Kissing Babies at the Piggly Wiggly

In the sequel to WALTZING AT THE PIGGLY WIGGLY, Dalby revisits the quirky town of Second Creek, Mississippi, and the lovable, eccentric characters who reside there. This time around, Hale "Mr. Choppy" Dunbar is determined to overthrow the corrupt incumbent in the mayoral election. He enlists the help of his good friends Laurie and Powell, and Laurie's gang of wily widows, the Nitwits. Clarinda Ross maintains consistent Southern accents, though a few of her characters sound a bit forced. Her main characters are portrayed with wit and believability, while many secondary characters come off as stereotypes. Overall, Ross's reading is clear and enthusiastic as she sets the scene in this delightfully offbeat Southern tale. J.G.K. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

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.