Category: Fiction
Publisher: Warner Books
ISBN-13: 9780446524193
Pub. Date: April 2005
Date Read: July 2009
"There are Gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus. I left one back there myself, in Possett. I kicked it under the kudzu and left it to the roaches."
Arlene Fleet has kept her end of the bargain the ten years she's been living in Chicago. She promised God she wouldn't go back to Possett, Alabama, never lie and never fornicate outside of marriage if only He'll protect her from her past, but it seems that she'll be breaking her promises soon when an old classmate shows up asking questions.
To top it off, her boyfriend is also giving her an ultimatum that he wants to meet her family. Arlene doesn't want to introduce Burr to her family - she knows they won't like the fact that he's an African-American, but if her boyfriend is willing to overlook her family then what can she do. So her journey back to Possett begins.
As the two drive to Alabama, Arlene recalls the turning points in her life. What led her and her mother to end up living with her Aunt Florence and most of all how Arlene grew up alongside her cousin Clarice. The two girls were complete opposites but nevertheless formed a strong bond.
A bond that would be tested when the high school quarterback, Jim Beverly starts to notice Clarice and Arlene starts to notice him. Through flashbacks the author shows the reader what it was like for these teens to grow up in a small town.
As the story moves forward, the real reason why Arlene left Possett is revealed. This is a story that draws you in with its flawed characters and funny bits of dialogue.