A Top Ten Finalist for Best Historical Novel, Goodreads Choice Awards, and a LibraryReads and Okra PickA big-hearted coming-of-age debut set in civil rights-era New Orleans—a novel of Southern eccentricity and secrets When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father’s urn for … throws in her father’s urn for good measure. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been—and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum—is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets.
For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places.
For fans of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help, Dollbaby brings to life the charm and unrest of 1960s New Orleans through the eyes of a young girl learning to understand race for the first time.
By turns uplifting and funny, poignant and full of verve, Dollbaby is a novel readers will take to their hearts.
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Haunting story of the south during civil rights time. Characters were very likable and well developed.
This story reminded me of the book”Help”. It was very entertaining and showed the other side of the civil rights struggle. I really recommend it!
Surprisingly warm sweet informative. Truly felt for those people
A great story that you will love. The characters are great.
Story takes place during the civil rights movement of the early 60’s. I was a preteen raised in the north and the story helped me understand the trials of the movement. Also, the very involved and interpersonal relationships between races that couldn’t be brought into the light of day but were very real.
Enjoyed the book.
After getting off to a little bit of a slow start, this turned into one of my favorite reads of this year. I love the original twists and turns of the plot and the evocative way this talented author brought the uniquely southern quirks of NOLA to life. I was sorry to see this book end, I wanted to keep following the lives of these intriguing characters!
If you are a fan of New Orleans, you’ll enjoy this window into 1960s NOLA. Great characters as well as atmosphere. You can feel the humidity and hear the creaks and groans of an old wood framed victorian. This is a fun read.
This is a powerful book that has an unexpected twist to it…more real than real.
A great read….you really care about the characters & they stay with you.
A great story. Set in the early 60’s with the changing racial problems. A young girl whose family is a mess. She ends up her grandmother and her household help and finds she is in a real family
A great read, I couldn’t put it down.
It is hard to grow up at this period of time. Household help can be family too. Race in the 60s was a big thing for many. Reminded me of “The Help”. Interesting read.
Great story, good author!
I loved this book so much I have one of my reading friends starting it. It was awesome.
I really wanted to like this book. Evidently, those advertising wanted to consider it the next To Kill A Mockingbird. The characterization and the pacing of the plot were uneven.
This book was hard to put down! Sometimes I felt as if the speech patterns were more 1950’s than 1960’s, but overall I thought it was an accurate portrayal of the era. I highly recommend it.
A great trip back to an important place and time.
I read this book several years ago while on vacation. I did enjoy it and the somewhat surprising characters. It was a great vacation read. I am trying to remember all the characters but just able to recall several scenes. I would recommend the book.
Great book!