The Paragraph Ranch
Summary:
EVERY WRITER KNOWS YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN. But that's just what is required of West Texas expatriate Dee Bennett-Kaufmann when her mother is badly injured in a mysterious car accident. Single-again “Dr. Dee” has never been on the “A-team” in her trendy East Coast MFA program. When a prestigious summer fellowship gives her the chance to finally finish her book, salvage her career, and spend some quality time with her college-age daughter — Dee's certain her luck is about to change. Returning to care for her irascible, widowed mother threatens all of that. With so much at stake, Dee engineers a series of unorthodox strategies and creative tradeoffs to keep her options in play—and despite herself finds friendship, love, and the power of words in the unlikeliest of places. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
I loved this book. I found myself thinking about it while I wasn’t reading it and fascinated about Dee’s research. This is a fantastic example of a book with many focuses that was successfully pulled off without seeming scattered. The book covers Dee determining her next steps in life; her relationship with her occasionally spiteful mother, siblings and daughter; changing markets in Texas; and finding friendships in unexpected places. The book certainly has me motivated and interested to become a writer. The folks in Dee’s writing club were strong characters with interesting views and perspectives. I would certainly read a sequel that discussed the next steps for the paragraph ranch and budding romantic interest.
All in all, this was a great book that captured the beauty of the west without falling into clichés. Some times life takes you in unpredictable directions!
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of Sage’s Blog Tours.
Rating: 5 stars!
Who should read it? Aspiring writers, wild west fans and mother/daughter duos.