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Set in contemporary small town America, this is the story of Verbena Martin Eckert McHale ("Bena," for short), an indomitable woman who is damned—but not doomed—by the bad behavior and bad luck of her two husbands. When Bena's first husband, Bobby Eckert, dies in a car wreck, she's left with their five children, a little mortgaged house, a little bit of insurance, and a big empty place in her heart. Not to mention that the hole Bobby left is jagged around the edges—he wasn't in the car alone and Bena hadn't had a clue about his girlfriend. So now she's a cheated-on widow with five grief-stricken children to finish raising. No matter. No matter that she almost burns the house down when she discovers the marijuana farm in their backyard or that she has terrible, loud crying jags in church. When it gets down to it, Bena's backbone bends minimally and her moral center holds. By the time she's ready to invest again in romance, Bena know what she wants. When she finds the right man and the right circumstances, she doesn't hesitate—she marries Lucky McHale. And what does he do? He disappears off the face of the earth. Verbena is the vibrant story of an extraordinary ordinary woman—strong, emotional, headstrong, sexy, funny—an especially American woman, one worth knowing and cheering.
Set in contemporary small town America, this is the story of Verbena Martin Eckert McHale ("Bena," for short), an indomitable woman who is damned—but not doomed—by the bad behavior and bad luck of her two husbands. When Bena's first husband, Bobby Eckert, dies in a car wreck, she's left with their five children, a little mortgaged house, a little bit of insurance, and a big empty place in her heart. Not to mention that the hole Bobby left is jagged around the edges—he wasn't in the car alone and Bena hadn't had a clue about his girlfriend. So now she's a cheated-on widow with five grief-stricken children to finish raising. No matter. No matter that she almost burns the house down when she discovers the marijuana farm in their backyard or that she has terrible, loud crying jags in church. When it gets down to it, Bena's backbone bends minimally and her moral center holds. By the time she's ready to invest again in romance, Bena know what she wants. When she finds the right man and the right circumstances, she doesn't hesitate—she marries Lucky McHale. And what does he do? He disappears off the face of the earth. Verbena is the vibrant story of an extraordinary ordinary woman—strong, emotional, headstrong, sexy, funny—an especially American woman, one worth knowing and cheering.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
About the Author-
Nanci Kincaid is the author of two previous novels, Crossing Blood and Balls, and a collection of short stories, Pretending the Bed Is a Raft. She lives in Hawaii with her husband. They have four grown children.
Reviews-
February 18, 2002 Sixth-grade teacher Bena Eckerd's biggest fault—outside of crying hysterically every time she walks into a church—is to blame herself for "messing up" every time life deals her a low blow. She was happily married to Bob, or so she thought, until he died in a car accident with another woman at his side. She thinks she has raised her five children well, until her two oldest daughters run off with no-account men, her third moves away with Bena's arch rival, and her eldest son chooses the one woman in the world whose very name causes Bena anguish. She can't believe that good-natured mailman Lucky McKale really loves her, since he is married to Sue Cox, the most beautiful and richest woman in Baxter County, Ala. But after Sue Cox herself agrees to a divorce and blesses their union, Bena finally feels she can accept Lucky's proposal. A new kind of domestic unit is formed, with exes and stepchildren integrated into one colorful family. Then disaster strikes—Lucky disappears. Kincaid is both warmhearted and clear-eyed about the compromises people make to find happiness. Bena and her children are fully dimensional, good at sassy give-and-take and credible in both mundane and dramatic confrontations. Race relationships are gently defined (Bena's best friend is Mayfred, a black colleague), and there's straight talk about religious faith and feminine jealousy and solidarity. Kincaid never lets sentimentality or the sitcom syndrome invade a lively and authentic story of a resilient woman's doubts, troubles, heartbreak and survival, and she crafts her tale with charm, humor and wise understanding. Agent, Liz Darhansoff. Literary Guild selection. (May 17)Forecast:This novel should take off with strong regional sales in the South, and could achieve a wider audience through word of mouth.
March 1, 2002 What a mess! The family in Kincaid's third novel is a fascinating mess of southern charm. Verbena (Bena for short) is an exceptionally nice sixth-grade teacher in Alabama, who has five almost-grown kids and a nice husband named Bobby. Then Bobby is killed in an auto crash, and--surprise--he wasn't alone. Then Bena's oldest son brings his new girlfriend, the younger sister of Bobby's lover, home for dinner. And she lets slip that a baby also died in the car crash. Kincaid has lots more in store for the ever-resilient Bena, who seems perfectly capable of standing up to everything the twisting and turning plot throws at her. Through it all, Kincaid's writing is as real as it is delightful. Take this small piece of teacher Bena's description of junior high: "Skin broke out, hearts broke open, lockers were broken into, heads got busted, kids got busted. Lies got told and the truth got told, too--and both were terrifying." Bena's life is kinda like that. She's good, and so is her story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)
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