Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Fair and Tender Ladies
Fair and Tender Ladies | Lee Smith
"A tour de force." LOS ANGELES TIMES Ivy Rowe may not have much education, but her thoughts are classic, and her experiences are fascinating. Born near the turn of the century in the Virginia Mountains, Ivy's story is told completely (…more)
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
Hamlet
post image
Mehso-so

Smith does a good job giving a taste of Appalachian culture, and the family dynamics are intriguing. Mostly I appreciated stand-alone scenes that were pretty or moving rather than the novel as a whole. It was an okay book, but I won‘t be reaching for more of Smith‘s work unless I receive a strong personal recommendation from someone.

blurb
Cathythoughts
post image

#PoetryMatters #Fair I can‘t fit all the words on here ... but I‘ve always loved this song/poem ❤️

Tanisha_A Love this 6y
Cathythoughts @Tanisha_A me too ! Love the words & have always heard them sung so tenderly (edited) 6y
GripLitGrl 💖💖💖 6y
44 likes3 comments
blurb
Dogearedcopy

In ‘Fair and Tender Ladies‘, Queen Anne‘s Lace is mentioned a few times. When I saw that, I was a little nostalgic, remembering the lacey wildflower from childhood visits to my grandmother‘s farm in Appalachia.

(📷: Queen Anne‘s Lace found in Willamette Park, Corvallis, OR. It‘s an invasive plant in Oregon, but still lovely.)

blurb
Dogearedcopy
post image

In ‘Fair and Tender Ladies‘, Queen Anne‘s Lace is mentioned a few times. When I saw that, I was a little nostalgic, remembering the lacey wildflower from childhood visits to my grandmother‘s farm in Appalachia.

(📷: Queen Anne‘s Lace found in Willamette Park, Corvallis, OR. It‘s an invasive plant in Oregon, but still lovely.)

blurb
Dogearedcopy
post image

This is an epistolary novel that follows Ivy Rowe from her childhood through old age. Set in the Appalachians of Virginia and told in the regional vernacular, the opening pages highlight both the natural beauty of the setting and the poverty of the family.

Because I have family in Appalachia, I have mixed feelings about this so far that I‘m going to have to sort out, and make sure I‘m not projecting into the narrative things Smith did not put in!

33 likes2 stack adds
quote
KimM
post image

❤️

Ashley31 I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did! 💙 7y
KimM I loved this book! @Ashley31 7y
Ashley31 I‘m so glad! It‘s one of my favorites! 7y
17 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
jillrhudy
post image
Pickpick

A month page (July) of my old reading journal from 9 years ago. Now I record dates finished on #LibraryThing. All books recorded on this journal page have book profile links in the comments. #readingjournal #librariansoflitsy #anglophilesoflitsy

See All 24 Comments
BarbaraTheBibliophage Hi - I‘m “stalking” you from the FB group! You might enjoy meeting @Gezemice and @TricksyTails, who both have a thing for Sir Terry Pratchett. #LitsyMatchmaker 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage You‘re welcome! We‘re glad to have you here. 📚❤️📚💛📚💙 7y
TricksyTails Welcome to Litsy! 👏😁🎉📚 Yay! A fellow Pratchett fan! We‘ve got a Terry Pratchett buddy read going on if you‘d care to join in any time. Just check out #OokBOokClub! Thanks very much for the shout out @BarbaraTheBibliophage 🤗♥️ 7y
Gezemice Welcome to Litsy! Yes, I am a huge Sir Terry fan and I always enjoy meeting fellow Pratchett lovers :) Not too late to join #ookbookclub - we are still on the Color of Magic. I am re-reading! Thanks gor the tag @BarbaraTheBibliophage 7y
Chelleo Love your journal and handwriting 😍 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!! 🙌🏻🎉🎊📚 7y
13 likes24 comments
review
LibrarianJen
post image
Pickpick

