 The War in Sallie's StationIn the beginning, God created Sallie's Station. He molded it from crude red Georgia clay and Cherokee-brown rivers with names that flowed. And when He ran out of mountains,  He fashioned hills: green, secret places, ankle-deep in leaves, stitched
with blackberry and honeysuckle with a deep summer smell.
At ten, Frannie Gordon thought God made it just
for her. Her mama called it the "Teacup Town," nestled as it was in the foothills of the north Georgia
mountains. Frannie just called it home. For a brief period it existed in kind of a gold time warp where only good things happened, and everyone lived peacefully. The U.S. dozed like a sleeping lion, the dauntless ruler of the jungle; downtown at the Gold Star Theater, Roy Rogers reigned as King of the Cowboys, and all was right with the world. But the threat of evil crept over the land, and Sallie's Station went to war. And then Miss Havergal came. In chapters alternating from present to past, the novel is narrated in contemporary times by the adult Frannie, now a widow in her sixties, who is attempting to cope with the changes in her life which include breast cancer. The friends Frannie knew in childhood still have a prominent place in her world. Because of incidents that happened years before, they share a common bond, and throughout their adulthood, the phantom of their former principal, Miss Havergal, continues to linger like a dark shadow. The dreadful Miss Havergal, although not a German spy, proves to be cold, insensitive, even cruel; and there is something else about her, something Frannie can't put into words. But no one will believe them. And so five children decide to take matters into their own hands. The results of this action will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Many of these characters continue in the contemporary chapters as their lives intertwine, not only because of their common childhood, but because of the burden they share. This is not just a novel about a young girl's bitter-sweet maturing in time of war, it is the story of the knitting-together of a community for a common purpose, and the warm, witty, and compassionate people who made it happen.  "Mignon Ballard's The War in Sallie's Station is one of those engaging stories of childhood remembered and the power of secrets that will speak personally and tenderly to the reader. Somewhere, in all our lives, there are such moments played against the background of who we are today." -- Terry Kay, author of Taking Lottie Home "Mignon Ballard knows so well how the people, places and events from our past resonate in - even haunt - our present. Couple this with Mignon's wonderful ability to get characters to reveal themselves intimately to her, and you have The War in Sallie's Station. It's a compelling story, deftly and artfully told by a writer at the top of her form." -- Robert Inman, author of Dairy Queen Days "Hi, long ago I sent a note and have since then continued to enjoy your books. I love the small townish-ness, is that a word?, and the feeling of close knit people who draw together that can be sadly lacking for too many people. I just read Sallie's Station and loved the little twist at the end. Funny how secrets we hold are also held by others and thus the affect they have on generations is profound. I think Sallie's Station would be a great movie but I'd also love to see Amanda on the silverscreen. Thanks again for great books! Oh and I can't wait to try Lemon Mystery!!!" Reader...KW |