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Book Review: Paisley Memories by Zelle Andrews

Title: Paisley Memories: The Beginning of Me
Author: Zelle Andrews
Synopsis: At seventeen, Tess Cooper was a high school drop-out, an orphan, and a single mom to a baby girl with Down syndrome. The next two years didn’t turn out like she thought it would. 

After her dad’s death, she flees Brooksville, Alabama, in his beloved 1957 Thunderbird before the red clay on his grave can settle. A year of traveling from place to place brings Tess and Paisley to the deep fried, southern town of Panacea, Florida, where her money runs out. 

A stranger, named Butterball, takes them in and gives Tess a job taking pictures at Wakulla Springs State Park and the annual Sopchoppy Work Grunting Festival. 

Afraid to trust these people, Tess plans to leave, but the T-bird is stolen and she is forced to stay. Paisley is thriving on all the attention. Tess weighs her options. Can she give her baby what she needs? Should she put down roots in this place where she has found friends? Or should she give Paisley up for adoption and head out on a life of her own?

Review: Paisley Memories is the first book by author Zelle Andrews. It's a strong debut. The voice of Tess is consistent and charming. Andrews manages to juggle an impressive cast of characters while making you care about each one and feel like you really know each of them by the end of the book. She also managed to keep several plot lines running under the main plot without either overpowering the main plot or losing track of any of the subplots. I flew through the book in a out three hours but because of the multiple story lines, the book never felt sparse.

My main - well, really only - complaint is that it is at times a bit cliche, but not to the point where I ever wanted to stop reading.

All in all, Paisley Memories is warm and charming and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a mood-lifter.


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