Palmetto Moon

August 1, 2014

It's June 1947 in Charleston, SC, and Vada Hadley is supposed to be getting married to local catch Justin McLeod--except that she really doesn't want to. So she decides to run away. Vada's flight, however, is brief, as she only runs 50 miles to the tiny town of Round O, where she knows a teaching job is available. She befriends a widow in her rooming house and begins a relationship with diner owner Frank Darling; being a regular person instead of one of the Charleston Hadleys seems to be working for her. Vada encounters various bumps along the way, the final one being a choice between Charleston and her new life in Round O. The novel is steeped in Southern atmosphere, with regional recipes included in the back of the book. It has a midcentury setting but many of the characters exhibit more modern attitudes. If readers can overlook those social anachronisms, they may enjoy this sweetly predictable tale. VERDICT A vintage-feeling read from Boykin (The Wisdom of Hair) that may appeal to fans of Sarah Addison Allen or Fannie Flagg. Charming in its way but slightly forced in its plotting.--Melanie Kindrachuk, Stratford P.L., Ont.

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