised the three of them by herself。 She was a Southern lady and she wanted her daughters to be Southern ladies as well。 Only one was。 Lila and Henry had gotten The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is a sweet story of a family trying to function in a time when homosexuality is a topic not spoken of and the mother ran the family with an iron fist。 There are three grown siblings， around 40: Henry， Abby， and Lila。 The story is told from Lila's point of view。 Her mother was a widow and had raised the three of them by herself。 She was a Southern lady and she wanted her daughters to be Southern ladies as well。 Only one was。 Lila and Henry had gotten away from home as soon as they were able， both going to art school。 Lila met her husband there， by accident。 He was older and a widower and they spent 22 happy years together until he died unexpectedly of a stroke。 Now she lived by herself in their home in Maine， working as a weaver， along with her friend Maureen to raised the sheep from which the wool came， and generally ran their business。 She had been in marketing。 One day the phone rang: it was Abby telling her their mother had died。 Lila arranged with Henry to meet at the airport upon their arrivals and drive home together。 Henry had left his significant other， Andrew， behind， as he knew there would not be a warm welcome for him in this town。 By putting together a series of clues， Lila and Henry unraveled family secrets kept for decades。 Despite having been reared in a largely dysfunctional household， Lila and Henry had positive relationships and good friends。 Although their mother had been controlling， they had largely escaped her。 Not so for Abby， who was different than the two of them and had been her mother's best friend， living as her mother wished rather than how she wished。 Upon her mother's death， Abby went nuts: dyed her hair red， bought totally inappropriate clothing， and got drunk。 She got so drunk she said things at the get-together that opened the doors to just how dysfunctional the family was。 It really was a mess， but all Lila and Henry worked together to ferret out of secrets their mother had held and dragged Abby back to sanity and happiness。 There were surprises ahead， for all of them。 This was a compelling story about secrets and the damage they can do。 Somehow， getting away from home brought sanity back into the lives of Lila and Henry so that when the secrets revealed themselves， the two of them were mature enough， and well adjusted enough to manage them。 It was a thoughtful and intelligent read。 There is so much more to say。 I truly enjoyed it。I was invited to read The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Netgalley。 All opinions and thoughts are my own。 #netgalley #thesweettasteofmuscadines 。。。more
Judy
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This is the story of Lila and her family。 What an interesting story it is！ Growing up in the south in a small town can be an adventure in itself。 Throw in being a preacher’s kid and there you go。 This is only the beginning for Lila， Henry and Abigail and the ups and downs of their family。 I loved their story and could feel their emotions。 I enjoyed how true to life this story is and I’m sure many families have dealt with similar situations and secrets themselves。 I really didn’t want it to end b This is the story of Lila and her family。 What an interesting story it is！ Growing up in the south in a small town can be an adventure in itself。 Throw in being a preacher’s kid and there you go。 This is only the beginning for Lila， Henry and Abigail and the ups and downs of their family。 I loved their story and could feel their emotions。 I enjoyed how true to life this story is and I’m sure many families have dealt with similar situations and secrets themselves。 I really didn’t want it to end because I liked hanging out with them。 I especially enjoyed the relationship between Lila and Henry。 I think you will enjoy their story also。 I received this book from NetGalley， but my opinion is my own。 I love finding new to me authors。 Don’t be afraid to try an author you haven’t read or even heard of。 You may just find a new favorite。 。。。more
Sherrie
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The sweet taste of Muscadines are truly sweet， they are grapes grown on vines in vineyards; they are used for sweet wine， jams and jellies。 This story takes place in a small town， in the southeast。 With mystery and secrets as three adult children return to the vineyard as their mother has died - in the vineyard。 I found this debut book to be as inviting as a "slow" southern story which is beautifully written。 I really enjoyed this book as well as the characters。 Thank you #NetGalley The sweet taste of Muscadines are truly sweet， they are grapes grown on vines in vineyards; they are used for sweet wine， jams and jellies。 This story takes place in a small town， in the southeast。 With mystery and secrets as three adult children return to the vineyard as their mother has died - in the vineyard。 I found this debut book to be as inviting as a "slow" southern story which is beautifully written。 I really enjoyed this book as well as the characters。 Thank you #NetGalley 。。。more
Janice
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If you want to read a well-written "after-a-funeral" story filled with secrets， adventure， suspense， and friendship， read this book。 Ms。 Terry gives it all。 I found myself reading with a drawl in parts。Thanks to Goodreads and Ballantine Books for a great read。 If you want to read a well-written "after-a-funeral" story filled with secrets， adventure， suspense， and friendship， read this book。 Ms。 Terry gives it all。 I found myself reading with a drawl in parts。Thanks to Goodreads and Ballantine Books for a great read。 。。。more
Gloria
