This is a story about the breakdown of a marriage in the 1950s. It's told from three perspectives: Jimmy, the would-be doctor, May, daughter of a wealthy and influential southern family, and Joey, their unplanned 12-year-old son. It's a story about broken dreams and new found realities and how this family deals with them. I give this story an A+! - it was well-written and thought-provoking.

Engaging story. Southern lit.

It was interesting the way the story was told from the various viewpoints. I did feel as though some parts seem repetitive. Jimmy grated on my nerves...I just wanted to shake him and tell him to grow up and act like a man. His mom was a horrible person and unfortunately, it carried on to the next generation. May was a bit shallow. She was all too concerned about appearances and status.

Good book

Like standing at the fence talking to your backyard nieghbor, You truly have to be a native to appreciate this book and it's characters.

The Denver Post reviewed this book as "Masterful...somewhere between Faulkner and Conroy." and I agree. Those of us who live in the South are often classified by a certain vernacular and voice pattern, though each region has its own unique sound and sayings. A hallmark of many great Southern authors - Faulkner and Conroy, Rick Bragg, Harper Lee... - is the way they're able to skillfully capture those special voices and, in doing so, to instantly transport the reader to a particular Southern locale. Payne does that beautifully by bringing his characters to life through the individual cadence of their voices and the colorful colloquialisms that pepper their speech. Were it not for Life's inevitable interruptions I would have settled in to read this book all the way through in one sitting. The story immediately grabbed me and laughter, tears, sighs of delight, moans of disappointment all overtook me at one point or another as the saga of this family unfolded. Maybe it was because, being a Southerner, I was easily immersed in the sound of those voices and the era of time they inhabited. But I do believe anyone who loves "lyrical prose and psychological acuity" (as described by The Boston Globe) would thoroughly enjoy this book. Can't wait to read other works by David Payne.

Rich characters, deep subject matter and beautifully written! I felt so many different emotions as I read this book! The author gets inside the heads of his characters and uncovers their many layers and what “makes them tick!” A very realistically-written story! Loved it!

Superbly told story of extended family and the unraveling of a marriage told from different points of view. I believe the author was trying to help us see both the good and bad in the husband and the wife, but I simply could not like or sympathize with the husband who refused to grow up. The language, 1950's setting and the geography of coastal North Carolina were beautifully done.

beautiful book! the prose is as equally beautiful as it is heartbreaking. it shows the reality of marriages and how they fall apart ,,, it’s also visually imagery is so beautiful

This book chronicles Joey Madden's parents' lives when they met and when they were married. It's told from the perspectives of Joey's mother, father and Joey himself and offers a lot of insight into Joey's personal issues that are discussed in "Gravesend Light". I read "Gravesend Light" first, so I found this book helpful in explaining things and giving more perspective.

A traditional novel, the sort that you got from the book-of-the-month club or from a collection at the mountain cabin. Satisfying but not earth-shaking.

I enjoyed this book. The author gave life and some credibility to the characters he portrayed. I felt for the agony of a child caught in his parents divorce. It was a good vacation/airplane read. The main characters were well fleshed out.