The Banty House by Carolyn Brown ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Fans of Debbie Macomber and Nancy Thayer will enjoy Carolyn Brown's latest novel The Banty House.

Change is a good thing.
Kate Carson wished she had the person who had first said that by the throat. She'd choke them until their face turned blue and then slap them for being that color. She didn't like change. First her little town had lost its post office, and then the saloon was blown away by a tornado adn the cotton mill went out of business. All that had happened in the past fifty years, and just two weeks ago, her hairdresser had up and dropped graveyard-dead. (p. 1)


Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2020; Montlake; 978-1542018814
audio, ebook, print (287 pages); women's fiction

I discovered her last year when I listened to The Magnolia Inn and though I've never been a fan of Southern fiction, I really enjoyed the novel. So when I saw she had a new book coming out this month, I quickly requested an ARC.

The story of a young, pregnant woman finding acceptance and belonging with 3 octogenarian sisters quickly drew me in as the sisters are a hoot. There is a bit of a predictable romance between Ginger and Sloan, but this story is much more women's fiction or Southern fiction than romance.

As I settled into this thoroughly enjoyable story, I wondered why I liked Brown's Southern fiction when most others grate on my nerves. I think it is because The Banty House is set in Texas rather than the deep south.

Betsy, Kate, and Connie, the octogenarian sisters, are quite eccentric. Maybe a bit too eccentric to feel real, but they provide enough comic relief that you can overlook the character flaw. Sloan is also a stereotypical character - a former military bomb technician who was discharged with PTSD after his team is killed in an explosion.

Perhaps it is the familiarity that made this story so comforting. I wanted to spend every evening reading The Banty House on the porch with a glass of lemonade while the warm breeze wafted the sweet scent of the tea olive blooms around me. What a pleasant way to spend an evening! And perfect for this time of uncertainty and change we are all experiencing.

The story slowed a little more than I would have liked in the middle. It was obvious where the story was going and I found myself wishing Ginger would have the baby and that she and Sloan would finally get together.

If you enjoy the character's journey, then you will be happy with this story. There is no real conflict or tension. The reader is along for the ride as the young woman who grew up in the system until she was too old for another foster home finds her place in life - a place where she feels she belongs.

Buy The Banty House at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.