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This is a well written， deep， thought provoking， and emotional story。 I found myself rereading sentences to make sure that I understood what the author was saying。 It is not a story to skim over。 Lila Bruce Breedlove grew up in a small Georgia town but now lives in Maine where she is a successful weaver。 When her younger sister Abby calls in tears that she has found their mother dead， she and her brother Henry， who owns an art gallery in Rhode Island， fly to Atlanta and meet in the airport to dr This is a well written， deep， thought provoking， and emotional story。 I found myself rereading sentences to make sure that I understood what the author was saying。 It is not a story to skim over。 Lila Bruce Breedlove grew up in a small Georgia town but now lives in Maine where she is a successful weaver。 When her younger sister Abby calls in tears that she has found their mother dead， she and her brother Henry， who owns an art gallery in Rhode Island， fly to Atlanta and meet in the airport to drive home together。 When they arrive they find that Abby is not herself， not handling things well at all。 Their mother didn't want a funeral so they decided to have a reception at the family home where the family is showered with kindness and love。 This is a story that I went into without knowing much about it and so I don't want to talk about it too much except to say that there are many mysterious issues and family secrets that Lila and Henry work to unravel about their family， in particular their parents。 Their father was pastor of the Baptist church until he joined the Army as chaplain， only to die in action when the children were all young。 Told from Lila's point of view， she came to realize is that you have to separate God from religion to see His love。 Home is more something that you carry inside more than the ground on which you stand。 While not a religious story per se， this is a story of healing and forgiveness。 I received a complimentary ARC from Ballentine Books through NetGalley。 All thoughts and opinions are mine only。 。。。more
Jeanne
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Lila leaves her small town of Wesleyan to go to college and her brother， Henry， follows two years later。 They both know they aren't going to go back as it never really felt like home since their father was killed in the war。 Lila marries an older man and as a young widow she lives in coastal Maine and has become a master weaver。 Henry runs an art gallery。 They get a call from their youngest sister， Abigail， that she found their mother dead in the muscadine arbor with a spoon in her hand。 Henry a Lila leaves her small town of Wesleyan to go to college and her brother， Henry， follows two years later。 They both know they aren't going to go back as it never really felt like home since their father was killed in the war。 Lila marries an older man and as a young widow she lives in coastal Maine and has become a master weaver。 Henry runs an art gallery。 They get a call from their youngest sister， Abigail， that she found their mother dead in the muscadine arbor with a spoon in her hand。 Henry and Lila fly home for the funeral only to have it revealed that she didn't want a funeral。 I loved this book。 There was humor in it even though it was a funeral。 There was a mystery as the siblings try to figure out what their mother was doing in the arbor in the middle of the night。 All kinds of secrets come to light。 Abigail wasn't as well defined as Henry and Lila but I sure wish I could have been at that funeral to smell all the flowers， experience the southern ladies bringing food and providing for the family。 The second half of the book takes place in Scotland and again there was a wonderful sense of place。 I looked forward to reading this book as soon as I received it。 I was just so intrigued by that blue door on the cover。 It did not disappoint。 Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with my copy。 。。。more
Kate Gnade
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I received an advanced reader copy of The Sweet Taste of Muscadines from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books via NetGalley， in return for my honest opinion。The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is a story about family， identity and societal pressures。 Lila Breedlove grew up feeling oppressed in the town of Wesleyan， Georgia and fled shortly after graduating high school。 The day after Lila’s sister， Abigail， calls to tell her their mother， Geneva， has died Lila and her brothe I received an advanced reader copy of The Sweet Taste of Muscadines from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books via NetGalley， in return for my honest opinion。The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry is a story about family， identity and societal pressures。 Lila Breedlove grew up feeling oppressed in the town of Wesleyan， Georgia and fled shortly after graduating high school。 The day after Lila’s sister， Abigail， calls to tell her their mother， Geneva， has died Lila and her brother， Henry， return to Wesleyan。As Lila， Henry and Abigail gather to take care of Geneva’s final wishes， they’ll learn that Geneva had quite a few shocking secrets， that leave these siblings questioning their childhood memories and searching for answers。This was an excellent story filled with fantastic characters and scenery。 If you’re looking for a feel good， family story look no further- The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is available now。#pamelaterry #thesweettasteofmuscadines #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #fiction #fictionbooks #readin2021 #ballantinebooks #randomhousepublishinggroup #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholicFor more of my reviews visit https://www。facebook。com/groups/Whatt。。。 or http://whatthebook-reviews。tumblr。com/ or follow me on Instagram @whatthebook__。 。。。more
Mary
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After her father’s death in Vietnam when Lila was a child， she and her younger brother Henry found some solace in the muscadine arbor out behind the house。 With their mother behaving so coldly towards them， while doting on their younger sister Abigail， both Lila and Henry were determined to forge their own paths， leaving Wesleyan， Georgia far behind。 Abigail， though， stayed in town， caring for their mother in her old age while working full time as a receptionist for the local dentist。It was Abig After her father’s death in Vietnam when Lila was a child， she and her younger brother Henry found some solace in the muscadine arbor out behind the house。 With their mother behaving so coldly towards them， while doting on their younger sister Abigail， both Lila and Henry were determined to forge their own paths， leaving Wesleyan， Georgia far behind。 Abigail， though， stayed in town， caring for their mother in her old age while working full time as a receptionist for the local dentist。