I forgot to post my review of this! While I would never have picked it up I‘m glad it was sent through #LitsyGoesPostalOG I listened to it on audio and read parts of the physical book. I‘ve discovered I really love epistolary novels! I love how Ivy wrote letters from school girl age all the way to her death. It‘s also a great look into the coal mining era in the early/mid 1900‘s.

blurb
LibrarianJen
post image

Happy Presidents Day US Littens! #Zeek and I have the day off but a lot of places like the library are closed today and the weather is going to be bad so we are staying in. I‘m hoping to finish this book today and introduce Ezekiel to Shel Silverstein. But first, breakfast (most importantly coffee) #bookandbreakfast

Bklover Love the Presidents Day mug! 7y
51 likes1 comment
blurb
LibrarianJen
post image

Do you ever read a word wrong and it makes you go”wait...what?” I totally read rhinestone as rhinoceros and didn‘t think twice until I was further along the page. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🦏

Phlamboyant 🤣 7y
Owlizabeth 😂😂😂 7y
56 likes2 comments
blurb
LibrarianJen
post image

The collapse of the coal mine industry described in this book prompted me to go to Ponderosa Brewing Company. It‘s in the revitalized sawmill district in Abq. While the original lumber company still exists, there is no longer a large sawmill. It‘s hay day was in the early 20th century, much like the coal mine described. The breweries symbol is a cut log with a bull head. 🍻
#booksandbrews
#litsygoespostalog

Ashley31 Yeah girl! Get your beer, read and history on!!! 💙 7y
51 likes1 comment
blurb
LibrarianJen
post image

#HumpDayPost #Letsmaketricksysmile
1. Arthur loves to fetch balls. Even if you throw them in the middle of a lake. Yumi (you-me) loves antagonizing the fish.
2. iPhone
3. Not in cookies.
4. The tagged book is an epistolary (which I‘m starting to love this style) about a lady from Virginia in the early 1900‘s told through her letters.
5. I like a lot of sports, and the Olympics are about to start so I‘m excited for curling!

Kaye Lee Smith is excellent. I read most of her earlier books but none recently. Love a good Southern Writer. 7y
ItsAngel @LibrarianJen we just got a German Shepherd ❤️. She‘s 8 weeks old. Love your pups and the kitty too. 7y
SilversReviews Great post. Beautiful dog and photos. 7y
See All 10 Comments
MidnightBookGirl Love your animals! My brother has a giant white German Shepherd (he's 130 of pure muscle so he literally has the giant gene) and they are such a loving and energetic breed! 7y
LibrarianJen @Kaye I never would have picked it up except it is part of my #Litsygoespostalog and I‘m glad I‘ve gotten the opportunity to read it. Or rather, have it read to me on audiobook! I love southern books on audio. My inner voice doesn‘t do them justice. 7y
LibrarianJen @ItsAngel you have your hands full! I recommend agility training. @SilversReviews @MidnightBookGirl thank you! We actually rescued Arthur. He was about 6 months old and the shelter found him roaming around a near by mountain town with a chain around his neck and signs of abuse. They don‘t know how long he was in the wild for. We could count his rib bones and his hips were sunken in. ⬇️ 7y
LibrarianJen We took him in, fattened him up, taught him how to play and now he is 6 years old and spoiled rotten. He still has lone wolf tendencies and doesn‘t mind his manners when someone comes to the door, but he is super gentle with the kids and has been a great companion. 7y
MidnightBookGirl ❤❤❤❤❤ 7y
ItsAngel @LibrarianJen Yes! She is very much a handful to deal with! She‘s a sweet puppy but is very bitey and with those sharp teeth...ouch! I have an Aussie that‘s high energy too...hopefully they will be good friends and keep each other busy later on. 7y
TricksyTails Arthur and Yumi are adorable! Thank you for sharing and brightening my day! 🤗♥️🐶😽 7y
62 likes10 comments
blurb
LibrarianJen
post image

