Tending to Virginia

September 1, 1987
Letting go is the theme of McCorkle's funny, wise and accomplished third novel, following The Cheer Leader and July 7th. Virginia Suzanne Ballard is 28 years old, eight months pregnant and not at all sure she wants to leave her family and move "North'' (to Richmond) with her young lawyer husband. When stricken with toxemia, Ginny Sue is tended for a week by three generations of her family's women: Her favored grandmother Emily and great-aunt Lena, cantakerous and large-hearted widows not always willing to distinguish between past and present; her mother Hannah with her cousin Madge; and her own contemporary cousin Cindy, a brash and vulnerable, quick-spoken divorcee. Conversation among the women is woven of memories and half-remembered recollections, current misunderstandings, wishes, disappointments and a dark secret concerning Cindy's father, a Chevrolet salesman with an Egyptian obsession., With a sure touch and impeccable comic timing, McCorkle leads her characters to revelations and emotional relief during an afternoon when a tornado adds its own bit of havoc. As the family's history emerges from a flood of interrelated experiences, the narrative achieves coherent drama. This novel confirms McCorkle's place among other talented Southern storytellers. 25,000 first printing.

September 1, 1987
Fears and insecurities about her future and a sense of detachment from her present life drive young, married, pregnant Virginia Sue Turner Ballard to the people and places most familiar to her. Threatened by toxemia, Virginia stays at her grandmother's house for several weeks, surrounded by the women of her family. McCorkle takes us into the house as three generations of women unfold their secret dreams, wishes, disappointments, and experiences for the first time. With humor, mystery, and insight, she portrays the bonds that tie the women of a family together. Laced with Southern dialogue and a bit of folklore, Tending to Virginia is an important addition to the works of a promising new writer (The Cheerleader, July 7th ). Recommended for general fiction collections and academic collections featuring women's literature. Jeris Cassel, Rutgers Univ. Libs., New Brunswick, N.J.

Copyright 1987 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.