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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.
Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.
When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.
The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.
My thoughts on this book so far:
I love this story! It's unique and it's riveting and Essie Mae is a hoot to read about. I love the voice and the story is interesting and even a bit weird (in a Southern way) which is what I find particularly enjoyable about it. I know for certain I'll finish this book because I just started it Monday and I'm already up to Chapter 16 (page 96) and it's been a fun ride so far. No kidding!
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2 comments:
Her theology leaves a little to be desired...curious about your final take on this one...
Thanks for reading, Michelle! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And Deena, I appreciate your comments too. Though the book introduces some things you may not agree with, I hope it has proven to be thought-provoking.
I don't claim to be a theologian, just hopefully, a unique storyteller who points people's eyes upward. I tend to think God can do the rest from there.
Blessings to you both!
Nicole
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