Dot Jackson’s Refuge resonates with anyone who has ever suffered loss, experienced joy tinged with grief, or longed to break free of social expectations. Jackson, a former journalist and columnist for The Charlotte Observer, has written a splendid first novel which depicts the spontaneous escape of Mary Seneca Steele and her children from a life of falseness and unhappiness in Charleston, SC. Set in the early part of the 20th century, it is a vivid tale of love, intimacy, and mystery.
Steele seeks refuge in the North Carolina mountains, homesick for a past and a place she doesn’t even know exists. Jackson allows Steele’s “refuge” to unfold in an unhurried plot that takes its time to unwind, slowing the reader to its lingering pace. Along the way, the reader savors the language of the storytelling, the haunting descriptions, and the insightful passages, often rereading along the way.
Ultimately, Mary Senena learns that family ties are the most important of all, that blood runs true, and that a place to belong to can be at the heart of living and loving.
Rufuge has rated numerous five star reviews and the reader feels a sense of loss when the last page is turned. It is a beautiful, wonderful love story. Reviewed by Helen Fowler
I read a lot of Appalachian based stories and this is probably one of the best. It makes me want to go back and start over and make note of certain sections. Please read it now.
ReplyDeleteMary Ann Taylor