The many fans of Styles by Maggie Sweet
will find equal riches in the second installment of this multigenerational saga, and newcomers to the adventures of the Poplar Grove, N.C., family will feel at home at once. Betty, a nurse who works with Alzheimer's patients, "wonders if it's her destiny to be surrounded by contrary, confusing people." Her daughter, Maggie, has just left her husband, the irksome but reliable Steven, and their twin daughters, Jill and Amy, who have recently graduated from high school. Adding to Betty's stress is her live-in mother, Mama Dean, a widow with a will of iron. Betty not only has her hands full trying to reconcile two equally stubborn women, she has to deal with being the town scandal when it becomes clear that Maggie has run off with her high school heartthrob, Jerry. And is it all Betty's fault? After all, she left her own husband when Maggie was a tot. But thanks to her longtime friend, Annie, who lures her out to the coast, and a charming Australian named Charlie, Betty renews her own life while managing her mother's and learning to accept her daughter's. Stacy knows when to switch from one point of view to another, and she captures the vivacious banter of her characters with ease. (May)
Forecast:The recent sale of the film rights to
Styles by Maggie Sweet suggests a bright future for the series, which will appeal to readers of Ann B. Ross's Miss Julia books.
