Kissing Babies at the Piggly Wiggly

May 21, 2007
Dalby's sequel to Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly
revisits the offbeat Mississippi Delta town of Second Creek, where mayor Floyce Hammontree, once the “new blood” the town needed and now a corrupt manipulator, is outraged that Choppy Dunbar, the “seventyish” former owner of the local Piggly Wiggly and a novice to “the down and dirty business of local politics,” is running against him in the upcoming mayoral race. Working to help Mr. Choppy's campaign are newlyweds Powell and Laurie Hampton and the Nitwitts (wealthy widows with social standing and influence). Although charming and energetic, this polite band of earnest do-gooders faces a formidable battle against the slick Floyce, who still has some favors to call in. Meanwhile, Mr. Choppy's long-lost love reappears at a critical moment, and he is determined to keep her. On election night, unusually stormy weather delays the announcement of the winner, which should be no surprise. Dalby brings the story neatly together, but the novel's pacing suffers from the drawn-out and overly cute conversations, which turn the characters into caricatures. Dalby lays on thick the cartoonish Southern quirkiness.

July 1, 2007
The Nitwits of Second Creek, Mississippi, are back. These feisty, southern widows may have a new president for their little group, butwidow turned newlywed Laurie Lepanto Hampton is still in the thick of it. Mr. Choppy, the former owner of the Piggly Wiggly, has the inspired idea to run for mayor of the small town. Admittedly a shy man with no political experience, he calls on Laurie and her husbandto help with his campaign againstthe good-old-boyincumbentand the hopeful Floyce Hammontree, a lounge singer. With the help of the Nitwits, Mr. Choppys campaign begins to give his opponents a run for their money. With everything going for him, an old flame and some unusual weather could yet induce Mr. Choppys downfall. Not to worry, though, things in Second Creek have a way of righting themselves. Once again, Dalby tells a sweet story with an all-but-poetic style that captures the flavor of the South and holds the attention of readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)