Since the East is hogging all the snow, I was able to walk to my new school today. I‘m loving the fact that I don‘t have to drive to work anymore! I had an audiobook to keep me company and this super soft, warm, comfy hat that my #litsypenpal made me. I couldn‘t ask for a better start to the day! #ItsGreatToBeAHawk

monalyisha That looks so peaceful. 💙 I wish I were a morning person. I can barely manage to grab a cup of coffee & make it to work on time even when I‘m driving! Someday, someday (maybe). 7y
Lacythebookworm That‘s awesome! Are you loving your new school? 7y
LibrarianJen @monalyisha I‘ve always been a morning person. I think people are just born one way or another! @Lacythebookworm so far I‘m loving it! The atmosphere here is so much more positive than my old school. 7y
See All 8 Comments
monalyisha @LibrarianJen I‘m not a night owl, either. I‘m strictly a high-noon kinda gal. 😅 7y
LibrarianJen @monalyisha 😂😂😂 7y
AmandaL @LibrarianJen That's awesome that you can walk to work now! And I am so super happy you like the hat. 😊 7y
Lacythebookworm I‘m so glad to hear that, Jen! My last job also had a negative atmosphere that wasn‘t good for anybody. (I‘m also a morning person!) 7y
Izai.Amorim It‘s great to be able to walk to work! 7y
57 likes8 comments
review
BooksTeasAndBookishThings
post image
Pickpick

I was a little in a rush to finish this book, but so glad I did! Ivy is truly remarkable in her humanity. She is determined, genuine, kind, compassionate, and still flawed. But, wants to learn from her mistakes and doesn‘t hide from them or deflect. I found her to be truly admirable despite her few poor choices. Great epistolary novel and one I am really glad came into my life. I also love her own humility while still refusing to settle. ❤️

emilyesears This has been on my TBR for awhile! 7y
BooksTeasAndBookishThings @emilyesears definitely worth the read. Her wording and spelling can be a little off-putting at first, but eventually it just become Ivy. 7y
78 likes2 comments
review
Audrey
post image
Pickpick

That was an unexpectedly excellent read. When I first started the book, I thought, wtf, I can't read this. It's from the pov of a barely literate child, all told via letters. They start in the late 1800s and continue until she is an old woman, in the 1960s. Ivy weaves her life events with local and national happening such as the rise and fall of coal mining and how it changed her town and mountain. It's clear that the author did a lot of research.

Audrey This book, more then Hillbilly Elegy, gave me a sense of the people in Appalachia and their struggles, which really never ceased and how their way of life started to decline even more once WW2 ended. 7y
14 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
BooksForEmpathy
post image
Pickpick

Oh how I loved this book. A surprising new favorite of mine.

Ivy Rowe invites us to travel next to her as she writes to those closest to her in a novel that spans childhood through old-age. She is strong-willed and insightful and funny; at the end it felt like spending time with my grandmothers again. A rare treat. My heart swells with affection for her.

I was reminded of the Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels and Elizabeth Strout while reading.

DrSabrinaMoldenReads Wow! Thanks! ❤️ 7y
Zelma Sold! 7y
minkyb Lovely! 7y
emilyhaldi Sounds good!! Love the rug ❤️ 7y
87 likes8 stack adds5 comments
blurb
BooksForEmpathy
post image

Made some hummus today! And look at these berries 😍.

This is a book I would have judged by its cover and never given it a second glance. Then, it was delivered to me by @Ashley31 for our #LGPOG book club and I cannot stop reading it. It is a coming-of-age tale like you have never read before. Told in a letter format, I have fallen for Ivy Rowe and her thoughtful & generous words, big love, moral questioning, and rebellious ways. Almost done!

