While the rest of the world has been roaring through the 1920s, times are hardscrabble in rural South Georgia. Widow Maggie Parker is barely surviving while raising her young son alone. Then as banks begin to fail, her father-in-law threatens to take her son and sell off her livelihood—the grocery store her husband left her. Can five Southern women band together, using their wisdom and wiles to … to stop him and survive the Great Depression?
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This is release day for In High Cotton. I finished reading it this morning. It’s a book that’s hard to put down. I kept saying to myself, “Just one more page.” Then, “Just one more chapter.” Ane’s characters leapt from the pages right into my heart. And the storyline kept my heart racing. Drama, suspense, and romance filled every chapter. And the spiritual thread woven through brought hope in the face of hardships. I know every reader will be rooting for the characters as they face seemingly insurmountable odds.
Fans of Ane Mulligan’s Chapel Springs series will love her latest offering, In High Cotton. Set in the deep south during the Great Depression, it tells the story of a young widow, Maggie Parker, and her son, Barry, doing their best to survive those challenging days. With a colorful cast of characters who join forces with Maggie and Barry to form their own version of what it means to be a family, they battle the prejudices of the South of the last century. The “good-ole-boy” network is alive and well and wreaks havoc on Maggie as she does her best to rear her son to be a respectful, God-honoring young man. Faced with providing for her growing household, Maggie finds solace in writing. She pens bed-time stories and household hints and even tries her hand at writing a novel. Come along to Rivers End, Georgia, and meet the women who stand alongside Maggie in her fight against an over-bearing father-in-law and the attitudes that were once the norm. Filled with colorful descriptions of setting and characters, you’ll be pulled in from page one and will be left wanting more as you reach The End
A story of strong Southern women who pull together during the Depression, Ane Mulligan’s ‘In High Cotton’ is filled with charm, heartache, adventure, courage, and humor. Mulligan creates a lovable and literally colorful cast of characters in small-town Georgia and she gets ‘Southern’ just right! A delightful read.
Review Delightful story of a band of women in a small Georgia town and how they cope during the depression.
Maggie Parker: “As I look around thus table, I’m proud of my family. We may be ahead of our time, but I cannot help but think this is what heaven will be like. All colors of people sitting together in fellowship, sharing a meal”
The thing that struck me and can be applied to any situation is that these women relied on God in good times and bad. It is sweet when Maggie writes stories from the Bible for her son, Barry. He, in turn, learns the lesson of the Good Samaritan and jumps in to apply it readily. No matter what happens to thwart Maggie and her family, or what doubts creep in, she sees God provide. And each woman is just the one to add their expertise to the makeshift family, drawing on gifts and strengths that adversity brings out in them.
I absolutely loved going back to this time period to experience the joys and sorrows and hearing the quaint sayings of the era.
*I received a complimentary ecopy of book from the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
I loved everything about this book from the title and beautiful cover to the depression era story that graced the pages. I enjoyed reading about the lifestyle back in the late nineteen twenties and comparing it to today’s culture. Three dollars went a long way back then, buying almost a weeks groceries. Women had little rights at that time and in fact they couldn’t even have a checking account. Yes we have come a long way from the nineteen twenties.
I loved the recipes in the back of the book that came from our main character’s articles in the weekly newspaper. Especially her ones for household tips for anything from stain removal to floor cleaner. I enjoy the authors writing style as she weaves in her Southern charm with a touch of laugh out loud humor and sometimes shed tears. The way neighbors helped one another and doors that were always open to those who were in need.
Maggie Parker was a widowed single parent, who struggled to keep the grocery store open, that she had inherited from her late husband. She was mother to seven year old Barry , sister to Duchess and best friend to Sadie. Jimmy Parker hadn’t allowed Maggie to help him in the grocery store and she knew every little about how to run it and even less about its financial state . Her manager Cal took care of all that, which left Maggie vulnerable as to what was really going in in her store. Her father in law Big Jim wasn’t happy about Maggie getting the store and thought Jimmy should have gave it to him. He made threats to legally take it away from Maggie telling her there was a loophole in the will. He also claimed Maggie wasn’t properly taking care of Barry and threatened to go to the Children’s aide and have him taken away from her, claiming neglect as the reason.
In short Big Jim made Maggie’s life miserable. She had a strong support system from her friends and sister. She soon discovered evidence in the stores bookkeeping that showed someone was skimming money from the profits, what little there was. She would need to take action and find out who had their hand in the till. Was it Cal or Big Jim?
