October Sandcastle Book Club recap

Many thanks to Judy O’Brien who reported on the book and led a very good discussion following. The following report is from Judy.

Despite some technical issues with Zoom, the Sandcastle Book Club enjoyed a rich 
discussion of Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera on October 5. Spera, a self-proclaimed redneck from Kentucky with longtime family roots in rural South Carolina, is a seasoned TV producer in Los Angeles. This is her first novel. 

Set in Branchville, South Carolina, in 1924, after the boll weevil has devastated the cotton economy, the story is told in first person by three women. 

First we meet Gertrude, who tells us that “It’s easier to kill a man than a gator,” and then proceeds to kill her lazy, physically abusive husband. Gertrude’s struggle to provide for her four daughters is a main theme of the novel. 

Next we meet Annie, the matriarch of a wealthy family with her own fortune and a sewing factory that she and a son operate. Annie discovers a terrible secret that explains the ruptured relationships within her family. 

Finally, there is Rhetta, daughter of a former slave on Annie’s plantation, who continues to work for Annie. Rhetta in many ways is the heart and soul of the book, and she is central to all of the threads of the storyline. 

The intertwined lives of these three women unfold in a moving storyline that is always engaging and touching. Book club members uniformly enjoyed the book.