Redwritinghood Looks delish! 7y
merelybookish Yes, I think Lee Smith is better than her covers might suggest. 😉 7y
Ashley31 Yeah that cover is totally bogus and there's since been released another edition with a much better cover. But that was the copy I got in high school so it has sentimental value. So glad you are enjoying it! 💙 7y
See All 7 Comments
kgriffith I love epistolary stories! 7y
Megabooks Yum! 7y
LitsyGoesPostalOG Love everything about this🙌🏽 7y
BooksForEmpathy @GlitterFemme I loved this book so much!!!! 7y
106 likes5 stack adds7 comments
blurb
MeganAnn
post image

My son is off to spend the week at his grandparents which means uninterrupted reading time for this mama! Yep, you read that right fellow #readingmamas .... NO INTERRUPTIONS!!! This is best part of sending him away even though I'll miss him like crazy. I'm going to disappear into this book for the next few hours. I'll see you all when I come up for air #litsygoespostalog

Lacythebookworm Enjoy! 😊 7y
Cinfhen Sounds wonderful ❤️enjoy 7y
63 likes2 comments
blurb
MrBook
post image

#BookNLunch! @BookBabe & I are grabbing lunch before I head back to work. No breakfast means breakfast for lunch 😆! Accompaniment this chilly morning: Belgian waffle, scrambled eggs, crispy corned beef hash, orange juice, and tea. MMMmmm 😋! Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Redwritinghood That waffle looks delicious. 😋 8y
JanuarieTimewalker13 The coffee looks good!! But the hash browns are burnt. In my old(er) age, I won't eat anything burnt anymore. My tempeh was burnt last night and I cut off all the burnt parts. The waffle looks divine! 8y
UnabridgedTomes Leslie Knope would fully approve of that waffle! 8y
See All 7 Comments
katedensen Soooo hungry/envious. 8y
Bookish.Heart Oh that waffle looks heavenly 8y
Zelma Breakfast for any meal is a good decision! 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
92 likes1 stack add7 comments
blurb
megnews
post image

One of too many I am #currentlyreading is the #epistolary novel, Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith. I just love the language in this book.
#readjanuary @RealLifeReading
#recommendsday

Reecaspieces Love her!! Have not read this one though. 8y
megnews @Reecaspieces I love her too. I have a few of hers on my tbr this year. 8y
17 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
CherylDeFranceschi
post image

Fair and Tender Ladies is a story told through Ivy Rowe's letters. A beautiful tale of love, loss and a determined will. I read this book when it came out more than 20 years ago and it has stayed with me all this time. #epistolary #readjanueary

thesaurusrex Lee Smith is such a wonderful author 8y
71 likes1 comment
review
BookBabe
post image
Pickpick

It's #Recommendsday! So glad I read this—it's wonderful! An epistolary novel, the story is told through letters written by Ivy, a girl born around 1900 into a poor, hardworking family that lives hand-to-mouth in a cabin up on a mountain in rural Virginia. Drama, difficult choices, & hard times shape the lives of these memorable characters. Fascinating, vivid & authentic. Brilliantly written & unputdownable!

P.S. Follow it with "Hillbilly Elegy"!

MallenNC I love several of Lee Smith's novels and her memoir, Dimestore, is great. 8y
Bostonmomx2 Never read this author, thanks for the rec 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😎👍🏻 8y
See All 8 Comments
MrBook 😍😍😍 8y
emilyesears Sounds awesome! 8y
OrangeMooseReads 👍🏽 8y
Blaire Great recommendation, have been wanting to check out lee smith. 8y
Ashley31 So glad you enjoyed it! It's one of my favs! 8y
130 likes18 stack adds8 comments
quote
megnews
post image

"I think myself they live on storys, they do not need much food."

blurb
megnews
post image

December's #tbr stack. Must finish 2 more books this month to meet my Goodreads #readingchallenge of 116 books and read 1 more book than last year.