Everything possible seemed to go wrong and Maggie came close to giving the store over to Big Jim. Her prayers seemed to go unanswered as things went from bad to worse. Still Maggie kept going as though she was made of iron. Then came the worst thing that ever could have happened to her. Where was God in all of this?
All readers of Christian Fiction , historical Fiction and Southern Fiction will love this book. I highly recommend it .
I received a complimentary Arc copy of this book from the Author and publisher. Thank you! A favorable review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own. Book to be released on
August 3/20
This title puzzled me from the get-go. What could Ane Mulligan mean by “In High Cotton”? I quickly discovered that this is the story of single mother, Maggie Parker, and her seven-year-old son who live in the small Georgia town of Rivers End in 1929. (Points to Ane Mulligan for the town map at the front of the book.) I was relieved to see Ms. Mulligan capture my attention almost against my will, since the Depression is not one of my favorite historical eras.
But present it well, she did. The small town has some big-hearted people, like Sadie and Mama Faylene and Wade, and even little Barry. It also has some small-hearted people, who can’t see beyond the color of one’s skin, one’s gender, or their own ambition. Mulligan balances out the town’s population with enough of these that Maggie must constantly watch her back and her store.
But this is a novel to be loved for so many things. Maggie’s story is one of most unique and compelling voices I’ve read in 2020!! I loved how Maggie keeps reaching out to help people, because they have needs apparent in front of her, even as her store is struggling. As Sadie would say, “Southern women may seem as delicate as flowers, but we’ve got iron in our veins.” The metal (mettle) of these ladies is truly glorious to behold, whether it is Maggie or Sadie challenging Cal;
the transformation of a surprising character; or Mama Faylene quietly standing up to the worst of the lot.
Reminiscent of the movie, Steel Magnolias, you will want to have your tissues ready, but also keep an eye out for the wonderful humor, funny sayings and colloquialisms of the time. By the time you close the book, your heart may feel like you, too, are In High Cotton! Mine did.
Themes include finding true family, trusting God, and standing tall against evil, together. If only Ms. Mulligan’s map had shown how to get to River’s End.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher. This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.
“In all the ways that matter—love, family, and friends—we are indeed blessed and surely in high cotton.”
This is a charming small town story set in South Georgia during the depression era, just before the year turned to 1930. It tells of Maggie Parker and her young son Barry just trying to survive alone & keep the grocery store her late husband left her. Times are hard, money is scarce but there’s no lack of love when it comes to her son and doing what needs to be done to take care of him. Then when she takes in her sister Duchess and a young woman named Pinkie, things get really interesting from there! We also meet Sadie who plays a huge role in the story. I love the camaraderie between them, how they stick close to one another, helping where they can and supporting each other in any way they know how.
It was a fascinating look at small town life, with small town charm and even touches on prejudices of the historical time. Women were still looked down on, but I love the grit & steel Maggie showed. She didn’t cow to her Father-in-law or other men when they came against her. I also loved how Duchess, Pinkie, and Sadie band together when times get tough, each woman lending their own skills and knowledge to the mix. They relied on each other & turned towards the Lord when things got to be too much. I really enjoyed seeing how faith played out in their lives!
“Southern women stick together. Got to lend each other some iron now and then.”
“Sadie’s always says, “Southern women may seem delicate as flowers, but we’ve got iron in our veins.””
I loved this look back in history and how Mulligan portrayed the Depression era. I wouldn’t have wanted to live through it, but it gave me a better appreciation for those who did. My grandma was one who did and I understand her so much better. There’s also “Maggie’s Household Hints” at the back of the book; all sorts of old-fashioned cleaning remedies that I might just try myself! This is just such a great book that I felt immersed in the story. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it!
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and wasn’t obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *
3.5 stars!
Characters: The characters were the best part about this book. They seemed like they could’ve existed back in the ’30s, and they all had such distinct personalities. I loved the fact that Maggie was an author, and Big Jim made the perfect villain. I absolutely despised him!
Language: Clean.
Moral: The themes in this book included trusting God and helping others.
Plot: Action, character development, and plot twists kept most of this story moving. Some parts (probably because I felt like I took a long time to read this book) dragged a little. I also got pretty sick of the men vs. women mentality. I wanted to tell everyone to just get along already! I did appreciate all the research the author put into this book.
Romance: Clean. Actually, the main character never had a romance, but a small romance existed between a couple of side characters. I found the age difference between those two characters a bit creepy, but I know that was more common back in those days.
Writing: Ane Mulligan’s writing style fit this story well. I enjoyed how she brought Maggie to life.
