"Dollbaby" begins in 1964 introducing us to Liberty "Ibby" Bell, who has just tragically lost her father and is being left by her mother in New Orleans, a city Ibby has never visited before, to stay with a grandmother Ibby has never met before. Fannie is certainly not the typical grandmotherly type and has several skeletons in her closet. Ibby becomes close with Queenie and her daughter Dollbaby, who have run Fannie's household for many years. The story follows Ibby, Fannie, Queenie and Dollbaby through the Civil Rights movement as well as protests over the Vietnam War and the other highs and lows of everyday life.
The author does an excellent job of capturing the culture and ambiance of New Orleans. We visited New Orleans over the summer and "Dollbaby" brought back wonderful memories of the unique city. I appreciated the map noting various locations in New Orleans which are discussed in the novel.
Dollbaby is Laura Lane McNeal's first novel and I definitely look forward to her next novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to book clubs. If you enjoyed The Help by Kathryn Stockett or Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall or Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, put this book on your "to-read" list.
The author does an excellent job of capturing the culture and ambiance of New Orleans. We visited New Orleans over the summer and "Dollbaby" brought back wonderful memories of the unique city. I appreciated the map noting various locations in New Orleans which are discussed in the novel.
Dollbaby is Laura Lane McNeal's first novel and I definitely look forward to her next novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to book clubs. If you enjoyed The Help by Kathryn Stockett or Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall or Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, put this book on your "to-read" list.
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