#tbrtuesday

BookishMarginalia You can do it! 8y
20 likes1 comment
quote
BookBabe
post image

THIS QUOTE. 🙌🏻

Shortstack Is that supposed to be potential? 8y
Branwen TRUE STORY! ♡ 8y
hwheaties Completely agree. 8y
See All 17 Comments
Bostonmomx2 @Shortstack and "talents" how odd these misspellings are.... 8y
Shortstack @Bostonmomx2 At least that one is recognizable! Lol 8y
Foxyfictionista Are the misspellings intentional? 8y
pjmayhair Love the quote, the spelling though... maybe it's dialogue or train of thought. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
BookBabe 😂😂😂 Omg, that's hilarious! I TOTALLY forgot about the misspellings, because I was so excited about this quote and I had gotten so used to the spelling in this book! 😂😂😂 It's an epistolary novel, which means it's told through letters written by the character, hence the freaky spelling, as she is uneducated. The English language is hard to spell if you haven't learned it! 😝 See below: 👇🏻 @Shortstack @Bostonmomx2 @Foxyfictionista @pjmayhair 8y
BookBabe From Wikipedia: An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use. 8y
BookBabe The word epistolary is derived from Latin from the Greek word ἐπιστολή epistolē, meaning a letter (see epistle).
The epistolary form can add greater realism to a story, because it mimics the workings of real life. It is thus able to demonstrate differing points of view without recourse to the device of an omniscient narrator.
8y
BookBabe Thank you, @MrBook , for teaching me about epistolary novels. 😘 8y
BookBabe The spelling in this book completely horrified me for the first 2 pages, and I was thinking "oh HELL no, there's no way I can get through this book if the whole thing is like this!" But then the book was so compelling that I got completely sucked in and the spelling bothered me less and less until I didn't notice it anymore. Fabulous book! ?? 8y
Bostonmomx2 @BookBabe that's very cool info, thanks 👍 8y
Shortstack @BookBabe I'm just happy it's intentional!! Lol 8y
auntie_jenn imagine what the author's screen looked like while writing with spell check on! 🙀 8y
MrBook 😊👍🏻 8y
125 likes1 stack add17 comments
blurb
BookBabe
post image

#BookNDinner! Friday night out with @MrBook at a local pub — teriyaki wings, garlic parm wings, a big rack of tender BBQ ribs, grilled seasoned zucchini, crispy beer battered fries, a Captain n' Coke, a live band, and I'm reading a book in the midst of it all! 😂👍🏻 Happy reads and happy eats! 😊

MrBook 😋👍🏻 8y
Reviewsbylola Looks amazing. 👀😍 8y
Branwen Looks sooooo yummy! Looks like you guys are having a great time! 8y
See All 13 Comments
LeahBergen Oh, fun!! 8y
MemoirsForMe I admire your impeccable concentration skills. 😊 8y
LornaDH 💜 8y
melbeautyandbooks Looks delicious! 8y
GilbertGrape Will you adopt me? I want all that in my life. 8y
Jinjer OMG the perfect life!!! 8y
Jinjer Ps I read that book. So good! 8y
Mdargusch Looks so good! 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😎👍🏻 8y
MyNamesParadise French fries 😍😍 8y
149 likes2 stack adds13 comments
blurb
MrBook
post image

#Coale can't get enough of the latest #LGP book we've received in the mail 😹👏🏻! He cozied and snuggled up to that thing like it's catnip! He digs books, but this is another level of affection 😂👍🏻! Wherever the book goes, he goes *shrugs* 😸. Great pick! #LitsyGoesPostal #catsofLitsy