Overall: In High Cotton was an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to readers of Christian fiction and historical fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction story set in Georgia at the the beginning of the Great Depression. The story came alive to me due the wonderful characters and how they faced the challenges they encountered. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Magnolia Parker is a whirlwind. She owns and manages the local grocery, raises her little boy, writes for the newspaper, and takes care of her sister and a pregnant woman. Southern small-town life during the Great Depression brings many challenges, but Maggie has Jesus and friends who remind her she has iron in her veins.
Set aside a few tissues for happy tears!
I have enjoyed Ane Mulligan’s Chapel Hill books and I was very excited to read this one too. It is not in the same vein as the Chapel Hill books, not so funny, but every bit as enjoyable.
This book is set in Georgia just after the stock market crash in 1929. It has a little bit of everything in this book. There were a lot of twists and turns and a lot of main and supporting characters but it really held my interest.
The main character is Maggie Parker and she is very believable. Her supporting characters are just as real as she is. The story flows well and it didn’t get slow or boring.
The editing was very well done also.
This is a Christian book. It is not preachy but it shows many times over how we have to have faith in God. I think that is the main, underlying theme of this book.
Kudos to Ane Mulligan for another outstanding book.
I give this a 4 out of 5-star review and would definitely recommend it to my friends and family.
In High Cotton by Ane Mulligan
Love the time frame of 1940’s and if I had to choose that’s the era I’d go back to.
Book starts with praise from others, acknowledgements, and dedication.
Story starts out with Maggie (Magnolia) and she’s with her son Barry and they are on their way to the store.
She is the owner as her spouse who died left it to her, NOT his family. Over time we learn of more details and things add up quickly as to the mysteries that arise.
Love the idea that she’s a writer and getting paid to do so. When things get tight she sends her jewelry to her sister in the city to sell. Duchess shows up with the money and also news of her spouse…
They are very religious and have many friends they can count on for help. Love the ideas of how to get more to come to the store to buy things.
Gems I found in this book really do work, love the cleaning and untangling solutions!
Story grabbed my attention as I hurried to do my chores so I could finish reading.
Mishaps and how she founds out who was stealing from the store leads to more problems as the store is then broken into. Many more clues pile up as things just go so wrong, but then because of her faith in God other things go so well for them.
Pinkie is a glow of light in their darkness and others rally to help.
Sadie is a huge help when needed and she’s always around. Love how they and Mr. Wade-Maggie’s spouse best friend are there for them when others try to take advantage of the women.
Black eye, in a fight. I had to ask my spouse about his first one and he’s used to me asking him off the wall questions from something I read in a book. Thanks for this conversation piece I’ll treasure mine forever.
Such strong women with strong faith and beliefs.
Hope you can also find your own gems in this story. Besides the story there are also recipes at the end and ‘how to’ section of tips and tricks.
I received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Another beautifully written story from a talented author. In High Cotton is a glimpse into life for strong southern women struggling to survive and thrive during the great depression. The story pulled me in and held me captive until the surprise ending.
Ane Mulligan’s writing sings in this moving tale of friendship and heartbreak. I haven’t enjoyed a Depression era novel more since I read Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.
Strong women struggling in South Georgia as the Great Depression hits.. Loved the characters and how they coped and survived.
I was gifted a copy, no review was required. My review is voluntary.
A delightful slice of American life during the late 1920s. Set in South Georgia as the Great Depression descends upon the country, this novel focuses on the admirable, strong women of River’s End and their loves, enemies, challenges, and successes. Magnolia Parker and her colorful, close-knit circle of friends embody the best in people, resilient against the prejudices and injustices they suffer. Ane Mulligan writes as if she were one of Maggie’s contemporaries, teaming with charm and grit. A very quick, compelling read.
I loved the southern charm of this historical by Ane Mulligan. I laughed out loud multiple times at some of the quirky sayings of the characters. The little boy was endearing and the friendship between the women who lived and worked together in the main character’s home and grocery were delightful.
Although not a fast-paced read, the storyline kept my attention and the ending was satisfying. If you enjoy Christian historicals with a light romance thread and a dose of mystery, you’ll enjoy this one.
A fresh voice to southern fiction that shows how strong women can be when faced with adversity. I especially loved the women bonding together and making a family that has stronger ties than blood. With all the twists and turns it keeps you on your toes as top what will happen next. The story contained within is as beautiful and heartwarming as the cover. Unlikely friends helping each other in a time of need depicts what being the hands and feet of Jesus is all about. A good solid read.
I won a copy of this book. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.