Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

April 30, 2012
In Gilmore’s novel, set in Ringgold, Ga., in the early 1970s, preacher’s daughter Catherine Grace Cline longs to escape smalltown life and move to Atlanta. With a little help from a friend, she does just that—only to be called back home because of a family emergency. Back in Ringgold, Catherine Grace is forced to examine her life and her changing town—and determine just where she wants to call home. Narrator Tavia Gilbert delivers a winning performance in this audio edition. She ably captures the spirit of the text and its stubborn but smart protagonist. Gilbert’s chirpy narration is well paced and conversational, infused with a Southern drawl. Listeners looking for a Southern-fried coming-of-age tale about love and loss and family will not be disappointed. A Broadway paperback.

March 1, 2008
Adult/High School-What is a teen with huge aspirations to do while living in a small town in the early 70s? Catherine Grace Clines highlight every week is licking her Dilly Bar at the local Dairy Queen as she longs for the big-city life of Atlanta. As she dreams of leaving Ringgold, GA, population 1932, Catherine deals with her single father, who is a Baptist preacher; younger sister, Martha Ann; doting family friend, Gloria Jean; nosy neighbors; high school gossip; and a boyfriend, Hank. Eventually, and with high hopes, Catherine Grace boards the Greyhound. Through a series of letters from Martha Ann, readers learn about Catherine Graces Atlanta happenings and missed events back home. When she returns to Ringgold because of a tragedy, startling, personal events change her perspective and her heart for this small town, and she soon reflects that maybe its the best place to live after all. Gilmore engages teens with true-to-life family dynamics and life in a small town; secondary characters add to the storys authenticity. Look for future literary works from this talented new voice."Gregory Lum, Jesuit High School, Portland, OR"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
Catherine Grace is a Baptist preachers daughter, living in the early 1970s ina small town in Georgia populated by one stoplight, one Dairy Queen, and lots of well-meaningsouthern ladies with double-barreled names. While she dutifully obeys her father, Catherine Grace makes no secret of the fact that she thinks shes meant for bigger things, and every Sunday she eats a Dilly Bar and plans her escape. On her eighteenth birthday, she hops the Greyhound to Atlanta to work in a department store and realizes her big city dreamsor does she? When tragedy strikes shes forced back to her hometown and suddenly finds her family in the middle of a scandal, and Catherine Grace has to figure out what made her run away, and if running away is the solution or the problem.Gilmore follows in the earnest and bighearted footsteps of Rebecca Wells and Fannie Flagg to tell the story of one girls self-realization and, yes, salvation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)