BookBabe 😻😻😻 8y
Lola @MrBook!!!!! Our eyes!!! 😳Spoiler alerts for the #LGP posts please 😱Love you anyway 😘 8y
Lola @MrBook, note the artful way the lovely @BookBabe posted about the same book 😉 8y
See All 25 Comments
MrBook @Lola Ah! Whoopie! You would think the organizer would be on top of his game 😜. Sorry about the lack of spoiler, adding now. 8y
MrBook @Lola Gosh darn it though, I didn't use "Going Postal", I was just thinking about the book ?. 8y
Branwen Awwww!!! ♡♡ 8y
Lola @MrBook It's all good. I've been able to avoid spoilers so far and so am delightfully surprised on delivery day. With the club running over the course of years, I'm sure I'll forget the ones I've seen 👍🏻 8y
MrBook @Lola Whoopie should have been Whoops. I guess autocorrect is still in pie mode from Thanksgiving 😂👏🏻. 8y
MrBook @Lola I expect @BookBabe to construct much more aesthetically pleasing posts than me, she is a fine artist after all ☺️👍🏻. 8y
MrBook @Branwen 😸👏🏻 8y
MrBook @BookishMarginalia I bet #Septimus does this too, doesn't he? 😉👍🏻 8y
BookBabe ??????? Okay, I seriously just spent the last 15 minutes laughing hysterically and crying because autocorrect made @MrBook write "Ah! Whoopie!" instead of "whoops" ????????? 8y
Zelma 😂 this whole post is great! And for the record, my boys go nuts sniffing library books; I think there are so many smells on them that they don't know what to think. 8y
Zelma @MrBook @BookBabe Ah Whoopie! could potentially enter the Litsy lexicon for new exclamation. 😆 8y
Texreader So cute!!! 8y
Lola @MrBook Funny, I am so used to auto"correct" changing my words, that I actually read that as Whoopsie :) If I read it as Whoopie, I might have been sad-as in Whoopie, big deal, I don't CARE about the spoiler! ?Re being artful, your photo composition was equally beautiful to @BookBabe's. I was referring to her artful use of words on that one-i.e. I had no idea from her post this was a LGP book because, you know, she left out those words ? 8y
Ashley31 Like you and @BookBabe, your cat has excellent taste! 😀 8y
MrBook @Lola Listen, whatdaya want from me ove' 'ere 😩😜😂👏🏻? I give up on this post 😂👏🏻. @Ashley31 Thank you ☺️! 8y
MrBook @BookBabe Yeah, laugh, go ahead and laugh 😜😂👏🏻! 8y
MrBook @Zelma 😂😂😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! @Texreader 😸👍🏻!!! 8y
Lola @MrBook all we can do now is discuss over a cuppa (or glassa ;)) something ☕️🍷🍻🍸Litsy meetup!!!!! 😊 8y
MrBook @Lola 😎👌🏻 8y
Faibka Awww what a sweetie 😻💜💜 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😎👍🏻 8y
MrBook @Faibka 😊👍🏻 8y
154 likes2 stack adds25 comments
blurb
BookBabe
post image

Unwinding with a good book, fresh baked gooey cookies, and milk with @MrBook on this Thanksgiving Eve! ❤️🍪📚

LeeRHarry This is on my TBR shelf and has been for a while..should get to it 😊 8y
Kimzey Mmmmmm! Cookies! 🍪🍪😊 8y
beagle.mama Those cookies are going on my TBE list! Yum! 8y
See All 17 Comments
MrBook 😍😍😍 8y
[DELETED] 1409720085 Those cookies look amazing. 8y
BooksForEmpathy Cookie recipe!? Those look so delicious. 8y
Soubhiville Your cookies look so gooey and yummy! 8y
PurpleyPumpkin Yummy!😛 8y
minkyb I wish I was your neighbor! 8y
Reviewsbylola 😍😍 8y
MaureenMc I adore this book! Lee Smith is a national treasure. 😊 8y
BookBabe @minkyb Oh, if only you were! Our neighbors don't read. 😤 8y
BookBabe @MaureenMc nice! I'm enjoying it too. 😊👍🏻 8y
BookBabe @LeeRHarry Yes, absolutely! It's quite compelling! 😊👍🏻 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😎👍🏻 8y
150 likes4 stack adds17 comments
blurb
allerkins

My takeaway from this book so far: birth control is everything.

blurb
TheLushMama
post image

Just started this!