It was Abigail who found their mother’s body， face down in the muscadine arbor， inexplicably with a dented soup spoon in her hand。 The spoon was one that their mother had given to Lila for her garden years earlier， as Geneva Bruce would never accept anything that was less than perfect in her life。 It fell to Lila and Henry， after returning to Wesleyan， to solve the mystery of why their mother was in the arbor in the middle of the night， and why she was carrying the spoon。 This debut novel by Pamela Terry has mystery， secrets， love， and loyalty， along with a strong sense of tradition old and new。 Lila is a strong woman， who has survived the loss of her husband as well as her father， while her brother Henry is well aware his sexual orientation was not something that would have been accepted in Wesleyan while he was growing up。 I loved the way they worked together， methodically searching for the answers that were hidden from them so long ago。 The descriptions were beautifully written and made it easy to imagine the sights and sounds， and I was drawn into the story from the beginning。 This was a great read， and I will definitely be looking for more from this author。My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Paula
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A Powerful story！ The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry may be a fictional story but it reads like historical one a beautifully written one。 Wesleyan， Georgia could be any place here in the South。 The land， the love， the friendships are as much a part of my personal memories those of the characters in the story。 Along with that is also the memoires of the worry about being gossiped about， the misuse of Bible quotes， home as it really was and pretending it is all perfect。 So real。Told thr A Powerful story！ The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry may be a fictional story but it reads like historical one a beautifully written one。 Wesleyan， Georgia could be any place here in the South。 The land， the love， the friendships are as much a part of my personal memories those of the characters in the story。 Along with that is also the memoires of the worry about being gossiped about， the misuse of Bible quotes， home as it really was and pretending it is all perfect。 So real。Told through the oldest sister’s perspective， it is the youngest sister， Abby whose actions echo Miranda Lambert’s “This ain’t your mama’s broken heart！” Then Henry， like many men is just trying to get through it with some grace， wisdom and dignity。 Some revelation within the story were expected， many were just as surprising to me as it was to these three siblings。 What a reminder， that while truth may not always set us free， lies always leave casualties。An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Reeca Elliott
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Lila and Henry have returned home because of their mother’s death。 Not only is this a tragedy itself， but they discover a family secret their mother kept hidden for nearly 30 years。 This changes their lives and their sister， Geneva’s life forever。I loved every single character in this story。。heck！ I know half of them。 They all live in my town。 The author nailed the south！ I love it when they get it right。 And Pamela Terry got it right。There is also a lot of wisdom in this read。 Not only did it h Lila and Henry have returned home because of their mother’s death。 Not only is this a tragedy itself， but they discover a family secret their mother kept hidden for nearly 30 years。 This changes their lives and their sister， Geneva’s life forever。I loved every single character in this story。。heck！ I know half of them。 They all live in my town。 The author nailed the south！ I love it when they get it right。 And Pamela Terry got it right。There is also a lot of wisdom in this read。 Not only did it have me laughing out loud， it had me thinking about so many misconceptions。 The story starts out kind of quirky and funny， then it takes a turn toward seriousness。 I am trying to be careful because I do not want to give anything away。 But this is a book you do not want to miss！Need a unique read…this one is it！ Grab your copy today。I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion。 。。。more
Linda Beilstein
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Read through NetGalley。 This was an incredible book that I greatly enjoyed。 A woman and her brother return to their Southern hometown after the death of their mother and discover some pretty life-changing truths about their childhood。 The plot itself was very good but what I really enjoyed was the way the author described "stuff" whether it be locations， things or feelings。 I started to highlight some examples that really spoke to me to use in my review and found that I was highlighting somethin Read through NetGalley。 This was an incredible book that I greatly enjoyed。 A woman and her brother return to their Southern hometown after the death of their mother and discover some pretty life-changing truths about their childhood。 The plot itself was very good but what I really enjoyed was the way the author described "stuff" whether it be locations， things or feelings。 I started to highlight some examples that really spoke to me to use in my review and found that I was highlighting something on almost every page。 Obviously that would be too much to quote so here is just one example。 "Every house is haunted。 Some are haunted in the traditional way: by spirits generally more mischievous than malevolent， who take delight in closing the open door， rocking the empty chair， or snuffing out the flaming candle， unfortunate souls who failed to squeeze enough enjoyment out of their paltry allotment of days to sufficiently satisfy their eternity。 Most， however， are haunted by our own memories: bits of ourselves， individual and unique， left behind and lying dormant for decades but with the power to quicken and breathe the moment we step back inside。" A few years ago I had to clean out and sell my childhood home and this is exactly how I felt as I was going through that process。 There are many more examples of descriptive passages in this book but you will just have to read it for yourself to experience them。 I highly recommend that you do。 。。。more
Andrea Johnson
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