The Flood Girls: A Book Club Recommendation! (2015 original; edició 2016)

I laughed, then I cried. This was a wonderful novel sharing the ups and downs of living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Quinn, Montana has a population of 956. There is a volunteer fire department where at least 3 of the volunteer firemen are named Jim. The Dirty Shame is the only bar in town and is owned by Laverna. She and her best friend, Red Mabel pretty much run the town and intimidate everyone. Laverna also sponsors and manages the town softball team, The Flood Girls, that has never even come close to having a winning season. Until now.

Rachel Flood, Laverna's daughter, has snuck back into town after leaving behind a trail of chaos nine years prior. She was an alchoholic as well as a drug addict who has been 1 year sober and wants to make amends. Her mother is not ready to believe she has changed or accept her apology for what she did so long ago. Meet Jake, Rachel's neighbour. He is 12 and gay. He loves Rachel and they become soul mates. He is extremely flamboyant, dresses in clothes from the local thrift store, learns to sew, and is hated by his homophobic step-father.

The inhabitants of Quinn are diverse, humorous, and somewhat eccentric. The seven men who attend AA and bond with Rachel as well as the members of The Flood Girls and Jake all help Rachel and Laverna salvage their relationship. The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed that there was so much alcoholism and drug use in this town. Between the volunteer firemen who were hailed as heroes, the inhabitants of the trailer park, the members of the "new church in town", the members of The Flood Girls and Athena, Rachel's sponsor from the Big City there is never a dull moment in the book. All I can say is that I was not ready for the ending at all. A wonderful read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I haven't enjoyed an author's "voice" so much since I first read Christopher Moore and Tom Robbins. The characters here are as memorable as they get, and I was casting roles for the big-screen adaptation as I read. This absolutely must be a film! I will say, though, I was completely unprepared for the violent punch-to-the-gut ending. ( )

Very torn on this one. Received this as an ARC and very grateful for the chance to read this book. I think the author has a wonderful voice, a great writing style, keen sense of observation and a talent for storytelling. That said the book may have needed a better editor. Threads were started and not completed (the book starts off with a major bullying incident and then we never see another - or a reason why they would have ceased...etc), story lines were not always resolved and the motivation behind most of the characters' behavior and choices was almost never explored- odd in a book with so many extreme personalities. I never got a good sense of the town itself, beyond the trailer park and a few shops.

I did fall in love with many of the characters, I was laughing at many of their exploits, cheering for the softball team and Rachel, and at the end I was devastated beyond words. Fifield is fresh, funny, insightful writer and l look forward to reading his next book!
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By way of disclosure, I know the author of this book. (We are even friends on Facebook.) I also have traveled to and through Troy, Montana, where most of the narrative is set. That said, I despise drunks, do not hang out in bars as a rule, and had a great deal of difficulty getting into the story line. Quite frankly, I persisted because I did not want to disappoint a "friend," and I'm glad I did. Such is the craft, art even, of Richard Fifield, that by the end of the book I had become quite fond of the characters and wanted to follow them further along in their adventures. I am not a small town boy, although I live in the country outside one now, but I have to say that the story line pretty much agrees with my (limited) experiences with life in a small town. Everybody knows everybody else, and their business, and close friendships can form as quickly as virulent animosities. Family is all important, and yet our families can be those we dislike the most. Bravo, Richard, for getting me past my rocky initial estimates. Now I call you out for more. ( )

The Flood Girls by Fifield_ Richard
Story of a woman who returns to her home after her mother has kicked her out of the house.
Small town, less than 1000 people. Lavinia runs the town. Rachel hopes to turn things around after being away 9 years gone.
Story goes back in time to when Jake was a teen and he would peek into others windows.
Rachel is back as she's inherited her dads mobile home but there's not much that works there. She also has to take over for her mother at the bar...
Lots of drama in this town...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )